Biographical Info

Pilsen Food Pantry Director
Vice President, UI Health Medical Staff

PRACTICE LOCATION

Family Medicine Center at University Village
722 W. Maxwell St.
Chicago, IL 60607

HOMETOWN

Chicago, IL

MEDICAL SCHOOL

University of Illinois at Chicago
1999

RESIDENCY

Lutheran General Hospital
2002

FELLOWSHIP

Faculty Fellowship, Scholars for Teaching Excellence, UIC, 2007

AREAS OF INTEREST

Residency Education
Bias in Healthcare
Food Insecurity
Advocacy Health & Community Activism
LGBT Health & Transinclusive Healthcare
Maternity Care
Contraception
Reproductive Health

On my Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) application, it asked what I would become if I did not become a doctor. My answer was “teacher.” Two decades later, I am completely fulfilling this dream as a family physician educator. The strong medical training of UIC has given me abundant opportunity to influence future generations of physicians as a faculty member while also evolving as a clinician.

A Chicago native, I have spent most of my life enchanted by the diversity of our city. Medical school extracurriculars helped solidify my desire to provide community-based health to women, children, and other vulnerable populations. After FM residency at Lutheran General Hospital, I worked for several years at an FQHC in Oakland, California expanding my knowledge of women’s health procedures, including reproductive health, ultrasound, and maternity care.

I returned to my UIC roots in 2005 and chose UIC because of its social mission, safety net populations, and opportunities for professional development. I became part of the residency quickly after joining UIC DFM; I spent 2007-2015 as the Maternity Care Director and served as the Residency Director from 2014-2020. In 2018, I founded and continue to direct the Pilsen Food Pantry, an open access food pantry open five days a week in the nearby Pilsen neighborhood. The Pantry has expanded to meet the needs of our community and now also offers a free clothing program, free medical supplies, and free books for readers of all ages.

As a Professor of Clinical Family Medicine, I divide my time between direct patient care, community activism, teaching, and University leadership. Although I love being in clinic with my patients, I believe that Family Medicine is the answer, and I am thrilled to be a part of residency, medical school and undergraduate education. To me, it is very important that my learners have opportunities to learn the skills they need to provide family-centered medicine to areas of unmet need, whether it be reproductive health, transgender medicine, or chronic disease management. My scholarly work mainly focuses on contraception, maternity care, social determinants of health, and underserved care.

Outside of our department, I serve on several university and hospital committees, mentor many medical students, spend an abundant amount of time volunteering at the Pilsen Food Pantry, run a nonprofit with my family (the Figueroa Wu Family Foundation), and am an active member of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. I serve on the BOD at Lincoln Park Community Services and QI Board for the Inner-City Muslim Action Network. I am also a member of the AAFP, IAFP, FMM, and ACOG. In my free time you can usually find me at the pantry with my partner and kids.

Affiliations

UIC DFM ALSO Planning Committee
UIC Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer People
UIC COM Latino Medical Student Association
American Academy of Family Physicians
Illinois Academy of Family Physicians
Institute of Medicine – Chicago
Society of Teachers of Family Medicine
Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors
American Congress of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Selected Publications & Presentations

Ghinai I, et al (incl Figueroa E). Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection in homeless shelters in Chicago, Illinois – May-May 2020. Open Forum ID. Oct 2020. https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofaa477

Figueroa E, Nitti K, Sladek S. Improved Prenatal Counseling per Pregnancy Weight Gain Guidelines Lowered Gestational Diabetes. J Am Board Fam Med 2020;33:189-197. PMID 32179602

Figueroa E. An STFM is My Most Precious Membership. http://www.blog.stfm.org. Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. 30 May 2019, https://blog.stfm.org/2019/05/30/stfm-is-my-most-precious-membership/

Figueroa E, Nitti K, Sladek S. Improved Prenatal Counseling per Pregnancy Weight Gain Guidelines Lowered Gestational Diabetes. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. Status: Accepted Sept 2019

Figueroa E. An STFM is My Most Precious Membership. http://www.blog.stfm.org. Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. 30 May 2019, https://blog.stfm.org/2019/05/30/stfm-is-my-most-precious-membership/

Pinto C, Figueroa E. UI Health Pilsen Food Pantry Assessment of Community Impact. Poster Presentation. UIC DFM Scholarship Day. May 2019

Figueroa E, Gold M, Paladine H, Woodard R. The Papaya Workshop: Options Counseling and Uterine Aspiration. Workshop. AAFP Annual Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Students. Kansas City, MO. August 2, 2018.

Figueroa E, Jendusa M, Holt H, Clark M, Patel M, Hobbs H. Teaching Humanism Through the Care of the Homeless. Work in Progress. Gold Foundation Mapping the Landscape Annual Symposium. Rosemont, IL. May 20, 2018.

Birkhead A, Jendusa M, Figueroa E. Strengthening Substance Use Disorder Curriculum for Family Medicine Residents Training in an Urban Underserved Areas: An Initial Phase. Poster Presentation. 51st Annual Spring Conference of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. Washington, DC. May 8, 2018

Figueroa E. An Evolving Perspective of Whole Patient Medicine. http://www.blog.stfm.org. Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. 25 Sept 2017, blog.stfm.org/2017/09/25/an-evolving-perspective-of-whole-patient-medicine/

Figueroa E. Providing Health Care to Transgender and Gender Diverse Individuals. Workshop. Illinois Public Health Association Annual Conference. Springfield, IL. October 25, 2016.

Figueroa E, Gonzalez C. Providing Health Care to Transgender and Gender Diverse Individuals: An Introduction to Best Practices. Lecture/Discussion. 499h Annual Spring Conference of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. Minneapolis, MN. May 1, 2016.

Brown J, Washington J, Figueroa E, Figueroa E, Brummel-Smith K. Enhancing Mentorship for Underrepresented Minority Family Medicine Faculty. Preconference Workshop. 499h Annual Spring Conference of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. Minneapolis, MN. April 30, 2016.

Selected Media

WTTW Chicago Tonight La Ultima Palabra 11/7/20 https://www.pbs.org/video/la-ultima-palabra-dr-evelyn-figueroa-e6c5x4/

Figueroa Wu Family Foundation on Ñ Beat 10/4/20 (3^rd part): https://abc7chicago.com/society/n-beat-special-highlights-chicagos-latino-community/6783992/

Chicago Block Club on the Pilsen Food Pantry & Clothes Closet: https://blockclubchicago.org/2020/09/22/how-a-pilsen-food-pantry-grew-to-help-neighbors-in-crisis-the-community-has-come-together-to-make-this-happen/

ABC-7 Chicago, the Pantry’s community work, Oct 2020: https://abc7chicago.com/community-events/pilsen-food-pantry-expands-mission-during-covid-19-crisis-to-meet-latino-community-needs/6525587/

COVID-19 survivor portraits at Pacific Garden Mission: http://www.pgmportraits.com

Pilsen Food Pantry sponsors a large baby supply drive for the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, June 2020 https://chicago.cbslocal.com/tag/pilsen-food-pantry/

Pilsen Food Pantry on CBS Morning News April 2020: https://www.cbs.com/shows/cbs_this_morning/video/8VaNVuXLXzKv78nEBTtVhpRhvwPxAQrq/latino-communities-hit-hard-by-coronavirus-pandemic/

Pilsen Food Pantry on CBS Nightly News April 2020: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/latino-communities-struggle-coronavirus-outbreak/

UIC COVID medical response at the Pacific Garden Mission April 2020: https://today.uic.edu/uic-helping-the-homeless-combat-covid-19

Dr. Figueroa talking about the different kinds of masks for Southside Weekly April 2020: https://southsideweekly.com/use-masks-pandemic-covid19/