The Provident Foundation
1525 East 53rd Street
Suite #451
Chicago, IL 60615
E-Mail: contact@provfound.org

  • Provident Scholar Spotlight: Eric Madu

    Eric Madu, a senior at Chicago State University who will be graduating this December, was awarded a $3,000 scholarship in the Spring of 2016. He plans to attend medical school after graduation and is currently studying to take the MCAT exam this month. Eric studies molecular biology and has won several awards and presented his research across the state of Illinois and in the Philippines.

    Since becoming a scholar, Eric has been mentored by Provident Foundation board members Dr. Jim Woodruff, Associate Dean of Students at the University of Chicago and Dr. Abdullah Pratt, medical resident at The University of Chicago.

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  • COVID 19 Announcement

    We realize this is a challenging time for all those on the Southside of Chicago, throughout the city and the world as we face an unprecedented pandemic in our country. As we look at the risk of infection and the impact that the protective measures the city and country have had to take in response to a growing crisis, we hope to provide some guidance during this time. The board of the Provident Foundation is currently serving the front lines, caring for patients in clinics, the ER, the hospital wards, through telehealth as well as working with the City. Below are some key links for more information on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID 19).

    Please stay safe at this time and do your best to practic social distancing, keeping yourself away from large gatherings and avoiding contact with others as you are able. Wash your hands, and do your best to not touch your face before washing them. Please stay home from work when you are sick.

    Sincerely,

    The Provident Foundation Board

  • Provident Board Spotlight: Jim Woodruff, MD

    Jim Woodruff, MD is a Professor with the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, the Associate Dean of Students and Vice Chair for Education. He joined the Provident Foundation in 2014

    Why did you get involved with the Provident Foundation?
    I was drawn to this role because I’ve been interested in care for the underserved ever since I was in medical school. I worked a portion of my medical school career at Harlem Hospital in New York City. 1991 and ’92 were the peak of the HIV epidemic, and New York was facing difficult times financially and didn’t have the resources at that municipal hospital to provide good care. But despite that, I saw a number of young physicians there, many of them young African American physicians, who had trained at outstanding medical schools across the country and could have simply pursued either lucrative or successful private practice or academic careers, ignoring what was going on in Harlem, but they chose to invest five years or so of their lives working in Harlem trying to address the acute needs of the neighborhood. I found these young physicians inspiring and wanted to go to an academic medical center that could provide me both the opportunity to pursue an academic career and take care of underserved patient populations. It turned out that the University of Chicago was an ideal location.

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Our Legacy, Our Future

In 1891, the Provident Hospital and Training School opened its doors to African American doctors, nurses, and patients who experienced closed doors elsewhere. The care received at Provident was second to none and its history of excellence, commitment and equality has an impact on Chicago and the nation that is longstanding.

The Provident Foundation was established in 1995 by James Myles and Edward Gardner to preserve the legacy of Provident Hospital and its founder, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, by promoting education for and providing scholarship opportunities to urban youth pursuing careers in medicine. We feel this is critical to ultimately transforming the health of our communities.

For example, African American medical students are more than twice as likely as white students to express the intention to work in high-poverty, minority communities. However, only 6% of medical school graduates are African American despite accounting for 12% of the population. Furthermore, only 8.5% of medical school graduates are Hispanic relative to more than 17% of the population.

The story of Provident is rich and inspiring; one that instills hope and possibility for our future. View our latest video to experience more of this remarkable story and consider a gift to the Provident Foundation to continue this legacy.

Sincerely,


Myetie Hamilton
Board Chair, The Provident Foundation

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