Health & Medicine Policy Research Group

Health & Medicine Policy Research Group is a Chicago based health advocacy organization.

Founding

Circa 1981, a small group of health care and policy professionals, led by Quentin Young and John McKnight, formed the Health & Medicine Policy Research Group as an independent, not-for profit research and advocacy institute with a focus on Illinois public health and care for the poor and underserved^[1].

We decided at that time to remain independent of any and all institutions, public and private, knowing that doing so would ensure our poverty, but mindful that it would also guarantee our freedom to take on unpopular causes and to advance heretical ideas. Of our poverty we are not so proud, but of our independence we are very proud indeed. It has enabled us to become a respected consensus-builder, educator, and broker of policy ideas in the community, in the state legislature, and in the state’s major academic institutions.

As we have grown, we have taken on a wider variety of issues - women’s health, prison health, welfare reform, and long-term care reform - but our commitment to our founding values - a world where every citizen has access to affordable, quality health care - has never wavered.

Mission

According to the Health & Medicine Policy Research Group website^[2];

For 28 years Health & Medicine has operated as an independent, freestanding, non-profit center driven by a singular mission: formulating health policy, advocacy and health systems to enhance the health of the public.

The reason for our focus is obvious. America’s vast dysfunctional health care system has lurched from crisis to crisis. Observers across the political spectrum recognize that absent fundamental financial and delivery system reform, the entire system will collapse.

A perfect storm looms. Demand for services is growing as a result of our aging, increasingly uninsured public. At the same time, the frontline health care workforce is under greater pressure as spending on health and human services declines. Virtually every state spends more for health and human services than it takes in. City and County government health service resources are generally under even greater stress.

We invite and encourage organizations, institutions and individuals to learn about our organization and our work; and to partner with us in achieving our goal of an accessible, affordable, equitable health system.