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
Vice President, Community Health Equity
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

Thomas Molina
Manager, Financial Operations
Thomas_Molina@rush.edu

Christopher Nolan
System Manager, Community Health and Benefits
christopher_nolan@rush.edu

Nathaniel Powell
Program Coordinator, Rush Oak Park Hospital
nathaniel_powell@rush.edu