The Catalyst: June 2026

Spring has given way to summer, and the IMD is alive with new energy, activity, and opportunities to connect. Over the past months, the IMD Commission has continued advancing community-focused initiatives, from parks and events, to scholarships, internships and neighborhood connections. And our partners have been busy achieving historic milestones, delivering exceptional care, and doing impactful work making a real difference for their patients and the IMD community.

The IMD is proud to be the oldest established medical district in the country — but we are far from alone. While each medical district is unique, there is so much we can learn from each other. That’s why, in April, our staff took a trip to the Memphis Medical District Collaborative (MMDC) to meet with their team, tour the MMDC, and learn about their plans for economic and community development. Visiting other medical and innovation districts provides us an opportunity to learn from our peer organizations, exchange ideas, and explore approaches to shared challenges and opportunities. These connections help foster collaboration, inspire new thinking, and strengthen efforts to advance healthcare, research, economic development, and community impact far beyond the borders of the IMD. Thank you to the MMDC team for a warm Memphis welcome, we can’t wait to welcome them to Chicago soon!

While the IMD continues to receive more national recognition, it’s also gaining international attention. In early May, we were visited by a representative from the University of Tokyo’s Department of Socio-Cultural Environmental Studies Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, eager to learn more about the development, governance, and operations of the IMD. It’s an incredible honor to see the IMD mentioned alongside other notable innovation districts globally, and we hope that our success and the history of how the IMD has evolved can inform and inspire others to do the same. 誠にありがとうございます (makoto ni arigatō gozaimasu) to our new friends from Japan — thank you for visiting the IMD and bringing our tagline “Made in Chicago, Changing the World” to life!

The West Side is undergoing significant and transformative change, with new investments in healthcare, housing, education, transportation, and economic development reshaping our neighborhoods, including the IMD. This momentum presents a unique opportunity to create jobs, improve quality of life, and build a stronger future for residents and businesses alike. The IMD is proud to be a part of the West Side community, and to call the West Side home for over 100 years. We believe the West Side is the future, and that’s why we invited civic and business leaders here on May 21 for IMD NEXT: Development & Opportunity Exchange, to learn more about our available real estate for lease and development in the IMD. With 30 shovel-ready acres, 25 opportunity zone acres, and millions of square feet available, the IMD is open for business. Guests got to hear special presentations, network directly with IMD Commission staff, and were treated to a bus tour to see the parcels in person. Thank you the exhibitors and professionals who attended. To learn more about our available real estate, click here. For any questions about land for lease or development, reach out to Chris Fahey, Director of Real Estate Operations, at [email protected].

Summer is a season of growth, and it is also a reminder of the importance of investing in young people whose ideas, talents, and potential will determine the future of our industries and communities. That is why, last year, we launched a Scholarship program to provide direct financial assistance to local students to continue their education. On May 22, we were excited to welcome this year’s scholarship recipients to our office for an awards luncheon where we got to learn more about their stories and present them with their awards. Remember to bookmark the Scholarship page to learn about when applications reopen next spring. Starting in June, we also welcomed a new member to our team — Anjali Prabhakar, our summer 2026 intern. Each year, we offer a paid summer internship position to a local student, offering them a one-of-a-kind chance to work and learn in the IMD, one of the largest urban medical districts in the country. Anjali is a student at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign studying healthcare administration, so if you see a new face, please give Anjali a warm IMD welcome!

Did you know there is a monument to Louis Pasteur in the IMD that was originally in Grant Park? That the IMD was home to the Chicago Cubs before they moved to Wrigley Field? Or that the Polk Pink Line station is dedicated to Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, a pioneering Black doctor? On June 10, our staff was treated to a special preview of the IMD Walking Tour where past, present, and the future of the IMD combine to tell the story of our community and city going back to its beginnings in the 1800s. Guided by experts from RUSH and UIC, and organized through Chicago for Chicagoans, you too can learn more about the history of the IMD and our partners on Saturday, June 27. Registration is free! To RSVP, click here.

If you spot fencing going up around 2023 W Ogden Ave this summer, that can only mean one thing — construction on our new park is starting! The wait is almost over for the IMD’s first new park in almost 80 years. Our team could not be more excited to deliver this new public space for the IMD and West Side community in the fall. Keep an eye out for more updates as construction begins, and sign up to receive text updates from the IMD delivered straight to your phone so you never miss important news and announcements.

Enjoy reading the rest of this early summer issue and hearing more about the work of the IMD Commission and our partners. I look forward to seeing all the great things your organizations accomplish over the coming months. As always, please remember to shop local and support our partners doing great work in and around the IMD at an events or fundraiser if you can. Now more than ever every dollar counts. Happy Juneteenth, Happy Father’s Day, Happy Pride Month and Happy Independence Day! Have a great summer — see you around the IMD soon!

Sincerely,

Allyson Hansen

CEO and Executive Director

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On May 21, we welcomed leaders from the development community to explore the future of investment and innovation in the IMD for IMD NEXT: Development & Opportunity Exchange.

Attendees were treated to presentations, discussions, networking opportunities, and a bus tour to learn about emerging trends in infrastructure and IMD community investment, while highlighting the unique role the IMD plays as a hub for research, care, education, and economic activity.

By connecting stakeholders across sectors, IMD NEXT reinforced a shared commitment to supporting sustainable growth throughout the IMD and our surrounding neighborhoods.

The event also provided a forum for participants to share ideas, build new partnerships, and identify opportunities to strengthen the IMD’s impact on Chicago and beyond by highlighting our available real estate for lease and development.

With over 30 shovel ready acres, 25 opportunity zone acres, and multiple buildings and labs for lease, the IMD is open for business and the perfect place for your business or you to call home!

To learn more about our available real estate opportunities, contact Chris Fahey, Director of Real Estate Operations, at [email protected].

We had a great time last year with our first IMD LGBT Resource Fair, and this year we’re taking Pride to the streets and celebrating the centennial of Route 66 with an IMD Route 66 Pride Walk on Friday, June 26! 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️

We’re walking 1-mile down Route 66 (aka Ogden Ave) to show our IMD Pride, ending at Urban Autism Solutions Growing Solutions Farm. The farm stand will be open for fresh locally grown produce for sale! We’re also collecting gently used winter coats to donate to Taskforce Chicago, an LGBT nonprofit on the West Side.

When

Friday, June 26 at 12 p.m.

Self-guided walk, IMD partners, pride colors, music, good vibes, fun in the sun

Where

IMD Welcome Plaza

1900 W Ogden Ave, Chicago, IL 60612

As Route 66 celebrates its centennial, its legacy as a pathway to freedom, opportunity, and new beginnings continues to inspire new generations to explore, connect, and dream big about what lies ahead. During Pride Month, that spirit serves as a reminder of the journeys many LGBTQ+ individuals have taken in pursuit of acceptance, equality, and the freedom to live authentically.

Remember to dress with pride, wear comfortable shoes, and we’ll see you under the IMD sign! For any questions, please contact Noe Symonanis, Director of Marketing and Communications at [email protected].

Our partners continue to make meaningful impacts across healthcare, education, research, and community development — read on to learn about their latest achievements and initiatives.

This year, The Chicago Lighthouse marks a remarkable milestone: 120 years of service, innovation, and unwavering commitment to empowering individuals who are blind, visually impaired, disabled, and Veterans. For more than half of its history, The Lighthouse has offered its groundbreaking and life-changing services from the heart of the IMD.

The Lighthouse’s partnership with the IMD began in 1955, when the organization opened the area’s first clinic to offer eye care specifically for individuals who were blind or visually impaired. The clinic provided diagnostic and vision rehabilitation services, along with specialized glasses and assistive devices like magnifiers. With the move, the organization also consolidated two assembly facilities – where individuals who were blind were gainfully employed assembling switchboard parts, microscopes and toys – into one centralized workspace. At that time, The Lighthouse had nearly 200 employees who were blind working for companies such as Western Electric and Skilcraft.

The Lighthouse’s clinic is still open today, where optometrists, assistive technology trainers, occupational therapists and mobility instructors work with more than 3,000 people who are blind or visually impaired every year. Its employment programs continue in the form of social business enterprise contact centers for fellow IMD partners Cook County Health and UI Health (and many others) and their assembly plant, now known as Chicago Lighthouse Industries. (In fact, Lighthouse Industries just celebrated the milestone of having created 7 million clocks for the government, commercial and consumer markets.) The Lighthouse employs more than 700 people, more than a third of whom are people with disabilities or Veterans, and it serves more than 50,000 people every year.

In 2024, with support from the IMD, The Chicago Lighthouse expanded its services once again, opening The Foglia Residences, a 74-unit building that provides safe, affordable, accessible housing for people with all types of disabilities, particularly those who are blind or visually impaired. More than a place to live, The Foglia Residences is a model for other communities to follow, as it is the first building in the United States to use low-income housing tax credits to finance a building designed to accommodate the specific needs of those with vision disabilities, and was profiled by The New York Times earlier this year.

Within the IMD, The Chicago Lighthouse is more than a neighbor. It is a valued collaborator and an enduring source of inspiration and hope. As The Lighthouse celebrates its120 years of service, its legacy is defined not only by longevity, but by the countless lives it has transformed through care, opportunity and advocacy. Together with the IMD, The Lighthouse stands as a shining example of what is possible when purpose and perseverance come together to light up human potential for all.

Congratulations to the caring and hardworking people who have kept the Lighthouse shining bright for over 120 years!

The Hektoen International 2026 Essay Contest is now accepting submissions for its theme, “Hospitals of Note,” inviting writers to explore the history, impact, and legacy of hospitals around the world. Open to participants age 18 and older, the competition offers a $5,000 grand prize and a $2,500 runner-up prize, with winning essays published in Hektoen International, a Chicago-based journal of medical humanities.

Essays should be based on original research and may examine notable hospitals, influential medical professionals, groundbreaking discoveries, architectural significance, or other contributions to healthcare history. Submissions are due by October 1, 2026, providing an opportunity for writers, healthcare professionals, historians, and scholars to contribute to the ongoing conversation connecting medicine, history, and the humanities.

The UIC College of Nursing has received the Healthcare Simulation Standards Endorsement from the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL), becoming the only nursing simulation program in Illinois to earn the distinction.

The recognition highlights the college’s leadership in experiential learning and its commitment to preparing future nurses through advanced, real-world clinical training.

The honor adds to a growing list of achievements for the college, which continues to rank among the nation’s top nursing programs and is expanding its state-of-the-art simulation facilities to enhance education, workforce development, and patient care outcomes.

Congratulations to UIC and UI Health for this recognition of your commitment to training the next generation of nurses!

Rush University is celebrating the 35th anniversary of its Rush Community Service Initiatives Program (RCSIP), a student-led effort that has grown from a single blood pressure screening program in 1991 into more than 30 community service initiatives focused on health education, outreach, access to care, and workforce development.

Today, the program engages students, faculty, and staff across the university in hands-on service opportunities that address community needs while developing future healthcare leaders. Over the past three and a half decades, RCSIP has made a lasting impact across Chicago through community health clinics, education programs, community gardens, and youth pipeline initiatives.

This milestone highlights Rush University’s longstanding commitment to service, health equity, and community partnership in the IMD on Chicago’s West Side and beyond — congratulations to all, and here’s to another 35 years of community investment!

Cook County Health recently celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Trauma & Burn Department at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital, the oldest comprehensive trauma unit in the United States. Since its founding in 1966, the department has helped shape modern trauma care, growing from treating 1,000 patients in its first year to caring for approximately 4,000 patients annually today.

The milestone recognizes six decades of lifesaving care, medical innovation, and workforce development. Hospital leaders highlighted the department’s national leadership in trauma medicine, its recent Level I trauma center verification, and its role in training healthcare professionals who have gone on to serve communities across the country and around the world.

Congratulations to CCH on 60 years of saving lives across Chicagoland and the world!