CHICAGO – Telehealth services for those at risk of COVID-19 are being expanded in eight locations throughout the state, including Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park, State Senator Bill Cunningham announced Monday.

The state of Illinois, in partnership with OSF HealthCare and Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, has launched a new Remote Patient Monitoring Program and Pandemic Health Worker Programs to support residents across the state during the COVID-19 pandemic. OSF HealthCare is a statewide health system that merged with Little Company of Mary Hospital earlier this year.

“With many of our hospitals at capacity during this pandemic, it’s critical that we expand services like telehealth that allow people to seek care from home,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “This new program is a great step toward increasing our telehealth capacity, and it is based here in our community thanks to Little Company of Mary’s new affiliation with OSF.”

Pandemic Health Workers will provide care digitally for people who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and need to stay home to protect themselves and others.

Area residents are eligible for care through the program if they show COVID-19 symptoms or are at a high risk for contracting the virus, but do not require emergency or inpatient care. To seek care through the program, call the OSF hotline at 833-673-5669.

“If your symptoms are mild, I urge you to call the OSF hotline rather than seek care in person,” Cunningham said. “By staying home, you can help save lives.”

More information is available at www.osfhealthcare.org.  

CHICAGO – State Senator Bill Cunningham is urging residents to file complaints with the Office of the Attorney General if they experience price-gouging, scams or other unfair practices related to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“We all have a part to play in preventing bad actors from using this pandemic to exploit others,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “I encourage anyone who has information on price gouging or scams to report it to the Attorney General’s Office.”

Governor JB Pritzker issued an executive order last week to prohibit price gouging related to the coronavirus epidemic. Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office is enforcing the order and directing businesses to maintain fair pricing practices – particularly on items public health officials are recommending to help limit the spread of COVID-19.

The Attorney General’s office is also monitoring pricing on online retail platforms, such as Amazon and eBay.

“During this challenging time, no one should have to worry about being taken advantage of,” Cunningham said. “I’m glad to see that the governor and the attorney general are taking an aggressive approach to stopping these practices.”

More information about price gouging and scams related to coronavirus is available at illinoisattorneygeneral.gov.

CHICAGO – Area residents are encouraged to stop by State Senator Bill Cunningham’s district office Saturday, Feb. 29 and Saturday, March 21 to participate in the Chicago Multiethnic Prevention and Surveillance Study (COMPASS) through the University of Chicago.

COMPASS is a long-term research project aimed at better understanding the connections between genetics, environment, health behaviors and chronic diseases, including cancers, in the Chicago area. The study’s findings will be used to inform public policy and develop strategies for further research.

Cunningham is hosting the event along with State Rep. Fran Hurley, State Rep. Kelly Burke and Alderman Matt O’Shea.

On both days, the COMPASS mobile unit will be parked in front of Cunningham’s office at 10400 S. Western Ave. in Chicago from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Participants are eligible to receive $50 in Visa gift cards.

“This study is going to help us better understand health outcomes in the city of Chicago and will shed some light on suspected cancer risks here in the 19^th Ward,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “I encourage everyone available to participate in the study and help us learn more about how we can improve public health.”

Participation in COMPASS includes:

• Completion of an online consent process;
• Completion of three online survey modules;
• Contribution of physical measurements as well as blood, urine and saliva samples; and
• Optional participation in home radon monitoring.

Study participants are encouraged to fill out the consent form and surveys prior to arriving to save time. Those forms can be accessed at https://compass.uchicago.edu.

Questions about COMPASS can be directed to research specialist Andy Craver, who can reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at 773-702-9644. More information about COMPASS is available at https://compass.uchicago.edu.