The National Institute on Aging (NIA), through its Aging Research Federal Grant Program (CFDA 93.866), has awarded a $785,943 Cooperative Agreement to Rush University Medical Center. The funding will support a study to measure the impact on cardiovascular health of a $50 million investment to transform the West Garfield Park neighborhood in Chicago through the Sankofa Wellness Village initiative. This community-based project aims to dramatically improve the social determinants of health in the predominantly Black, highly segregated, and high-poverty West Garfield Park area. The research will assess changes in social needs, psychological well-being, and cardiovascular health behaviors and factors in West Garfield Park residents, compared to residents of the nearby Englewood neighborhood, before and after the opening of the Sankofa Wellness Village in late 2025. The goal is to provide direct causal evidence that investing in impoverished Black neighborhoods to enhance social determinants of health can help narrow the significant Black-white life expectancy gap.
Generated 3/4/25, 2:38 AM