As a long-time resident of Chicago’s West Side, Ayesha Jaco did not hesitate to follow David Ansell’s call to lead the community health initiative West Side United, which is aimed at increasing life expectancy in the neighborhood. 

From her office in the old Sears Tower in the center of Chicago’s West Side, she oversees a vast network of healthcare and business partnerships focused on driving lasting economic and medical change to the more than 500,000 residents in this part of the city. 

A key focus of her work is to reignite the local economy and boost access to healthcare to reduce life expectancy gap of over 15 years between this neighborhood and the city center. While improving healthcare is central to her work, a key focus is on strengthening the economy.

Inspired by Ansell’s book The Death Gap, she works from the premise that structural racism, poverty, and disinvestment in healthcare have led to the current situation where neighborhoods are systematically deprived of prosperity and care.

Like Ansell, she advocates for policy reforms and community-driven efforts to close the life expectancy gap and is working to address these health inequities and improve outcomes for marginalized populations in the West Side of Chicago. Although so much of Chicago’s West Side is impoverished and burdened by a weak economy, Jaco sees great potential for the communities here.

Ms. Jaco, why did you join West Side United?

West Side United formally launched in February 2018, but the groundwork began in 2016 through Rush’s Community Health Needs Assessment. I joined as the first staff member in May 2018, and since then, we’ve built a team of 14 members. A major influence for me was David Ansell’s book, The Death Gap. His frank discussion about structural racism and health disparities really resonated with me, as I’m from the West Side. It inspired me to join this mission and help bring tangible changes to my community.

Can you talk us through the scope of the initiative?

West Side United is a health equity collaborative, co-founded by Rush and five other health systems including Ascension, Cook County Health, Lurie Children’s, Sinai Chicago & UI Health, with the goal of eradicating the life expectancy gap between downtown Chicago and ten West Side communities. We’re based in the old Sears Tower, in North Lawndale, right in the heart of the West Side. 

What are the key elements you are focusing on to achieve your goal?

We use the power of local hospitals to spend, hire, and invest in the community to create economic vitality, which is crucial to closing that gap. And we also address critical health issues like infant mortality and hypertension, and we focus on education, food access, and social impact investing. Through partnerships, we support projects that enhance small businesses and affordable housing.

How important are the partners in this endeavor?

Without partners, we could achieve nothing. Besides Rush University System for Health , Cook County Health, University of Illinois Health, the Ann & Robert Lurie Children’s Hospital, and the Sinai Health System, the initiative also includes local schools, community organizations, and businesses that are focused on economic development and health equity initiatives.

How do you make sure you can make progress?

We’re focused on data and measurement. For example, we know that cardio-metabolic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, along with cancer, infant mortality, homicide, and opioid overdoses, are the primary drivers of the life expectancy gap. Our strategy is to address these issues head-on with place-based solutions that are data-driven and community-led.

What are some of the key achievements so far?

Since 2018, West Side United has reduced health inequities in Chicago’s West Side through job creation, hiring over 1,800 local residents. The initiative has invested millions into small businesses and housing, tackling the social factors that are driving poor health. Public health campaigns have improved vaccination rates, access to healthy food, and mental health services. Educational and workforce development programs have created pathways to long-term economic stability.

Can you talk about the investments?

Since its inception, West Side United has facilitated over 200 million dollars in local procurement with West Side vendors. Additionally, their impact investing initiatives have raised 10.5 million dollars, supporting 16.2 million dollars in loans for community development projects, including small business loans, nonprofit capital projects, and affordable housing.

Beyond West Side Chicago, what has been your impact?

Our model has gained national attention, and other cities and countries are studying how we bring competitors, like hospitals, together to work toward community health improvements. We aim to build networks across sectors to address disparities through place-based strategies, believing that over time these efforts will close the life expectancy gap. 

Can you give a few examples?

We hosted international groups from Singapore and London. And then domestically, we were with groups out of Greensboro, North Carolina, and Richmond, Virginia, all wanting to learn about our process of how we got hospitals around the table to break down their silos. Because they’re competitors, at the end of the day. They always want to know about how we engage the community, because this region is roughly 550,000 people. And they want to know about our measurement. So, when we talk about the life expectancy gap, we know that cardiometabolic diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and more, cancer, infant mortality, homicide, and opioid overdose, are the key drivers.

When you look at the West Side now, what’s your vision for the future?

My vision is to restore the community’s former vitality. We’re sitting in the old Sears Tower, which once anchored the West Side’s economy. Partners like the Foundation for Homan Square have committed to making this space a symbol of revitalization, with sustainable businesses and housing opportunities emerging around it.

What are the risks attached to this revitalization? 

As we rebuild, we have to protect against gentrification to ensure that the people who live here now can afford to stay. I see a future where our efforts bring corporations and investments that are committed to the long-term growth of this community, similar to the Sankofa Wellness Village project. This area deserves the same resources and opportunities as other well-developed parts of the city.

What do you want to achieve with the Wellness Center?

It’s still under development, but it will be part of the Sankofa Wellness Village in Garfield Park. This project represents what can happen when hospitals, philanthropy, and the community come together to create something meaningful fueled by the vision of the community. It’s a step toward equitable care and investment in areas that haven’t seen much in decades.

As a West Side native, what does this work mean to you personally?

Being from the West Side, this work is deeply personal to me. I know what it’s like to grow up in a disinvested community, so providing opportunities for the next generation is incredibly important. It’s my hope that the young people growing up here now will have access to the resources and care I didn’t have. This work is about building a better future for West Siders, one that’s driven by the community’s needs and supported by equitable investments.

When you look out from the old Sears Tower, what do you see?

When I look outside, I see potential. I see the hospital where I was born, and I see the vision for projects like the Sankofa Wellness Village and the Fillmore Linen plant in North Lawndale coming to life. It warms my heart to know that these are just the beginning of what’s possible for the West Side.