Health
Chicago’s New Public Health Commissioner on Mental Health, Life Expectancy and Barriers to Care
Shelby Hawkins | August 25, 2026, 7:18 pm
Dr. Garth Walker assumed the role of Chicago Department of Public Health commissioner this month after he was appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson and unanimously confirmed by the Chicago City Council in July
Walker’s experience includes roles as chief medical officer of Rush Health, deputy director at the Illinois Public Health Department and White House fellow with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Biden administration. Walker now inherits a department that’s responsible for managing infectious disease outbreaks, food safety, environmental health and more throughout the city.
The commissioner joined “Chicago Tonight” to discuss his goals for the future health and wellness of Chicagoans
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“I am a lifelong Chicagoan. I’ve grown up in Chicago my whole life, attended Chicago Public Schools, and one of the most transformative experiences that I had was right after college doing AmeriCorps. I worked with D.C. public schools because I wanted to think about the social and economic barriers that make it hard for disinvested communities to get great resources. After that, I pursued medical school and I knew the exact position that I wanted to be — one that thinks about those issues, those barriers that make it difficult for people to get great healthcare. Throughout that time, whether it be from an academic standpoint, working at the state level, the federal level, as well as for our academic medical centers, I tried to make sure that that was an important part of how we think about our communities and how we create a healthier community.”
On the ‘death gap’:
Chicago’s “death gap” is shorthand for the differences in life expectancy between Chicago neighborhoods and racial groups. According to city data, Chicago’s overall life expectancy reached 79.5 years in 2024. Black Chicagoans had a life expectancy of about 73.3 years compared to about 82 years for White Chicago residents. The racial gap has improved substantially, but remains significant
The neighborhood differences can be even more dramatic. In 2023, people living in West Garfield Park had a life expectancy of about 67 years while those in the Loop were expected to live 87.3 years — a difference of more than 20 years
“Many of the leaders within my department are focused on where those communities have the largest social and economic barriers and how that relates to their ability to be able to remain healthy. In many cases, that means thinking about meeting people where they are, whether it be vaccinations, whether it be thinking about our air quality and how we monitor different communities, and organizing our department to be able to make sure that they can remain healthy during some of the most difficult circumstances. … Where you live, the amount of opportunities that you have, the environment you live in, whether you can walk in a community, whether you’re experiencing violence on a regular basis, whether you live in a food desert or a pharmacy desert, there’s a throughline throughout that. I think public health oftentimes is our map to show the level of humanity that our government’s able to move around. I think being able to marry science, people, data, community organizations, we’re able to create healthier communities in that manner.”
On the CDPH budget:
Records show the department’s budget dropped by 68% between 2023 and 2026, in part because of the precipitous drop in federal funding after the COVID-19 pandemic
“That’s part of the reason why I decided to join at this time. I think, oftentimes, public health is an invisible safety net and people can take it for granted. We have to be able to show all the activities that we’re doing to be able to make sure that people understand how we’re keeping people healthy. When you have funding drops that drastic, the first communities that are affected are those with the least means. … So, what we wanna do is have a public health infrastructure that’s so resilient, so strong, that we can protect those with the least when these types of catastrophes occur. When there’s a reduction in funds, it can compromise us quite a bit.”
On HIV/AIDS services:
HIV diagnoses in Chicago are declining again. The city recorded 504 new HIV diagnoses in 2025, about 38% fewer than the previous year. That follows a concerning period of growth: HIV diagnoses rose 29% from 2022 to 2024.
Community advocates are skeptical about whether the progress can be sustained, particularly after the city cut funding for some HIV prevention organizations. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is suing CDPH over the city’s handling of Ryan White HIV/AIDS funding, alleging the foundation’s funding proposal was improperly denied and that the city failed to follow federal funding rules. The next court hearing is Monday.
“I think it’s important to highlight the importance of community leaders and the way that they show up and the way that they’re able to advocate for their communities. So, I empathize exactly with what is occurring. I’m two weeks into the role, so I’m exploring how we’re able to make sure that our communities can continue to remain protected. I think the improvement that we’ve been able to see in terms of HIV and AIDS diagnosis, particularly amongst our most marginalized communities, is a testament to the learnings that we’ve had in the health equity zones and public health infrastructure that was invested in over the years, because it speaks to ensuring that local organizations are the ones to be able to lead a lot of that work. So, I’ll continue to listen to so many of the organizations that are working so closely with those affected by AIDS and HIV, and looking to figure out how we can continue to keep Chicago healthy as we move forward.”
On mental health care:
The city introduced the Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement, or CARE, program under Mayor Lori Lightfoot. It’s an alternate emergency response team to assist nonviolent people in the midst of a mental health episode. The two-year pilot has since been expanded to include all 77 community areas, but it’s serving fewer people
“I think I’m going to lean a lot on some of my operational background and work from different health systems at the federal and state level, but this is an important program, and it’s an important program for a couple of reasons. One is that we’re able to deliver mental health expertise, as well as first responders, to individuals in some of their most lowest moments. Traditionally, that would be presented to law enforcement, and sometimes you can have mixed reactions in terms of whether it occurs. By being able to add this humane approach, we’re able to keep Chicagoans healthy and link them to the social determinants of health issues, but also the expertise that is needed to deescalate those issues. So, that’s a testament to this (Johnson) administration and the many organizers and the City Council members that have supported this work to go forward.”
On expanding mental health services:
As part of Chicago’s expansion of public mental health services, a previously shuttered clinic has also reopened and a couple new spaces have launched, including the Pilsen South Ashland Health Hub, the Roseland Health Hub and mental health operations at Legler Regional Library in West Garfield Park
“I love the hub/library model. I still have to examine where the resources are at and how we want to expand it. But I will say this: I’ve been able to view healthcare from the state level, the federal level, private perspective, and from many different venue points. Behavioral health continues to fall short in terms of convening people to deliver the care that we need for those that need it the most. We’re going to be able to show up in Chicago and start dealing with these mental health issues.”
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Public Health
Chicago Department of Public Health
Garth Walker
Mental Health
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