West Garfield Park residents have a life expectancy of 69 years, compared to an average life expectancy of 85 years in the Loop. By 2030, West Side United hopes to cut that life expectancy gap in half.

Officials battling the state’s opioid epidemic got a boost this week with the donation of a medicine that reverses the effects of opioid overdoses. In 2016, nearly 1,950 people died of opioid overdoses in Illinois.

As part of the city’s fight against opioids, Chicago Police officers will be equipped with naloxone. “Ensuring public safety goes beyond focusing solely on violent crime,” said Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson.

Can childhood trauma lead to long-term heart disease? A growing body of evidence says yes, but it’s not just heart health that’s impacted. Toxic stress can lead to a multitude of health consequences.

How evidence-based health care policy can get more value out of the health care system. A discussion with Katherine Baicker, dean of the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.

In the face of mounting criticism over his handling of a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at a veterans home, Gov. Bruce Rauner on Wednesday promised additional upgrades to the facility.

Illinois Public Health Director Nirav Shah told lawmakers Tuesday that he’s “proud” of the government’s response to an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease at a state veterans home in Quincy. But critics say it was a delayed reaction that put veterans at risk.

Opioid overdoses in Illinois claim more lives than homicides and car accidents. State health officials tell us what’s behind the crisis.  

The opioid epidemic in Illinois is more acute than in many other states, according to the National Safety Council. We discuss the crisis and a new memorial that highlights the human toll of opioid addiction.

The public is invited to weigh in on public health policy ideas at a series of upcoming town hall meetings. Get dates, locations and more details.

A discussion about human rights on the South Side of Chicago – including public health and criminal justice – takes place Tuesday evening at a River North gallery.

In 2015, Chicago air pollution reached elevated levels for a total of 151 days, a new report shows, increasing the risk of premature death, asthma attacks and other negative health effects for city residents.

Candy-flavored e-cigarettes and other sweetened tobacco products threaten to create a new generation of addicted users, warns a new report by five prominent public health organizations.

The disaster in Flint has spotlighted the dangers and adverse health outcomes of lead seeping into communities’ drinking water. Elizabeth Brackett reports on the lead pipes carrying water into Chicago and suburban homes. 

Elizabeth Brackett takes a look at gun violence through the lens of the public health system rather than the criminal justice system.

The premiere hospital on the South Side, the University of Chicago Medical Center, does not have an Adult Level 1 Trauma Center. Elizabeth Brackett reports on the level of emergency care on the South Side of Chicago.