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About Us
Our Mission
Chicago Health Map connects health data across Chicagoland's major hospital systems to make community-level health patterns visible — giving residents, researchers, and decision-makers the information they need to close health gaps. You can't solve problems you can't see, and you cannot identify where success is happening — where communities are achieving strong health outcomes and supporting healthy living — without access to meaningful health data.
The Challenge: Chicago's Death Gap
Chicago has one of the biggest life expectancy gaps in America. How long you live can differ by 30 years based on where you live.
What drives this gap? Long-term health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and kidney disease are more common in some neighborhoods than others, increasing the burden on individuals in some places. The uneven burden of these conditions across communities is a major reason why life expectancy varies so dramatically.
Understanding where these health gaps exist is the first step toward closing the death gap. By connecting health data across hospitals, we can see patterns that were invisible before—and turn that data into action.
Who We Are
ChicagoHealthMap.com was built by the Rush Health Equity Data Analytics Studio. We're part of the Rush BMO Institute for Health Equity at Rush University System for Health.
Rush University Medical Center · Chicago, IL
The RUSH BMO Institute for Health Equity
The RUSH BMO brings together hospitals, community organizations, and residents to break down barriers to health. The Institute builds partnerships, advances health equity education across disciplines, and evaluates policies that affect longevity and access to care, with the goal that everyone has a fair chance to live a healthy life.
The Rush Health Equity Data Analytics Studio
The Rush Health Equity Data Analytics Studio, supported by a 5-year, $7.5 million grant from the Searle Funds at the Chicago Community Trust, is the research and technical engine behind CONSCIENCE and ChicagoHealthMap.com.
The Studio connects health data across hospital systems, develops tools for community health analysis, and works alongside community partners to turn data into targeted action.
Our Team
Leadership
Name
Role
Links
David A. Ansell, MD, MPH
Senior Vice President for Community Health Equity, Rush University Medical Center; Michael E. Kelly, MD Presidential Professor
John A. Rich, MD, MPH
Harrison I. Steans Director, RUSH BMO Institute for Health Equity; Professor of Medicine
Health Equity Data Analytics Studio
Name
Role
Links
Juan C. Rojas, MD, MS
Director, Rush Health Equity Analytics Studio; Associate Chief Medical Information Officer
Pankaja (P.J.) Desai, PhD, MPH, MSW
Associate Professor; Director, Rush Biostatistics Core
Meher Sapna Masanpally, MS
Data Analyst
—
The CONSCIENCE Project
CONSCIENCE stands for CONnecting SCIence—ENgaging Chicago for Equity. It connects data from 7 major health systems to track 38 health conditions across 2.8 million patients in the six-county Chicago area.
7
Health Systems
38
Health Conditions
2.8M
Patients Tracked
What We Track
We track conditions that affect Chicagoland communities:
Heart problems
High blood pressure, heart disease, heart failure, stroke
Diabetes and weight
Diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol
Mental health
Depression, substance use
Cancer
13 types, including lung, breast, prostate, and colon cancer
Breathing problems
Asthma, COPD
Other conditions
HIV/AIDS, kidney disease, sickle cell disease, dementia, injuries
Our Approach
We believe communities should have access to their own health data. That means:
Breaking down data silos—Connecting information from 7 health systems to show the full picture
Making data accessible—Health information should be available to the people it describes
Enabling action—When communities can see health patterns, they can work on solutions
Partnership—We work with communities, not just study them
Our Partners
This work happens through CAPriCORN, a network of major Chicago hospitals and clinics that share data for research.
Seven health systems currently participate:
Rush University System for Health
Northwestern Medicine
UChicago Medicine
University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System
Cook County Health
AllianceChicago (a network of community health centers)
Endeavor Health
Get Involved
For Community Members
Explore your neighborhood—Look up health data for where you live. Share what you find at community meetings.
Request a walkthrough—We can show your group how to use the data. Email conscience@rush.edu
Ask questions—Contact us about your community’s data
For Researchers
Use our data—Get neighborhood-level health data for your research
Partner with us—Work with our team on community-based studies
Cite us—See our citation guide when you publish
For Policymakers
Target resources—Use our maps to see where needs are greatest
Track progress—Watch how health patterns change over time
Plan programs—Identify neighborhoods that could benefit from focused efforts
Contact Us
CONSCIENCE Project
Rush University Medical Center
Principal Investigator: J.C. Rojas, MD, MS
Email: conscience@rush.edu
A Note About This Data
This data represents real people in real Chicago neighborhoods. Behind every number is a person, a family, a neighbor. We share this information so communities can understand their health—and so we can all work together to give everyone their best chance at a healthy life.
ChicagoHealthMap.com is a project of the Rush Health Equity Data Analytics Studio at the RUSH BMO Institute for Health Equity.
Connect with Us
We're always eager for feedback. Reach us using this form or email us at conscience@rush.edu
