Institute of Medicine of Chicago names 15 new Fellows for 2026

The Institute of Medicine of Chicago inducted 15 leaders as its Class of 2026 Fellows on June 25 at its Leadership Awards and Annual Meeting in Chicago. The recognition highlights the organization’s push to advance health equity and reduce healthcare disparities across Illinois.

Why it matters: - The new Fellows include leaders across medicine, nursing, public health, hospital administration, research and health policy. - The class is tied to the Institute of Medicine of Chicago’s core mission of advancing health equity and reducing healthcare disparities. - The recognition signals who the Institute sees as shaping care and community health across Chicago and Illinois.

What happened: - The Institute of Medicine of Chicago announced its Class of 2026 Fellows on Aug. 31, 2026. - Fifteen leaders were inducted on June 25, 2026, during the 2026 Leadership Awards and Annual Meeting in Chicago. - Archana Chatterjee, president of the Institute of Medicine of Chicago, praised the class for work that reflects the Institute’s founding mission and its health equity goals.

The details: - Nutan A. Atre-Vaidya is professor and vice dean for faculty affairs and engagement at Chicago Medical School. - Gloria Barrera is director of the RN to BSN program at the College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago. - Monideepa B. Becerra is professor and chair of population health and administration at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. - James Carlson is interim provost, associate provost for innovation, vice president for interprofessional education and simulation, and professor at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. - Paul E. Casey is senior vice president and chief medical officer at Rush University System for Health and a professor at Rush University Medical Center. - Shelley A. Davis is CEO of South Shore Synergy, LLC. - Lakshmi Emory is a board-certified family medicine physician and regional vice president of health services and chief medical officer for Illinois at Humana. - Russel Fiorella is system chief medical officer and executive vice president of medical affairs at Sinai Health System. - Maria V. Gomez is an emergency medicine physician attending with Aurora Advocate Health at Mount Pleasant Medical Center and Kenosha Medical Center. - Raghav Govindarajan is with HSHS Medical Group, Neurosciences O'Fallon. - Shikha Jain works in hematology and oncology at UI Health. - Heather Prendergast is professor of emergency medicine and associate dean for clinical affairs at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. - Amanda Simanek is director of the Michael Reese Foundation Center for Health Equity Research and a professor at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. - Aron Sousa is president of Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. - Rolla Sweis is CEO and president of LaRabida Children’s Hospital. - The evening’s fundraising celebration also included leadership awards, a keynote address by Aron Sousa, exhibitors and networking. - Sponsors included Golden Square, Labcorp, QuickRx Pharmacy and Merck. - Table sponsors and contributors included CPASS Foundation, The Portes Foundation, Light on Anxiety Treatment Centers, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Michael Reese Research and Education Foundation, University of Chicago Medicine, and Dr. Cheryl Rucker-Whitaker and Dr. Eric Whitaker. - Meeting partners included Canon and Health News Illinois. - The Institute said it addresses access to care, behavioral health, maternal and child health, social determinants of health, lead exposure in children and other social challenges. - The Institute of Medicine of Chicago was founded in 1915 and is an independent, nonprofit organization focused on public health improvement. - The organization says interested applicants can find more information here. - Media inquiries go to media@iomc.org.

Between the lines: - The fellowship class is broad by design, pulling in leaders from academic medicine, health systems, nonprofits and insurers. - That mix suggests the Institute is emphasizing cross-sector collaboration as part of its health equity agenda. - The fundraising event appears to serve both as recognition for Fellows and as a support mechanism for the organization’s mission.

What's next: - The Institute will continue using its Fellowship program, events and partnerships to support work on healthcare disparities. - New Fellows are likely to play roles in the organization’s education, research and community engagement efforts. - The Institute said it will keep building programs for Chicago, its counties and the State of Illinois.

The bottom line: - The 2026 Fellow class reinforces the Institute of Medicine of Chicago’s strategy of mobilizing regional health leaders around a single goal: better health equity across Illinois.