In the News

Southtown Star, April 17, 2009

Longtime health care advocate Dr. Quentin Young today was appointed by Gov. Pat Quinn to lead the state Health Facilities Planning Board.

Once the personal physician to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Young, 85, has served as chairman of the Department of Medicine at Cook County Hospital, president of the Chicago Board of Health, and president of the American Public Health Association.

He founded the Chicago-based Health and Medicine Policy Research Group and co-founded the Physicians for a National Health Program.--

Young and Quinn in 2001 walked across the state in support of better health care for everyone.

The appointment is seen as symbol of change on the hospital capital projects board, which was plagued by corruption under former board member Stuart Levine and Antoin "Tony" Rezko, a fundraiser for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

"Often times political appointments were made to that board, and I think Gov. Quinn is signaling he wants somebody who has the health care expertise and is progressive," said state Sen. Susan Garrett (D- Lake Forest), who led a task force to overhaul the board's policies to prevent further corruption.