Care Coordination Team
Community Health Workers (CHWs) are the initial point of contact for children and families who are enrolled in the CHECK program. CHWs create a roadmap for families to reduce triggers for chronic conditions, and manage the social stressors in their lives. Patients and families receive in-depth assessments, care planning, referral to social services, and, if needed, referrals to in-house legal support and community based mobile dental care. CHWs provide services both in community settings, including primary care practices and community based organizations, as well as the UIC hospital and health system, liaising between clinical and community based providers. CHWs also do home visits. A total of 38,376 services have been provided.
Dr. Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH
Chair of Pediatrics
Project Director
Dr. Van Voorhees has over 25 years of experience as a pediatrician, researcher, and public health professional. Dr. Van Voorhees is responsible for overall oversight and management of the CHECK Program. In addition to his role with CHECK, Dr. Van Voorhees is the Interim Head of the Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Van Voorhees main research interests have been focused on the treatment of depression in adolescents. Dr. Van Voorhees other research interest include psychotherapy, mental disorders in children, and resiliency formation. Dr. Van Voorhees has lent his expertise to a number of research interventions including CURB, PATH, and CATCH-IT. In addition to his numerous accomplishments, Dr. Van Voorhees is the primary author of more than thirty peer reviewed publications and has served as a grant reviewer for the government of the Netherlands and the RWJ Foundation. Dr. Van Voorhees has made more than fifty presentations at national and international scientific meetings.