We are writing to you as the employees and affiliates of Advocate Health to express our concern for the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and our disappointment in the continued silence of our leadership.

As healthcare workers, we have taken oaths to care for people that come from all walks of life. We have watched with heavy hearts as 1200 Israelis were killed, and as innocent Palestinians continue to be bombarded and deprived of basic life necessities. In less than 2 months over 20,000 Gazans have been killed and scores more critically injured.

We have witnessed all of this and cannot help but see ourselves in our suffering colleagues as they contend with horrifying conditions.

As a reputable American health institution, Advocate Health has an obligation to its staff and the communities it serves, and for this reason we request:

1. Commitment to a public statement on Gaza using input from community members.
2. Commitment to material humanitarian aid to Gaza equal to $1M within (3) months as well as matching material aid or funding contributed by other donors to a maximum of $1M over the next (12) months. Advocate Health will make a good faith effort to advertise the aid in accordance with the precedent set by previous humanitarian crises. Orgs could include MedGlobal and Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
3. Commitment to support a system-wide Engagement Plan that addresses the impact that Gaza and other conflicts have on the medical staff and patients. Examples include candlelight vigils, safe-spaces for discussion, community outreach, engagement with organizations treating asylum-seekers, a lecture series with a humanitarian focus, collaboration with DEI “treatment not trauma” programs, and trauma recovery criteria expansion to include psychological trauma suffered from witnessing genocide.
4. Creation of a Global Health Officer position with the goal of providing medical education to medical staff, residents, and medical students on relevant topics on global health.

We welcome collaboration as Advocate Health works to address these requests. Silence in the face of massive loss of human life is not compatible with our calling as healthcare providers, nor is it compatible with Advocate Health’s mission to serve health needs through a holistic philosophy, its core values of compassion and equality, and its commitment to equality in healthcare.