Commentary: Why Chicago’s Health Future Depends on its Public Academic Hospitals
Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs Robert Barish writes that academic medical centers drive solutions that benefit patients, communities and health systems.
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Dr. Robert Barish, MD, MBA, vice chancellor for health affairs at UIC
Chicago’s public, academic health systems are among our city’s most vital strategic assets. They deliver world-class care, train the next generation of clinicians, and advance innovation that strengthens our entire health care ecosystem.
After more than 40 years as an emergency medicine physician, educator, and public health leader, I have seen health care systems in every setting imaginable, from major urban centers in New York and Baltimore to communities in Shreveport, La., and even refugee camps in Somalia and Cambodia. Across all of them, one lesson stands out. When academic medicine and public service intersect, the result is not just broader access to care. It is better care for everyone.
Modified on January 28, 2026