General Pediatrics

Building healthcare career pathways through partnership. This summer, Urban Initiatives launched an exciting new pilot program in partnership with Advocate Health: Pathways to Purpose, a six-week paid internship designed to introduce high school students to meaningful careers in healthcare. The partnership brought together the unique strengths of both organizations. Advocate Health provided industry expertise, professional mentors, and hosted the internship at Advocate Trinity Hospital, giving students an authentic healthcare environment in which to learn. Urban Initiatives contributed its long-standing relationships with Chicago Public Schools, expertise in workforce readiness and career-connected learning, and its unique approach to making learning engaging through interactive, game-based experiences. Twenty-two students, ages 16-18, were selected from a competitive pool of applicants after being nominated by their high school teachers. Participants represented South Shore High School, Englewood STEM High School, Percy L. Julian High School, Simeon Career Academy, and Gary Comer College Prep. To ensure every student could fully participate, the program provided Ventra transit cards, daily lunch, and snacks, as well as attendance incentives that helped remove barriers to consistent participation. The internship introduced students to five high-demand healthcare careers that are often overlooked by young people exploring future opportunities. Advocate Health's Workforce Development team selected the following career pathways: Surgical Prep and Sterilization Technician, X-Ray Technician, Respiratory Therapist, Community Health Worker, and Clinical Nurse Assistant. Throughout the program, students participated in interactive lessons, heard firsthand from healthcare professionals about their career journeys, and collaborated on presentations showcasing what they learned, which they shared with hospital staff during the program's culminating celebration. In addition to career exploration, interns developed essential workplace skills that will benefit them in any profession. Through hands-on activities and collaborative projects, students practiced professionalism, communication, punctuality, resume development, teamwork, problem-solving, and attention to detail. Some of the program's most memorable experiences took learning beyond the classroom. Students explored Advocate Trinity Hospital's simulation lab, where they interacted with advanced medical training equipment and gained a deeper understanding of patient care. They also volunteered with the Food Farmacy, an initiative led by Advocate Community Health Workers that provides nutritious food to community members experiencing food insecurity. Another highlight was participating in a U-Metics trauma response training, where students learned lifesaving first-aid techniques and built confidence responding to emergency situations. Pathways to Purpose demonstrated what is possible when healthcare providers and community organizations work together to create meaningful career-connected learning experiences. By combining real-world exposure, professional mentorship, and workforce development, the program helped students envision themselves in careers that strengthen both their futures and the communities they call home. This is the start of an exciting partnership with Advocate Healthcare, which Urban Initiatives, Inc. know will impact not only the lives of local youth, but the communities they will serve through their future careers. At the end of the program, 95% of students shared that "I have a clearer idea of what I want to do with my future." and "I am hopeful about my future." One student stated, "They showed me how to not be afraid to step out my comfort zone and speak up when no one else isn't." "Pathways to Purpose had a great impact on me, not only through the knowledge I gained but also through the positive influence of my peers and educators. Their positivity and laughter made a huge difference in my journey, and I am truly grateful for their support." "One Way Pathway to Purpose helped me realize that every experience is preparing me for my future career. Through this internship, I gained confidence, learned professional skills, and saw how my work can positively impact others." "I gained a lot of knowledge about different healthcare careers." Looking forward. Urban Initiatives, Inc. is excited to continue its partnership with Advocate and continue to provide opportunities in the workforce development space. Including, continuing the Pathways to Purpose internship, connecting with Take the Lead middle school students, and much more!

What it means to work at an LTACH: clinical careers at RML Specialty Hospital. * June 24, 2026 RML Specialty Hospital is a not-for-profit Long-Term Acute Care Hospital (LTACH) with campuses in Chicago and Hinsdale, Illinois. This is not a standard hospital, and the work here is not standard hospital work. If you are a registered nurse, respiratory therapist, or allied health professional weighing LTACH nursing careers in Illinois, this article explains what the role actually involves. What is a Long-Term Acute Care Hospital - and why it changes how you practice. A Long-Term Acute Care Hospital treats patients who are too medically complex to leave the hospital setting but no longer require an intensive care unit. These are patients recovering from prolonged critical illness - ventilator dependence, complex wounds, multi-system conditions - who need continuous, hospital-level care measured in weeks rather than days. That single difference reshapes daily practice. On a standard ICU or acute care floor, you often hand a patient off within hours or days and rarely see the full recovery. At an LTACH, you follow the same patient through the entire arc: the slow wean off a ventilator, the first time they sit up, the day they walk out. The pace rewards clinical judgment and continuity over rapid turnover. For many clinicians, that is the heart of any honest comparison of LTACH vs hospital nursing - fewer admissions per shift, deeper patient relationships, and a multidisciplinary team that stays consistent across the stay. RML is built specifically for this work. As a not-for-profit hospital, its clinical decisions are driven by patient need rather than volume. Its team includes more than 70 physicians and 600 employees, with physicians on-site 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so changes in a patient's condition are addressed in real time rather than waiting for a callback. RML Specialty Hospital is partners with Loyola University Health System and Advocate Health Care, connecting its staff to broader clinical resources and expertise. For professionals seeking clinical careers at a not-for-profit hospital, that combination of mission, continuity, and on-site physician support defines the environment. Clinical roles at RML Specialty Hospital. Across its Chicago and Hinsdale campuses, RML hires for a defined set of clinical and allied health roles: * Registered Nurses (RN): RNs carry smaller, higher-acuity assignments and play a central role in care planning for medically complex patients. Both campuses hire RNs - nursing jobs in Chicago, Illinois, and at its Hinsdale campus are posted as they open. * Respiratory Therapists (RRT): Because RML treats more ventilator patients than any LTACH in the nation, respiratory therapist LTACH jobs here center on advanced ventilator weaning and airway management rather than routine floor coverage. * Rehabilitation Therapists (PT/OT/SLP): Physical, occupational, and speech therapists rebuild strength, mobility, and communication across long recovery timelines. * Pharmacists: Clinical pharmacists manage complex medication regimens and antibiotic stewardship for critically ill patients. * Dietitians: Registered dietitians direct nutrition care that often determines the pace of ventilator weaning and wound healing. RML Specialty Hospital also draw on psychologists and spiritual care professionals as part of an interdisciplinary team, and RML Specialty Hospital post only the roles RML actually staffs. The programs you will work within. The work at RML is organized around specialized clinical programs. These are what you will practice, day to day: * Ventilator Weaning: RML's ventilator weaning program is the largest in the United States, and weaning is central to its care model rather than an ancillary service. * Advanced Wound Care: Its advanced wound care teams manage chronic, surgical, and trauma-related wounds that standard facilities are not equipped to treat. * Stroke & Neurologic Recovery: Interdisciplinary teams help patients regain function after stroke and other neurologic events. * Organ Transplant Recovery: Specialized post-transplant care for patients who need extended hospital-level monitoring. * Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Program: Cardiac recovery support for patients living with mechanical circulatory support. * Medically Complex Care: Coordinated treatment for patients managing several overlapping conditions at once. Each program presents a different clinical challenge, and most clinicians at RML work across more than one over the course of their tenure. Frequently asked questions about clinical careers at RML. How do I apply for a clinical position at RML Specialty Hospital? All clinical positions are posted on the RML Careers page, and candidates apply directly through its online application portal. You do not need a recruiter or staffing agency to apply, applications go straight to RML's hiring team. Open roles for both the Chicago and Hinsdale campuses are listed in the same portal. What clinical specialties does RML hire for? RML hires registered nurses, respiratory therapists, rehabilitation therapists (physical, occupational, and speech), pharmacists, and clinical dietitians, along with physicians and advanced practice providers. Both its Chicago and Hinsdale campuses recruit across these disciplines. Because RML Specialty Hospital is a long-term acute care hospital, most clinical roles center on medically complex, high-acuity patients rather than short-stay general care. What is it like to work as a nurse at a Long-Term Acute Care Hospital? It is different from acute care floor nursing in one fundamental way: time. You care for fewer patients at higher acuity, and you stay with them for weeks, not hours. You see the full recovery arc - the ventilator wean, the first steps, the discharge home. The model is genuinely team-based, with physicians on-site around the clock and therapists, pharmacists, and dietitians working the same patients alongside you. For nurses who want depth and continuity over constant turnover, LTACH nursing offers a kind of practice that acute hospital nursing rarely allows. Does RML Specialty Hospital offer shift flexibility for nursing staff? Yes. Because RML provides hospital-level care 24 hours a day, its nursing teams work across day, evening, and night rotations. Specific shift lengths and scheduling options are listed with each open position on the Careers page. How to apply. RML posts all current clinical openings for both the Chicago and Hinsdale campuses on its Careers page. To apply, view current openings and apply through its secure online portal - no recruiter or staffing agency required.

Brennen Johnston shares career update. Brennen Johnston has stepped into a new role as radiology director-enterprise advanced cardiac imaging for Advocate Health. "This opportunity allows me to continue growing advanced cardiac imaging programs across our entire organization. I'm proud to be working alongside incredible physicians, technologists, leaders and teammates who care deeply about our patients," he shared on LinkedIn. "Anyone who knows me knows how passionate I am about cardiac imaging, education, quality and building great teams. I'm thankful for the mentors, colleagues and friends who have invested in me along the way, and I'm excited for what we can accomplish together in this next chapter." "The title may be new, but the mission remains the same: improve patient care, provide top-notch imaging, support our teams, grow our impact, and keep pushing our field forward," he added. The Advocate Health LinkedIn profile states that it "is redefining how, when and where care is delivered to help people live well. We're providing equitable care for all in our communities and using our combined strength and expertise to deliver better outcomes at a lower cost." People on the Move. Submit yourself or someone else to be featured in its People on the Move category! Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, png, Max. file size: 2 MB.