At the end of the visit, my goal is to have the patients feel more informed and to feel like their issues have been properly addressed.
I enjoy the challenges of piecing together the puzzle – putting difficult, complicated signs and symptoms together and trying to formulate a diagnosis.
The choices you make each day can have a huge effect on your health. Rush offers a wealth of resources to help you make good ones.
Maintaining a Healthy Weight
Tips to help you overcome common barriers to weight maintenance.
Six Signs of Nutrient Deficiency
Hair loss, headaches and other signs you may be missing key vitamins and minerals.
Office of Community
Engagement
Committed to Community
Rush University Medical Center has been a fixture on the West Side of Chicago for more than 175 years, providing high-quality care to patients and exemplary training for medical professionals. Over the last 25 years, through programs like the Rush Community Service Initiative Program, the Science and Math Education Network and school-based health centers, Rush has extended its reach into the community with the same level of excellence. Today, our goal is to build upon this rich history and invest even more deeply in the communities we serve..
Committed to the community,
Darlene Oliver Hightower
Associate Vice President , Office of Community Engagement and Practice
Our mission
The mission of the Office of Community Engagement is to enable and support Rush University Medical Center in fulfilling its commitment to improve the quality of life within Rush’s diverse neighboring communities through initiatives and partnerships.
These are some of the ways we achieve this mission:
- Assessing the health needs of our community and developing strategies to address these needs
- Evaluating the effectiveness of Rush programs in meeting the needs of our community
- Reporting and communicating Rush’s community engagement efforts to its internal and external communities
- Developing and strengthening effective community partnerships
- Coordinating community-based experiences for students at Rush to enhance their ability to care for diverse populations
- Serving Students and families by providing quality, accessible health care within Rush’s school-based health centers and the Adolescent Family Center
Meet the team
Darlene Oliver Hightower, JD
Associate Vice President
darlene_hightower@rush.edu
Julia Bassett
Manager, Health and Community Benefit
julia_s_bassett@rush.edu
Sharon Gates
Senior Director, Rush Community Service Initiative Programs
sharon_gates@rush.edu
LaDawne Jenkins
Manager, Operations and Community Engagement Initiatives
ladawne_jenkins@rush.edu
Rukiya Curvey Johnson
Director, Rush Education and Career Hub (REACH)
rukiya_curveyjohnson@rush.edu
Kimberly Johnson
Program Coordinator
kimberly_a_johnson@rush.edu
Sally Lemke
Director, Community Health Clinics
sally_lemke@rush.edu
Christopher Nolan
Systems Manager, Community Health and Benefits
christopher_nolan@rush.edu