HIGHWOOD, Illinois – Senate President Emil Jones announced this week that Senator Susan Garrett (D – Lake Forest) has been named chairman of the Senate Public Health Committee. Garrett, who has been a leader in health care issues over the last 8 years, has served both in the House and the Senate on Health and Human Services committees.

“Health care and access to care are two critical issues that I intend to make a priority. So many of our residents are faced with health care challenges that are, unfortunately, dependent on availability of insurance. Working together with our hospitals, clinics, and physicians, we should be able to come up with workable solutions,” Garrett said.

"Senator Garrett has legitimately grounded herself in significant public health issues in Lake County,” said Dale Galassie, Executive Director of the Lake County Health Department. “She founded a blue ribbon committee to address access to health care, helped launch an initiative to decrease bacteria levels at Lake Michigan beaches, and has played a role in establishing a program to help low-income families receive specialty care treatment. She has played an invaluable part in the Health Department's mission to increase access to health care and will now be in an even better position to assist our statewide issues."