Chicago Department of Public Health Weekly Media Brief, 07/10/2025
CDPH Public Information: media.cdph@cityofchicago.org
33% Reduction in Violence over July 4 Weekend
The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) employs protective measures to reduce harm from the seasonal rise in gun violence and opioid overdoses between May and August. This summer, CDPH identified and put interventions in place in 21 priority community areas disproportionately affected by gun violence.
In 2025, CDPH witnessed a 33% citywide reduction in violence from June 29 through July 6, compared to the same week in 2024. In the priority neighborhoods, this reduction amounted to 22%.
To reduce instances of violence in these neighborhoods, CDPH and its partners have employed street outreach, expanded peacekeepers coverage for weekends and late-night hours, and organize gun safety awareness workshops around key dates. Outreach workers and peacekeepers fan out into the communities affected by homicides and nonfatal shootings and, by identifying both victims and perpetrators, are working to interrupt cycles of violence. For gun safety resources offered by CDPH, visit chicago.gov/gunsafety.
CDPH Hosting Black Men's Heart Health Panel
The Chicago Department of Health is hosting a community conversation about heart health, prevention and wellness, specifically for Black men. This in-person event will be held at Greater Lawn West 55th Street Health Hub and includes discussions with medical experts and individuals with real-life experience. Heart disease is the nation’s leading cause of death, and Black Americans are more susceptible than other ethnic groups.
- Location: Greater Lawn West 55th Street Health Hub (4150 West 55th Street)
- Date: Wednesday, July 23, 2025
- Time: 6–7 pm
- Cost: Free
What We'll Cover:
- Understanding your risk factors
- Prevention strategies that work
- Real talk about lifestyle changes
- Community resources and support
- Q&A with medical experts Dr. Marlon Everett and Dr. Louis Rutland
5 Years of Family Connects
Next week, the Chicago Department of Public Health celebrates the fifth anniversary of Family Connects Chicago, the city’s free visiting nurse program for new families.
On Thursday, July 17, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Malcolm X College, CDPH will gather with healthcare partners, Family Connects nurses, and participating families to mark this milestone. The annual meeting will highlight the program’s growth over the past five years, share success stories, and outline goals for the future.
Family Connects Chicago launched as a pilot in 2018 to ensure every Chicago family has support after bringing home a new baby. The program offers no-cost, in-home nurse visits to all families delivering at participating hospitals in Chicago. Family Connects nurses provide a wide range of services, including postpartum health checks, newborn care support, breastfeeding guidance, mental health screenings, and help scheduling follow-up doctor visits.
Since its inception, Family Connects nurses have made over 13,000 home visits. In 2024 alone, Family Connects nurses made nearly 2,200 visits to families in all 77 of Chicago’s community areas.
To learn more about Family Connects Chicago or to enroll, visit Chicago.gov/family-connects.
Upcoming WIC Trainings
In partnership with the West Side WIC Alliance, Raising Illinois is offering free trainings for any professional who works with families and is interested in learning more about WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) and how to confidently refer families to this invaluable program. The USDA WIC program safeguards the health of low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, as well as their infants and children up to age 5, who are at nutrition risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care. This training is essential for any professional in early childhood, health care, or other social services who works with parents, caregivers, or children and wants to better connect families to food security resources.
There are two opportunities to attend this virtual one-hour training:
Monday, July 14 from Noon-1 p.m., and Wednesday, July 16 from 5–6 pm
Attendees of this training will:
- Develop an understanding of WIC's services, WIC's purpose, and WIC-eligible populations.
- Grasp how WIC is addressing food insecurity and how it promotes early relational health.
- Learn what WIC does and does not provide.
- Gain familiarity with how and where WIC participants utilize WIC's services
- Develop an understanding of known barriers WIC participants experience along with ways to address these barriers
- Review WIC retention rates and ways to improve them
Participants can register online for the July 14 or July 16. virtual training sessions.
Healthy Chicago Podcast
CDPH confirmed that West Nile Virus-positive mosquitoes have arrived in Chicago this year and, in late June, Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced the first human case of West Nile Virus in the state.
Janna Kerins (Veterinarian and Epidemiologist, Lead for the Communicable Diseases Response at CDPH) speaks with Claudia Blanco (Lead for the Vector Control Program with CDPH) about vectors, West Nile Virus, what the city does to prevent vector-borne diseases in general, and how you can protect yourself from mosquito bites.
Listen or watch on YouTube, Spotify, Apple and the CDPH website.
Ways to protect yourself from mosquito bites:
- Wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks
- Wear repellent w/ DEET, Picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus
- Eliminate standing and stagnant water (in your gutters, kiddie pools, etc.)
- Keep grass trimmed and remove weeds
- Repair holes in screen doors and windows
- Keep plants like lemon balm, catnip, and marigolds nearby
Learn more at cityofchicago.org/mosquitoes.
###
