The vision of C3EN is to eliminate disparities of multiple chronic diseases in the Chicago Region so any person can live their life fully regardless of their race, gender, socioeconomic status, and neighborhood.
The mission of C3EN is to accomplish the following goals, in partnership with community stakeholders:
· Identify solutions to address inequities in multiple chronic conditions in Chicagoland area, with a particular focus on cardiometabolic health.
· Understand the role of contextual/intersectoral factors (e.g. neighborhood, social determinants of health, mental health) on development of multiple chronic conditions and the effectiveness of interventions to reduce inequities in those health conditions.
· Engage community partners in a meaningful way throughout all phases of the research cycle.
· Stimulate collaborations across academic institutions, clinics, regions and community organizations.
How can we find solutions for health disparities and chronic diseases?
In Chicagoland, historical patterns of unequal distribution of resources across the region results in geographic “hotspots” where high numbers of residents suffer from multiple chronic health conditions. (include link to healthypeople.gov webpage on health disparities)
Real world solutions to the complex problem of health disparities can only come from creating productive partnerships between multiple stakeholders. The stakeholders include community organizations, such as churches or local nonprofits, health providers in these communities, local health departments and health disparities researchers at local universities. The C3EN is creating infrastructure to connect these stakeholders to identify health disparities problems and potential solutions.