Sinai Urban Health Institute

Bridging Health Disparities

Established in 2000 as the research arm of Sinai Chicago, Sinai Urban Health Institute (SUHI) is a unique, nationally-recognized community research center that works in partnership with community members and organizations to identify and address health disparities in some of the most underserved communities in the city.

Highlights

Community-Driven Research

Our research directly addresses health disparities leading one of Chicago's largest face-to-face health surveys across nine communities, our team of 70+ experts transforms local data into action. Our research directly addresses health disparities where they matter most

Innovative Health Solutions

From diabetes prevention to breast health awareness, our evidence-based programs create lasting change in Chicago's West and South Side communities. Our community health workers bridge crucial gaps in healthcare access.

National Impact

Through initiatives like our Fifty Cities Racial Disparities study and citywide collaboratives, we're shaping the future of urban health equity. Our findings inform policy and practice across major U.S. cities shaping the future of urban health disparities.

Overview

Since our inception, we have grown to encompass a diverse staff of approximately 60 epidemiologists, project managers, research assistants, and community health workers, and we have become leaders in the development, implementation, and evaluation of innovative approaches to improve population health – with a primary focus on communities facing financial and social challenges.

As part of our health disparities research and work, we develop innovative community health interventions, deliver community health worker training and consultation, and provide a broad scope of evaluation services. We work in partnership with Chicago’s West and South Side communities to better understand the social factors underlying health disparities and to collaboratively develop, implement, evaluate, and scale innovative solutions to enable all individuals to thrive in health.

Currently funded initiatives focus on asthma, cancer navigation, screening and support, diabetes, and social determinants of health. Race represents a major through-line in all our work; we have been examining racism as an underlying root cause of social and health disparities since our establishment in 2000 and we continue to address complex topics like violence and mortality inequities. Our founder, Dr. Steve Whitman, once said, “I cannot see how we will make progress against racial disparities unless we reveal them and proclaim their destructiveness.”

Meet The Team

Sinai Community Health Survey 2.0: Data-Driven Health Equity

Our groundbreaking face-to-face health survey across nine diverse Chicago communities provides crucial insights into local health disparities. Through community-driven research and comprehensive data collection, we're transforming understanding into action.