State of Illinois

Statewide: Chicago's public health shakeup

NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS | By Sean Crawford

Published August 17, 2023 at 12:33 PM CDT

Alison Arwady was Chicago's top public health official during the pandemic. But this month, new Mayor Brandon Johnson fired Arwady.

It was expected. Johnson said he would make a change when he was a candidate earlier this year. But the move, and how it was handled, has brought criticism, including from those unclear about the mayor's public health vision. We talk with Arwady about her termination and what might lie ahead.

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* Maureen McKinney interviews Sara Bowen-Lasisi of Springfield's Phoenix Center about efforts to make lifesaving Narcan more accessible and her experience of administering the overdose antidote.