Public Health Organization

The Public Health Organization (PHO), based in Chicago, Illinois, is a community/labor organization comprised of working class patients, current & retired nurses, nutritionist, clerical workers, physicians, therapists, healthcare workers and allies. The PHO is committed to increasing access to quality & affordable healthcare for low income and uninsured individuals and families. Ultimately, the purpose of PHO is to work towards increasing access to quality, affordable healthcare for low-income residents and the uninsured. We achieve this by building patient and worker solidarity and leveraging our collective power to inform, shape, and monitor the implementation of public health policies. We use education, outreach, and organizing to connect with residents and health care workers around the impact of changes to the healthcare system, with the goal of increasing access and improving the quality of health care delivery. Our vision is to develop a community of grassroots experts in translating healthcare policy in a language that inspires residents of color to actively engage in ensuring that everyday people continue to have access to quality and affordable care. We envision PHO serving as a community resource that residents can look to for real-time accurate information related to accessing and navigating the healthcare system, especially upon the implementation of the ACA. We hope to achieve this by staying ahead of the curve in policy research, organizing pathways for resident engagement and participation in the decision making process, continuously identifying health care access priorities of our constituents, and closely monitoring the implementation of healthcare public policies.