Chicago Weekend Citizen 11-9-2022

TRANSFORMATIONAL GIFT FROM MACKENZIE SCOTT WILL ALLOW CHICAGO URBAN LEAGUE TO ENHANCE EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMS

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Urban League today announced a transformational gift that will allow the organization to enhance and expand the reach of its empowerment programs and strengthen its physical infrastructure.

Philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott has donated $6.6 million to the organization. The gift is the largest single contribution in the Chicago Urban League’s 106-year history.

“We’re honored and grateful that Ms. Scott and her team have recognized the Chicago Urban League’s value and impact to the community,” said President and CEO Karen Freeman-Wilson. “By placing racial equity and social justice at the forefront of her philanthropic mission, Ms. Scott is shining a much-needed spotlight on the nation’s structural and institutional limitations and helping to build a stronger, more resilient society for everyone.”

Freeman-Wilson added that the organization will use the contribution to retire debt and complete building and technology infrastructure improvements begun last year at its building at 4510 S. Michigan Avenue. The building houses more than 60 em ployees and includes classrooms, labs, and meeting spaces for job training, financial and digital literacy workshops, youth programming, and community events. The Chicago Urban League has been seeking to upgrade its physical spaces and technology to continue to ensure a safe, high-functioning work environment for staff and to better meet the needs of its clients.

Ms. Scott’s generosity will also support the expansion of the League’s workforce development, housing, youth services, entrepreneurship, and leadership development programs, as well as its more recent efforts to promote health equity. “This is an incredible gift that better positions the Chicago Urban League to pursue our mission and address critical issues affecting our communities,” Freeman-Wilson said.

The Chicago Urban League is one of 25 Urban League affiliates around the nation that received simi lar donations from Ms. Scott, who in 2019 signed The Giving Pledge, a promise by the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to dedicate the majority of their wealth to charitable causes.

CHICAGO FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN SEEKING

NOMINATIONS FOR IMPACT AWARDS

The nomination form for Chicago Foundation for Women’s Impact Awards is live.

Each year through its Impact Awards, Chicago Foundation for Women celebrates Chicago-area individuals and one corporation for their dedication to increasing resources and opportunities for women, girls, trans, and gender nonbinary individuals in the Chicago area.

The Impact Awards ceremony will be held in the spring of 2023 and is a celebratory gathering highlighting the tremendous leaders impacting our communities.

This year, Chicago Foundation for Women launched the inaugural Beacon Award, honoring a leader whose published work has highlighted the issues facing women and girls in the Chicago region and enabled their voices to be heard.

The 2022 Beacon Award honoree was Jim DeRogatis, a journalist, associate professor of in structor with the Department of English and Creative Writing at Columbia College Chicago, and co-host of Sound Opinions, a weekly show about music syndicated nationally on public radio and via podcast. DeRogatis was the Chicago Sun-Times music critic for 15 years, where he broke the story of sexual as sault allegations against R. Kelly. DeRogatis pursued this story for 18 years, conducting an investigation that would inspire the Lifetime docuseries, Surviving R. Kelly. DeRogatis published his work on the R. Kelly investigation in his book, Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly.

To nominate someone, visit https://tinyurl. com/4rr6hybk.

Walmart Health Centers continue commitment to healthcare in Austin, Chatham

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BY TIA CAROL JONES

The Austin Walmart Health Cen ter, located at 1715 N. Kilpatrick Ave., opened in 2021 and the Chatham Walmart Health Center, located at 8410 S. Holland Road, opened in 2020. Res idents are able to receive primary care, see a dentist, get a physical, as well as get behavioral health assistance. It provides one-stop dentistry, optometry and audiology. There also are communi ty health workers who serve as patient advocates for resources. There are between 15-20 team members servicing all modality lines.

In addition to the two locations in Chicago, there are currently Walmart Health Centers in the States of Arkan sas, Georgia, Florida and Texas. Daniel Czwornog, the Administrator of the Austin Walmart Health Center, believes having a facility like this that provides healthcare to residents of Austin, and the surrounding communities, is important because it provides access to healthcare.

Dr. Soujanya Chinni Pulluru, the Vice President of Clinical Operations at Walmart, acknowledged that the communities where the Health Centers are located are health care deserts.

Patients are able to receive care regardless of having insurance and Walmart Health provides transparent pricing for services. From the minute patients walk through the door, they understand the cost associated with getting the care they need. Flexible payment plans also are available.

“We want to be a gamechanger with this. We want to take care of our patients’ needs first. We will provide that care whether they’re uninsured or underinsured. Our primary focus is the patient first,” Czwornog said.

Pulluru said ‘the patient first model is a core tenet of Walmart’s healthcare services. Walmart entered healthcare and pharmacy in 1978 and then into clinical in 2019.

“Our core philosophy is that we want to serve every body,” she said.

Cwornog said Walmart is proud to have a Health Center in Austin and be able to provide access to care for all the modalities – optometry, behavioral health, telemed

icine, primary care services and dentistry. The goal is for the patients to be physically and mentally fit and live their best lives.

“This is a really big deal for us. We opened these clinics when this community was struggling in the pan demic with COVID and as we saw, there’s huge healthcare disparities and outcomes in particularly Black and Hispan ic communities. The communities surrounding this store suffered during COVID and the pandemic. Being able to open this at the time, was meaningful for us,” Pulluru said, adding that transformation begins with providing health care access.

Walmart Health Center has invested a significant amount to bring improvements. One is a new electronic health system, Epic, which connects Walmart Health to lo cal hospitals and other entities. It enables Walmart Health to see a patient’s health records. The other is to ensure patients can be seen on their own terms.

The Health Centers are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; and closed on Sunday. The tele-health services also are available on Sundays. For more information about the Walmart Health Center, visit walmarthealth.com.

Black Men United Donations for Lindop School Families Praised

Broadview, Ill. – Top officials from Lindop School District 92 in western Cook County are offering praise to Black Men United for a community give away event last weekend that donated free toiletries, household appliances, furniture, and other items to the district’s students and families.

Black Men United, a national community service organization that focuses on the restoration and rebuilding of Black communities across America, organized the event in suburban Broadview on Saturday, Oct. 22, and drew more than 100 families who received the free household and personal items, including Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas.

“Lindop District 92 deeply appreciates the commitment by the Black Men United organization and their local supporters to help

the lighten the financial burden of some of the students of and fami lies of Broadview,” said Superintendent Dr. Janiece Jackson. “We would especially like to thank Black Men United’s local leader, Pastor John Harrell, who organized the giveaway and helped secure the donations.”

A ”blessing” for families, says top elected official.

“Many of the hard working parents of our students are struggling under the financial strain of high gas prices, increased food coasts, and escalating housing expenses,” said Lindop Board of Education President Shyrl Griffin. “So the generous donations arranged for our families by Black Men United is a true blessing.”

The elementary school district of 360 students is 20-minutes away from downtown Chicago.

Walmart Health hosted a grand reopening on Thursday, Oct. 27, at its Austin location, at 1715 N. Kilpatrick Ave. The facility originally opened in 2021. PHOTO PROVIDED BY WALMART.

3 Things Every Veteran Should Do Before Buying a Home

1Take a HUD-approved homebuyer course

Veterans should take a first-time homebuyer course offered by a HUD-ap proved agency. These classes are often free or at a minimal cost. During the course, prospective homebuyers can learn about down-payment assistance programs, various types of loans, and how to prepare finan cially.

2Learn about down-payment-assis tance

programs

For most homeowners, the most challenging part of the buying process is saving for a down payment. Veterans can take advantage of Veterans Affairs (VA) loans, which can help avoid high down payments, mortgage insurance, and high-in terest rates.

The two types of VA loans are a VA direct home loan and VA-backed loan. With a VA direct home loan, the VA serves as the

direct mortgage lender. With a VA backed loan, the VA guarantees a portion of the loan from a private lender. Since this type of loan is seen as lower risk, the lender is more likely to offer better terms.

3Research property tax savings for veterans

Many counties offer significant property tax savings to veteran homeowners, which can help with budgeting and, in some cases, offer a homeowner more buying power. This information is usually available at the website of the local county assessor.

In Cook County, the Assessor’s Office administers both the Veterans with Disabili ties and the Returning Veterans Exemptions, which can reduce the property tax bills of veterans.

The Veterans with Disabilities Exemp tion is for veterans with a service-connected disability as certified by the U.S. Depart ment of Veterans Affairs. The exemption

reduces the Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) on the primary residence of a veteran with a disability, very likely lowering the tax bill. The amounts of those EAV deductions depend on the percentage of disability. Veterans are required to apply annually.

The Returning Veterans Exemption is for veterans returning from active duty in armed conflict who are eligible to re ceive a $5,000 reduction in the equalized assessed value of their property only for each taxable year in which they return. Veterans are required to apply annually.

Homeowners are often unaware of these savings and, in some cases, can apply for past property tax savings from previous years. In Cook County, this process is called a Certificate of Error, allowing homeowners to correct up to three years in property tax savings. For more information visit the cookcountyas sessor.com.

The Chicago Community Trust Names Andrea Sáenz as President and

CEO

POLITICAL AFFAIRS

IPHCA HONORS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER CHAMPION U.S. SENATOR DICK DURBIN

The Illinois Primary Health Care Association (IPHCA) was pleased to honor U.S. Senator Dick Durbin re cently for his exceptional leadership and efforts in support of communi ty health centers and underserved areas.

IPHCA presented the 2022 Distinguished Community Health Center Advocate Award at Crossing Healthcare in Decatur Illinois. IP HCA and its member health centers are thankful for the Senator’s long standing commitment to healthcare issues, including protections for the 340B prescription drug discount program, advancing historic invest ments in the National Health Service Corps, and assistance to providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The Chicago Community Trust (the Trust) announced today the se lection of Andrea Sáenz as the eighth President and CEO of the 107-yearold organization, succeeding Helene Gayle. Sáenz will bring over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit and public sectors, where she has led efforts to improve neighborhood, citywide, and national systems. Her relationships with and ability to work across philanthropic, business, and government institutions – as well as an understanding of the issues shap ing the region’s future – make her uniquely suited to lead the organiza tion.

From her time as a communi ty organizer in college, where she worked to improve conditions for communities harmed by poverty and racism, through a career that led to the last four years serving as the Trust’s first Chief Operating Officer, Sáenz has led with her heart and mind to advance equity, opportunity, and prosperity for all.

the next decade on working to close Chicago’s growing racial and ethnic wealth gap. This work is happening alongside the Trust’s foundational work to address critical needs and connect philanthropy to impact.

Previously, Sáenz led strategy, program design, evaluation, and orga nizational development for Chicago Public Library, a system of more than 80 neighborhood branches.

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Sáenz, who will be the institu tion’s first Latinx leader, most recent ly served as Chief Operating Officer and Interim President and CEO of the Trust. She was an integral member of the leadership team at the Trust that established the 10-year strategic plan to address economic inequity. In 2019, the Trust announced it would focus discretionary spending over

“As an immigrant from Ecuador who grew up in Los Angeles and came to Chicago as an adult, I have long felt embraced by Chicago and energized by our city’s diversity, cultural vibrancy, and civic commit ment,” said Andrea Sáenz, President and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust. “I was initially drawn to the Trust because of the opportunity to invest in and help support committed leaders and organizations working to improve their communities. Since joining, I’ve been proud to work with colleagues, donors, and partners who have such a deep love and commit ment to this City and region, and I look forward to doing all that I can to continue bringing resources and visibility to community-led solutions for our future.”

Sáenz holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies from Scripps College.

“Senator Durbin has shown time and time again his support for community health centers and, most importantly, the individuals and communities they serve,” said Ollie Idowu, President + Chief Executive Office at IPHCA. “At every turn, he has supported our efforts to enhance and expand access to high-quality, comprehensive healthcare to our patients, including his leadership in securing historic investments for the National Health Service Corps – a powerful tool for attracting and retaining healthcare providers in underserved communities.”

“Community health centers are a critical resource for so many Illinoisans, especially in urban and rural areas that have been historical ly underserved,” said Durbin. “Every single one of our residents deserves access to quality health services, and our community health centers are invaluable partners. I’ll continue advocating for federal investments to strengthen the workforce, lower costs, and improve health equity in every corner of our state.”

The award was presented by the IPHCA on behalf of their national affiliate, the National Association for Community Health Centers (NA CHC).

Girl Scouts of the USA Hires New Chief Development Officer and Chief Operations Officer

NEW YORK, PRNewswire -- Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) announced two new C-suite hires to expand the orga nization’s talented and diverse leadership team. Shelley Goode has joined as the chief development officer (CDO) and Brandt Haynes has joined the organization as the chief operating officer and head of transformation (COO). Both Shelley and Brandt bring a wide range of experiences and decades of expertise in executive, industry, and nonprofit roles that will be impactful to the mission and work of Girl Scouts.

“I am thrilled to welcome Shelley Goode and Brandt Haynes to the Girl Scouts of the USA team,” says Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Sofia Chang. “Both Shelley and Brandt are results-driven execu tives, thoughtful collaborators, and inspiring leaders. Alongside our colleagues, volunteers, and partners, we will continue to lift and strengthen the work we do to empower this generation of Girl Scouts.”

As CDO, Shelley will focus on deepening the culture of philanthropy at Girl Scouts by leading a revenue-generating community with diverse funding streams including individual and alumni engage ment, philanthropic giving, corporate partnerships, and foundation and government grants.

Shelley most recently served as chief development officer for the KIPP Foundation. KIPP is a nonprofit network of 280 college-preparatory public charter schools. She also served as vice president of resource development for Oxfam America, an organization that is part of a global confederation dedicated to fighting the injustice of poverty.

In her 30-plus years of experience, Shelley has served some of the world’s largest and most respected institutions—the nonprofit equivalent of Fortune 500 companies—in fundraising, marketing and communications, and nonprofit leadership. She is deeply familiar with the significant problems facing com munities throughout the world and has promoted solutions and raised funds for issues that include women’s empowerment,

STEM initiatives, poverty, affordable housing, and reintegra tion of veterans back into society. As a nonprofit leader, she has shaped policy and strategy at the C-suite level and worked with decentralized affiliates and partners to implement diversity- and inclusion-focused solutions.

“I’m honored to start the important work ahead at Girl Scouts of the USA and continue to provide more opportunities for young women across the country as they reach for new heights,” says Shelley.

As COO and head of transformation, Brandt Haynes is responsible for leading and aligning all strategic, revenue, marketing, pro gram, and technology activities for Girl Scouts of the USA. He will serve as a cross-function al change agent across the organization and a key council partner as he leads the evolution of the Girl Scout brand, program, and organi zation to ensure its long-term impact.

Throughout his 20-plus years of in dustry experience, Brandt has built strategy, marketing, operations, content, and analytics teams and guided them in strategic business evolution. He served as executive vice president at HBO (later WarnerMedia), building the teams and plans to transform the company’s product and distribution model to meet changing consumer demands—from DVD and Blu-ray to digital download and ultimately, direct-to-consumer streaming. In this role, he led a team responsible for developing and operationalizing the strategy to drive scale for HBO’s digital businesses, including HBO Now and the launch of HBO Max. Most recently, he served as head of consumer revenue for Pushkin Industries. In this role, he oversaw the launch of Pushkin+, helping evolve Pushkin’s brand and busi ness model from an advertising-driven audio production company to a consumer brand with a recurring subscriber base.

For more information about the Girl Scouts of America, visit girlscouts.org.

InteliChart Expands Leadership Team with New Chief Operating Officer

CHARLOTTE, N.C., PRNewswire -- Inteli Chart, a leader in patient engagement solutions for health care providers of all sizes, announces the appointment of Anthony L. Carter as its new chief operating officer. Carter brings over 20 years of experience in overhauling products and services to InteliChart, identifying opportunities to grow top-line revenues, driving product development, and guiding leadership teams to success.

“InteliChart is excited to be gaining yet another industry veteran talent with the addition of Antho ny,” said Gary Hamilton, CEO of InteliChart. “His ability to build and mentor teams while advancing growth makes him an invaluable asset for the com pany, and we’re thrilled to bring him aboard. The strategic, innovative approach he takes in driving an operation towards its goal will be instrumental to our continued success and expansion.”

Carter will oversee multi-level business functions and manage InteliChart’s operational performance. His experience in growing businesses through operational excellence and healthcare product innovation will be particularly valuable as InteliChart accelerates growth and reaches into new patient engagement markets. He has worked on numerous healthcare SaaS solutions that deliver value to providers and payers across the globe, including Europe, China, India, Japan, Africa, and Canada.

Carter is a past senior vice president of operations at SPH An alytics, a leading healthcare measurement and analytics platform, where he oversaw strategies that nearly doubled the company’s revenue growth. In addition, he tenured as Vice President at Change Healthcare Clinical Review, where he led the product management organization, the initial validation and audit organi zation, and introduced leading-edge product designs for SaaS-de

livered machine learning platforms. He has an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, MSEE from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a BSEE from Mich igan State University.

“Modern and comprehensive patient engagement solutions are crucial for the success of health care providers today,” said Carter. “My focus is to provide the leadership and vision necessary to ensure InteliChart’s continued commitment to delivering innovative solutions, improving health care efficiencies, and exceed ing customer expectations.”

For more than a decade, InteliChart has successfully partnered with healthcare organizations across the country to streamline workflows and deliver healthier outcomes. Through continuous innovation and product development, the organization is poised to continue meeting the ever-evolving needs of today’s consumers and the providers that serve them.

InteliChart delivers Healthy Outcomes, the market-lead ing, patient-engagement platform that helps providers attain superior patient outcomes. The Healthy Outcomes platform consists of Patient Portal, Family Portal, Patient Intake, Patient Notify, Patient Survey, Patient Schedule, Patient Activate, and Patient eHealth.

Located in Charlotte, NC, InteliChart was founded in 2010. Industry-leading EHR vendors, hospitals, health systems, and physician practices have selected InteliChart as their pa tient engagement platform, collectively representing 70 million patients. We integrate with 40-plus EHR products and single integration access to all the solutions on our Healthy Outcomes platform. For more information, visit www.intelichart.com.

John Deere Enters Partnership with Advantage Capital to Increase Investment in Supporting Underrepresented Entrepreneurs and Business Owners

MOLINE, Ill., PRNewswire -- Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) announced it will be entering a partnership as a limited investor in Advantage Capi tal’s Empower the Change (EPC) growth fund, which provides entrepreneurs of color access to capital in order to grow their businesses and create community wealth.

Deere’s commitment to the fund as a lead investor is part of the company’s broader objective of allocating $500 million within the next three years to identify and grow relationships with underrepresented and disadvantaged business enterprises, creating a more diverse and sustainable supplier network within the agriculture industry.

“John Deere is committed to strengthening underrepresented communities and creating equitable wealth within the agriculture industry,” said Wallas Wiggins, vice president of global supply management and logistics for Deere. “This announcement sup ports our company’s history of advocating for—and investing in—opportunities that advance social and economic change. We look forward to seeing the positive impact within the lives and livelihoods of the small suppliers the Empower the Change fund will help scale.”

John Deere has placed a robust emphasis in working with partners across the country to create equitable opportunities for communities previously under engaged. In 2020, in partnership with the National Black Growers Council and the Thurgood Marshall Fund, Deere launched the LEAP Coali tion focused on improving the livelihoods of Black farmers. LEAP (Legislation, Education, Advocacy and Production Systems) works with organizations such as the Federation of Southern Cooperatives and the Center for Heirs Property to provide awareness, assistance and legal help and counsel to help Black and minority farmers gain a clear title to their land and ensure the long-term sustainability of their land. John Deere deploys a multi-faceted approach to funding which includes not only monetary investments in pro grams but resource support. John Deere’s investments include funding to support the National Black Grow ers Council, The Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS), Thurgood Marshall College Fund and 1890 land-grant institutions such as North Carolina A&T.

Deere & Company (www.JohnDeere.com) is a global leader in the delivery of agricultural, construc tion, and forestry equipment. We help our customers push the boundaries of what’s possible in ways that are more productive and sustainable to help life leap forward. Our technology-enabled products including John Deere Autonomous 8R Tractor, See & Spray™, and E-Power Backhoe are just some of the ways we help meet the world’s increasing need for food, shelter, and infrastructure. Deere & Company also provides financial services through John Deere Financial.

For more information on Deere & Company, visit us at www.deere.com/en/news/.

Advantage Capital provides financing to estab lished and emerging companies located in communi ties underserved by conventional sources of capital. Since 1992, the firm has invested more than $3.6 billion in companies from a diverse array of industry sectors and has helped support more than 65,000 jobs. Learn more at www.advantagecap.com, or via Twitter or LinkedIn.

RNewsFoto/Girl Scouts of America

PRNewsfoto/InteliChart, LLC

City Colleges of Chicago Outperforms the State and National Averages for Fall Enrollment

CHICAGO – City Colleges of Chicago (CCC)’s fall 2022 enrollment is up 6.9 percent year over year, exceeding the Illinois community college average of +1.5% and the national average (flat), according to a report published Friday by the Illinois Community College Board.

Enrollment in a combination of credit and adult education programs has increased at six of its colleges: Harry S Truman (+11.5%), Kennedy-King (+17.4%), Malcolm X (+11.6%), Olive-Harvey (+14.8%), Richard J. Daley (+5.5%), and Wilbur Wright (+3.6%). The number of Adult Education students alone grew by 16.6 percent – an increase of 1,098 students –from fall 2021.

The increase in enrollment comes after City Colleges has embarked on targeted efforts to enhance and expand college resources and offerings in recent years, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The seven City Colleges are meeting the needs of the Chicago economy with quality, in-demand programs in transportation, distribution and logistics, cannabis studies, manufacturing, IT, early childhood education, engineering, healthcare, and more. City Colleges launched Future Ready in 2021 to help eligible Chicagoans gain credentials and prepare for in-demand careers in many of those industries at no cost.

Additionally, opportunities such as the Star Scholarship have been strengthened to ensure that high-achieving students can attend college even if they cannot afford it. This year’s class of Star Scholars was the largest awarded and enrolled to date, with 1,597 students attending all seven colleges. The scholarship is one of many opportunities offered through the

Chicago Roadmap, an unprecedented partnership between Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and City Colleges of Chica go launched in 2020 to create a seamless transition for CPS students to post-secondary options. CCC also offers Workforce Equity Initiatives and makes many scholarships, waivers, and grants available to students to help them attend college.

The positive enrollment numbers in Adult Education reflect the strong leadership and determined students in the program, which offers free English as a Second Language and high school diploma preparation classes. The Adult Education Department has been focused on strengthening community partnerships, linking adult learners to career pathways, and expanding its reach to help more students reach their goals.

Through enrollment management and strategic marketing efforts, City Colleges is making a concerted effort to educate the public on all the community college system has to offer, including in-demand, high-growth career pathways, transfer options for students who want to earn a bachelor’s degree, and supports for adult learners looking to return to the classroom.

Like the national trend, City Colleges of Chicago was not immune to the effects of the pandemic and saw an 8.6% drop in fall 2021 enrollment. Although still in a state of recov ery after the height of the 2020 pandemic, City Colleges of Chicago’s efforts to remove barriers, offer unique educational pathways, and create access are bringing back students to its colleges.

To view the full ICCB report, click here. For more report information visit ICCB, http://www2.iccb.org/data/studies-re ports/student-reports.

The increase in enrollment comes after City Colleges has embarked on targeted efforts to enhance and expand college resources and offerings in recent years, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Highlights From Thhe Chicago Urban League Fellowship Dinner

L.M. Warbington Photography

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CHICAGO – Illinois Humanities will host a series of free book groups, events, and handson workshops about contemporary Indigenous stories in partnership with communities native to the greater Chicago area. The NEA Big Read: In digenous Stories launches in November – Native American Heritage Month – with book groups and events running through April 2023.

The books featured in the series encourage conversations about Native experiences and explore themes of freedom, belonging, and dis placement. English-language book groups will read There There by Tommy Orange (Cheyenne and Arapaho) and Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz (Mojave). A Spanish-language book group hosted at the Little Village Public Library will read Spanish translations of There There, as well as Luna Nueva (New Moon) by Enriqueta Lunez, a Mexican poet who writes in Spanish, English, and Tsotsil. Book groups will be hosted by libraries, bookstores, and Illinois Humanities partners throughout Chicago, and more partners will join the series and host groups in the winter and spring. Individuals who join a book group will receive free copies of Indigenous Stories titles. Quantities are limited, and participants are encouraged to sign up soon.

“We are honored to launch this program during Native American Heritage Month in

partnership with contemporary Native leaders in Illinois,” said Gabrielle Lyon, Executive Director of Illinois Humanities. “Reading together and participating in community events with leaders like SANTIAGO X and the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian helps ensure we can raise awareness about both the historical and contem porary experiences of Native people in Illinois.”

In addition to free community book groups, Illinois Humanities is partnering with sever al cultural organizations to host public events and workshops throughout Chicago to connect readings with contemporary experiences of local Native communities. Scheduled events include: a launch celebration at the Field Museum on Saturday, Nov. 19, including a complimentary visit and presentation of the Field Museum’s Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories exhibi tion; a panel and community discussion with members of Chicago’s Native communities about the lasting impact of the Indian Urban Relocation Program, hosted by the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian on November 30; and a handson workshop exploring the Newberry Library’s Edward E. Ayer Collection, one of the strongest collections on American Indian and Indigenous Studies in the world, on January 21. More events to be announced for winter and spring include writing workshops and a presentation by Indig

enous futurist artist SANTIAGO X at the Coil Mound installation in Horner Park, hosted by the Chicago Public Art Group.

“The Indigenous Stories program features books by Indigenous authors whose stories have a lot to teach us about what it means to not just acknowledge the history of the land we occupy, but to admit the truth of it, pass it on, and attempt to heal from it,” said Rebecca Amato, Director of Teaching and Learning at Illinois Humanities. “The public events and experiences that Illinois Humanities and our partners have designed to coincide with these texts give us the space to do this work together; because honoring history and ‘living right’ starts with listening to one another.”

The NEA Big Read: Indigenous Stories’ free book groups will begin reading and meeting for book discussions in November and December. Interested participants can join a book group through Illinois Humanities’ website, or can start a book group of their own using a DIY book group toolkit, available later this November.

Learn more about The NEA Big Read: Indigenous Stories, join or start a book group, and register for the program launch event at ILHumanities.org/BigRead.

The NEA Big Read: Indigenous Stories is a program of Illinois Humanities made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

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The NEA Big Read: Indigenous Stories will launch Nov. 19 with a free public event at the Field Museum’s Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories exhibition.

Urban One’s Reach Media and Comedian-Actress Amanda Seales Announce Partnership for New Syndicated Radio Show and Podcast

DALLAS, PRNewswire -- Aman da Seales, comedian, multi-hyphenate, and social justice advocate, can now add syndicated radio host to her grow ing list of achievements, Reach Media an nounced. The Amanda Seales syndicated radio show and accompany ing podcast premiered on Nov. 7th on WRNB 100.3 FM Philadelphia and is available for distribution to additional radio stations.

“I am beyond excited to be partnering with Radio One and Reach Media to launch The Amanda Seales Show. After years of sticking with my brand of comedy and academy to cultivate a community, this feels like more than an opportunity, but a purpose-filled possibility to empower and change minds using humor to translate the truth,” said Seales.

As leaders in mainstream urban, urban AC, and inspirational music with the top talent in syndicated radio programing, Reach Media connects with ninety percent of Black America.

“We are extremely excited to be launching a new show with Amanda Seales. A fresh show with a female host focused on the future. Amanda is a very versatile talent, excelling as a comedian, speaker, actress and social influencer,” said David Kantor, CEO of Urban One’s Radio One and Reach Media divisions.

With an uncanny knack for using humor to make serious topics (racism, politics, rape culture, sexism, police brutality, etc.) relatable and interesting, she combines intellectual wit, silliness, and a pop culture obsession to create her unique style of “smart funny”

content for the stage, screen, and now, radio. Joined by co-host, Marc “DJ Nailz” Dixon of Power 105.7 Columbus, audi ences will get a full dose of the comedian’s unfiltered opinions, fact-based insights, and hilariously real point of view each day.

Colby Tyner, Senior VP Programming of Urban One’s Radio One and Reach Media divisions, who worked to bring the parties together said, “From her Smart Funny & Black show to HBO’s Insecure, Amanda is an exceptional creative force who uses her comedic and social media skills to entertain but also enlighten audiences. It only makes sense to now add a daily syndicated radio show. We look forward to working with and sharing her amazing content.”

Amanda Seales is a comedian and creative vision ary with a Master’s in African American studies from Columbia University. Seamlessly blending humor and intellect, her unique style of smart funny content spans various genres across the entertainment and multi-me dia landscape. She is best known for her iconic role as “Tiffany DuBois” of HBO’s Insecure and her debut comedy special, I Be Knowin. Ms. Seales is a former cohost on daytime talk show, The Real, host of NBC’s Bring the Funny” and the host/writer of the ground breaking 2020 BET Awards. Amanda speaks truth to change via her wildly popular Instagram @Aman daSeales, weekly podcast Small Doses, and book by the same name. Centering community building in her comedy, she is also the creator and host of the touring variety game show, Smart Funny & Black.

BYRON ALLEN’S ‘THE GRIO TELEVISION NETWORK’ LAUNCHES NEWS BLOCK FEATURING EBONI K. WILLIAMS AND MARC LAMONT HILL

LOS ANGELES, PRNewswire -- Allen Media Group’s African American-focused news, lifestyle, sports and entertainment platform theGrio (www.thegrio.com) launched THE GRIO WITH EBONI K. WILLIAMS and THE GRIO WITH MARC LAMONT HILL. The daily two-hour news block from America’s largest Black newsroom will feature critical news and information in the U.S. and around the world. Reaching over 50 million television households, plus 250 million device users, these two news programs will also be available on demand via the TheGrio Streaming App. Hosted by lawyer, author and television person ality Eboni K. Williams and author, activist, and scholar Marc Lamont Hill, each one-hour program brings a unique perspective and analysis of world news and events.

Eboni K. Williams is an Ameri can lawyer, author and television host. She currently hosts and is executive producer of the Warner Music Group podcast HOLDING COURT WITH EBONI K. WILLIAMS. In addition to guest hosting ABC’s THE VIEW, Williams previously co-hosted the late-night talk show STATE OF THE CULTURE on Revolt TV and was host and executive producer of RE VOLT BLACK NEWS.

Marc Lamont Hill is an award-winning journalist, author, scholar, commentator, and television host. He has been named one of the 100 Most Influential Black Leaders by Ebony magazine and The Root 100. As a social activist, he has led numerous campaigns to free political prisoners and stop executions. For more than 16 years, Hill has been a staple in mainstream media, offering incisive political commentary on television outlets including CNN, BET, and Fox News.

“Eboni K. Williams and Marc Lamont Hill are extremely talented, very smart, and will bring much-needed new voices to the global con versation,” said Byron Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group. “The Grio News has a strong and trusted relationship with the Black community. Allen Media Group is committed to investing heavily in The Grio, working with the best talent, and increasing our worldwide distribution as we continue to deliver excellence.”

“I am thrilled to join The Grio and lead a show that centers Black culture and directly speaks to what our people need to know relating to the American legal system,” said host Eboni K. Williams. “We know the system is rigged, but each night I’ll give the people what they need to know in order to successfully navigate it and relentlessly pursue justice.”

“This is an exciting time to be launching these bold new shows,” said Marc Lamont Hill. “Given the current social, political, and economic climate, we have an opportunity to provide programming that informs, inspires, and empowers our community. Our goal is not to play nice, but to tell the truth from our perspective.”

HitPiece Collaborates with Rick Ross to Launch Upcoming ‘Boss Forever’ NFT Collection

PROVO, Utah, PRNewswire -- HitPiece, the easiest place to create and buy authentic music artist NFTs, an nounced a partnership with the GRAMMY® Award-nominat ed multiplatinum superstar, two-time New York Times-Best selling author, and business magnate entrepreneur Rick Ross. The platform will mint and launch Rick Ross’s upcoming Genesis NFT collection, including 200 unique NFTs of The Boss’s digital avatars.

Collectors of the NFT will receive VIP access to Rick Ross’ world within the Metaverse, named “Boss Land,” which is an immer sive experience of his Promise Land property with mythical aspects. Alongside exclusive Rick Ross experiences, fans can tour the metaverse property, including a zoo, and even a swimming pool filled with champagne.

Each NFT will come with an exclusive merchandise package including an autographed copy of one of Rick Ross’ books. Rarer NFTs will give fans access to a custom velour

jumpsuit, a unique apparel item worn by Rick, and a oncea-year Facetime session with Rick. 5 Ultra Rare tokens will grant holders the chance to visit the rap mogul’s 235+ acre Promise Land property outside Atlanta, GA and a 1/1 NFT collector will receive a 1/1 a necklace custom made of their avatar.

“I thought I crashed the NFT market, but now I’m here to make it even bigger,” said Rick Ross. “You know, if the Boss is in the metaverse, then it’s the place to be.”

Rick Ross and other investors, including Pelion Ventures, participat ed in HitPiece’s $5 million Seed round. The funding is being used to develop further the leading music blockchain platform that specializes in collectibles and experiences and help the company pioneer the web3 and metaverse space. Rick Ross has previously engaged with the web3 community, having launched an automotive NFT last year, but this will be his first collection for his fans.

Music executive and industry veteran Rory Felton and serial entrepreneur Jeff Burningham launched the music NFT marketplace in August with a renewed focus on intellectual property rights for artists and a partnership with Audible Mag ic, the leader in identifying music rights that enable music use by social media platforms, NFT marketplaces, metaverses, and gaming applications. Since then, the platform has grown its creator partnerships to include ATL Jacob, Furnace Fest, Lil Gotit, Matt Ox, Pyrex Whippa and more.

“HitPiece has always been about giving music fans and supporters unique and exclusive ways to engage with the art ists and their content,” said Rory Felton, CEO and co-founder of HitPiece. “We are excited to have Rick Ross as an early adopter and partner as we continue to expand our suite of tools and offerings for music creators, collectors, and fans.”

Fans who purchase Rick Ross NFTs can also access The Lounge, the ultimate listening room in the Metaverse. Rick’s team including, James Woodward from talent agency Uni versal Attractions, helped coordinate the partnership as they sought the perfect launch partner for Rick Ross into web3.

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AMG/theGrio

Kipu Launches Updated Logo and Website to Reflect New Brand Direction

CORAL GABLES, Fla., PRNewswire -- Kipu Health, the technology partner for mental health and addic tion service providers, announced the launch of its new website and logo, designed to reflect Kipu’s updated branding strategy focused on empowering caregivers and patients on every step of the recovery journey.

Growing patient needs, new reimburse ment models and behavioral health staffing shortages created a unique opportunity for Kipu to evolve its mission and vision to better serve clients as they adapt to a changing behavioral health landscape. With Kipu’s more than 10 years shaping the behavioral health technology industry, the new brand represents how the company is shifting its focus to improve how the entire behavioral health ecosystem operates, interacts, communicates and heals.

“Our new brand is a visualization of the continued investment we make in talent, solutions and technology to be the leading behavioral health software platform,” said Paul Joiner, Kipu’s CEO. “The brand launch comes at a pivotal time in the industry and the new direction shows the breadth of what Kipu delivers to help providers transform reimbursement models and effectively treat patients throughout their entire care journey.”

Kipu’s new vision starts with the company’s innovative technology platform, which is designed to optimize operations across the care continuum. The branding also represents Kipu’s commitment to invest ing in the services and solutions providers need to stay ahead of industry changes including data and analytics, interoperability capabilities and clinical insights and support.

“Our brand strategy process has been an extraordi

nary internal effort and I am thrilled with how it reflects our new company vision,” said Shannon Conklin, Kipu’s vice president of marketing. “It represents Kipu’s commitment to supporting providers and patients throughout recovery, and it reaffirms our com mitment to our people. Our new brand empowers our entire workforce to deliver the best service possible to our clients and guide them through the challenges they face as behavioral health care continues to evolve.”

Kipu is the leading enterprise software provider delivering Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Cus tomer Relationship Management (CRM) and Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) solutions that serve the behavioral health industry. The Kipu EMR is a fully configurable electronic health record and integrated billing platform that is the largest and most widely implemented EMR purpose-built for the addiction treatment industry. Used by more than 80,000 users at more than 1,600 facilities, globally, Kipu’s cloud-based platform manages the entire patient life cycle from the very first call through admission, treatment, follow-up and billing.

To learn more about Kipu’s new brand, visit https://www.kipuhealth.com/.

Karmanos Cancer Institute partners with

top cancer organizations to endorse initiative to increase lung cancer screening in the United States

DETROIT, PRNewswire -- The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute has partnered with more than 50 cancer organizations across the country to issue a call to action urging individuals, providers and insurers to increase access to and utilization of low-dose computed tomography (CT) scans for those at high risk for lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the Unit ed States, accounting for almost 25% of all cancer deaths. Despite advances in treatment and successful efforts to reduce smoking, the disease kills more than 350 people in the U.S. each day — but it doesn’t have to be this way. If all people who should be screened for lung cancer got screened, we can save tens of thousands of lives, and tens of millions of dollars. Lung cancer is so deadly because it is most often diagnosed at an advanced stage when treatment options are lim ited and outcomes are poor.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual screening for people ages 50-80 who have smoked for at least 20 years. However, only 5.7% of eligible Americans were screened for lung cancer before the COVID-19 pandemic — compared to screening rates for breast, cervical and colon cancers that hover between 60% and 80%. And we know screen ing rates have decreased for all cancers due to the pandemic.

The new effort also aligns with and supports the national Cancer Moonshot initiative, which aims to reduce cancer deaths by 50% over the next 25 years. Lung cancer screening is one easy way to help reach that goal. This call to action provides guidance for national support, including public funding and health policy changes needed to signifi cantly improve lung cancer screening participation.

Two major barriers to screening are coverage and access. While low-dose CT screening for lung cancer is covered by Medicare and most private insurance plans, the pre-authorization process can delay the procedure by several days and place an unnecessary burden on community providers. Additionally, a recent study by the American Cancer Society found that at least 5% of those eligible for low-dose CT scans live more than 40 miles from a screening facility — and that percentage jumps to nearly 25% for screening-eligible individuals in rural areas.

If a patient is eligible for lung cancer screenings, they should inquire with their primary care physician about Karmanos’ Lung Cancer Screening Program. For more information, visit karmanos.org/ lungscreening or call 1-800-KARMANOS.

The Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research Hosts Virtual Symposium

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., PRNewswire -- The Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research (FSCDR), the US’s first outpatient center exclusively dedicated to the treatment of, and innovative research for, Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), will host a virtual symposium on November 10th. Access to quality care in SCD is under threat of regression, while the SCD patient-to- provider ratio is worsening. In response to these critical obstacles, the one-day sym posium will focus on the subject matter of Sickle Cell Disease: Orphans & Burned Out Practitioners.

Led by Scientific Chair Dr. Daniel Armstrong, Executive Vice Chair of Pediatrics, and Director of the Mailman Center for Child Development at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine, participants will experi ence a solution-oriented day to help prevent SCD providers from burnout, and to provide care to the unprecedented number of SCD children exiting the feathered child health nest, transitioning into orphaned patients sans a medical home.

This symposium is offering six CME credits to attendees, while sickle cell warriors and their caretakers are invited to participate in the symposium at no cost.

Consisting of 10 half-hour sessions, the symposium will address topics ranging from patient-physician relationship stress, to transitioning to adult healthcare, and sickle cell provider burnout. The full agenda from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET can be found at fscdr.org. The Symposium will be available for regis trants to re-watch afterward.

“It took nearly 100 years before we began seeing significant advances in care of children and adults with sickle cell disease, and those changed the life experience for many. Sadly, those significant advances are at risk of being derailed because SCD clinicians and investigators are leaving the field, some because of retirement, some because of their own illness or death, but many because of burnout,” said Dr. Armstrong. “Restoring the committed SCD workforce is critical to continued improvements for the individuals who live with SCD every day.”

The Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research (FSCDR) is a compre hensive, multi-specialty medical and research center in addition to non-profit organization, that provides a platform for researchers, healthcare providers, individuals and their families living with sickle cell disease. For more informa tion please visit www.fscdr.org.

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Meet the new Kipu. With Kipu’s more than 10 years shaping the behavioral health tech nology industry, our new brand represents how the company is shifting its focus to improve how the entire behavioral health ecosystem operates, interacts, communicates and heals. PRNewsfoto/Kipu Health.

nation’s

(StatePoint) Even as they ride out inflationary pressures, supply chain disruptions and economic uncertainty, women owners and executives of small and mid-size majority-women-owned businesses have an optimistic outlook about the near-term future of their businesses, according to a recent survey.

The PNC Bank survey found that women business owner (WBO) expectations for their own com panies remain strong, with 41% feeling highly optimistic- up from 29% in the fall of 2020 but down from 67% in the fall of 2021 -- while the share of those feeling pes simistic has held constant at just 1%.

The survey also indicated that more than eight in 10 women business owners are very confident about their future success and nearly half say it comes from their own hard work and drive. Similarly, 79% of WBOs are very satisfied with their role as a business owner or leader compared to 67% of men business own ers (MBOs).

“We are seeing a new pattern of selfempowerment among women business owners that is very encouraging,” said Beth Marcello, director of PNC Women’s Business Development. “Their own hard work to survive the pandemic is the source of their confidence and optimism today.”

The survey suggests that women have a take charge, can-do attitude. When it was difficult to find employees, 49% of WBOs versus one-third of MBOs say that they or their managers stepped in to cover open staff hours themselves. Additionally, they’re focused on growth: 81% surveyed are Woman Business Enterprisecertified, 73% market their certification, and 88% say that certification has been a helpful business development tool.

“For the first time, we have evidence of increased financial confidence among women business owners. They are two times more likely than men to say they’re considering a new loan or line of credit to support business growth,” said Marcello. “They are monitoring their cash position and have a cash reserve, but they’re investing excess cash rather than stockpiling it; they are continuing to leverage the increased efficiency of the dig ital financial tools they migrated to during the pandemic; and they are confidently increasing pricing as the econo my allows for it.”

Meeting the Challenges

While WBOs have concerns about inflation, profitability

and the supply chain, they believe they’re prepared for these challenges. Although similar portions of WBOs and MBOs experienced supply chain issues in the past year, 79% of WBOs believe they have the right amount of inventory they need to succeed.

WBOs also intend to maintain or expand on policies they initiated during the pandemic, including allowing flexible work arrangements (48%), increasing compensation (38%) and implementing employee health or safety enhancements (33%). WBOs are more likely than MBOs to adopt Corporate Social Responsibility poli cies or practices, including gender pay equity (34% vs. 9%) and diversity and inclusion (29% vs. 14%). These disparities could be an indication of why fewer WBOs (30%) than MBOs (43%) are finding it harder to hire new staff compared to six months ago.

Identifying and addressing challenges faced by women financial decision makers is a compo nent of PNC’s Project 257: Accelerating Women’s Financial Equality, an initiative to help close the 257-year economic gender gap. More information about these efforts as well as helpful resources for women financial decision makers can be found at pnc.com/women. To connect with Project 257, follow PNC on social media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

While the pandemic created new eco nomic challenges, many with lasting effects, women busi ness owners largely overcame these obstacles, taking away lessons that have inspired their optimism and con fidence today.

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