COVID-19 leads Chicago physician to open South Side center focused on culturally competent care

Pivotal Moment with Nikitta Foston

Dr. Constance Shabazz, CEO of Salaam Community Wellness Center of Chicago, has devoted her professional life to health care and social justice. As COVID-19 swept through the city, she witnessed the devastating impact on communities of color. Long-standing health inequities in marginalized populations were exacerbated. People with underlying health conditions were at greater risk. Those who contracted the virus were separated and isolated. Many died alone.

Shabazz had an answer: culturally competent care that recognizes and responds to the social determinants of health. She also had a vision: the Salaam Community Wellness Center of Chicago. “This is more than a center,” Shabazz said. “This is a movement.” In this episode of Pivotal Moment, Shabazz reveals the four key modalities included in her integrative approach to wellness for vulnerable populations.

Shabazz is the former CMO at Aunt Martha’s Youth Services in the south suburbs of Chicago. She received two master's degrees from St. Xavier University and a Master of Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. For more than 17 years, Shabazz has provided technical assistance and program development to the federal government’s Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), helping 300+ health centers across the U.S.

For more info, visit: salaamcwc.org, [email protected], [phone]