The University of Illinois Cancer Center named Heather Prendergast, MD, MS, MPH, an administrative and academic leader with more than 25 years of combined experience in emergency medicine, health care administration, public health and translational science training, as its new Associate Director for Faculty Development and Leadership.
In addition to her work at the Cancer Center, Prendergast will continue to serve in her roles at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Chicago campus — where she earned her medical degree — as Associate Dean Clinical Affairs, and as Professor and Vice-Chair Academic Affairs in the Department of Emergency Medicine.
Among her many professional accomplishments in healthcare and health equity, Prendergast spearheaded submission to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services for the Inaugural Healthcare Transformation Initiatives Collaborative on behalf of the University of Illinois Physicians Group, which resulted in a subsequent award of $17 million to establish the UI Health 55th and Pulaski Health Collaborative. The center partners with three federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and community-based healthcare organizations to provide comprehensive services to residents on Chicago’s southwest side.