Community Events
The University of Chicago Medicine offers and supports events that promote community health and wellness. UChicago Medicine participates in health fairs, forums, fitness programs, festivals and other events to provide health-focused education and services on the South Side.
Weekly & Monthly Events
Learn about free community forums and wellness activities, including workshops open to fitness program participants.
The Community Fitness Program at the Museum of Science and Industry boasts 60 to 80 members who regularly walk and do aerobic exercise inside the museum’s confines. The program takes place on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings.
In existence more than 21 years, this free program is designed to encourage healthy fitness habits and to help seniors integrate a regular exercise program into their health routines.
Registration is required.
Community Grand Rounds is a health-focused discussion series. Each event includes networking opportunities, a community meal, a formal presentation and a Q&A session. Past topics include breast cancer, men's health, LGBTQ issues, diabetes, weight loss and more.
South Side Fit is a free wellness program. In addition to weekly fitness classes and other benefits, South Side Fit offers monthly health and nutrition workshops. Registration is required.
For more information about South Side Fit, please email info@timothycommunity.org or call (773) 624-4642.The Community Health Focus Hour is UChicago Medicine's weekly talk radio show exploring community health topics. Each week, one of our hosts facilitates an interactive conversation with featured guests. Listeners are encouraged to call in and contribute to the conversation.
Tune in to WVON 1690 AM at 1 p.m. on Saturdays to join in the Community Health Focus Hour discussion.
Listen to live shows online through iHeartRadio.com or explore our archives on SoundCloud.com
Annual Events
At the African Festival of the Arts, the Urban Health Initiative (UHI) delivers an abundance of community resources and on-site check-ups to hundreds of visitors, including health screenings, nutrition tips and fitness demonstrations.
The University of Chicago Medicine Breast Center, Department of Radiology, UHI and marketing partners with the Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force provide 175 free screening mammograms and 15 diagnostics to uninsured and underinsured women living in Illinois. The program aims to emphasize the importance of breast cancer screening beyond breast cancer awareness month.
Each year at the Black Women's Expo, the UHI provides a variety of free offerings, which often include:
- Blood pressure, glucose and HIV screenings
- Stroke and health education sessions
- Women’s health seminars
- Fitness boot camp and Zumba classes
- Health screenings on the Pediatric Mobile Medical Unit
- On-site registration for medical appointments
For more than 15 years, UChicago Medicine has sponsored the Bud Billiken Parade, a famous Chicago tradition that encourages Chicago Public School children to start the school year with enthusiasm.
The Day of Service and Reflection (DOSAR) brings UChicago Medicine faculty, staff, students, friends and families into our service area for a morning of community service at South Side nonprofit organizations. It occurs each year in May with the goal to provide a service experience that both engages our employees and provides community organizations help with a meaningful project.
The First Ladies' Health Initiative is a day devoted to inspiring families to focus on health and wellness. UChicago Medicine women’s health experts provide information on medical care and services, while UHI staff and volunteers share community resources and guides for healthier food choices.
A popular annual Father’s Day event, Real Men Cook attracts grill masters and others for a good time. Many participants take great pride in their tasty dishes with a focus on health and wellness. Several UChicago Medicine doctors join the tradition of cooking and serving under the "Real Docs Cook" tent.
A biannual community wide summit to engage community members through fostering an environment for peer-to-peer learning, insightful and engaging dialogue, and collaboration that yield partnerships to improve health on Chicago's South Side.