Advocate Health Care Named Official HealthCare Partner of Chicago State University

Partnership supports student-athletes and expands pathways into healthcare careers

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Advocate Health Care Named Official HealthCare Partner of Chicago State University

CHICAGO (Aug. 24, 2026) — Advocate Health Care and Chicago State University (CSU) today announced a new multiyear partnership naming Advocate Health Care the official healthcare partner of CSU Athletics, building on a growing collaboration focused on healthcare education, workforce development and improved health outcomes across Chicago's South Side. The partnership comes as CSU enters its historic first football season as the only NCAA Division I football program in the city of Chicago. The announcement was made during CSU's annual Back-to-School Parade.

As the official healthcare partner of CSU Athletics, Advocate Health Care will provide comprehensive healthcare and sports medicine support for CSU student-athletes, including athletic training, team physician coverage, physical therapy, orthopedic care, primary care, sports psychology, sports nutrition and game-day sideline coverage. Advocate Health Care’s logo will also be featured on every CSU game-day jersey across all sports.

The agreement builds on an existing collaboration between Advocate Health Care and CSU to prepare students for careers in healthcare and strengthen the workforce. Advocate nurses already serve as adjunct faculty in CSU’s nursing program, and the organizations also partner on a certified nursing assistant program, workforce development initiatives and youth career exploration.

“Chicago State University plays an important role on the South Side, creating opportunities for students and strengthening the neighborhoods it serves,” said Dia Nichols, president of Advocate Health Care. “We're proud to build on our relationship with CSU by supporting student-athletes with access to comprehensive care and the expertise they need to stay healthy throughout their athletic careers. Just as important, this partnership creates pathways for students interested in healthcare careers and helps develop the next generation of caregivers.”

The partnership reflects a shared commitment to invest in student success, strengthen the healthcare workforce and improve community health across Chicago's South Side. It also builds Advocate Health Care's longstanding commitment to the region and its ongoing $1 billion investment in South Side communities.

“Advocate Health Care is a true partner to Chicago's South Side, and we're grateful that the commitment now extends to Chicago State University's College of Health Sciences and Pharmacy, our Division I athletic program and the overall health and well-being of our campus community through management of our Wellness Center,” said Z Scott, president of Chicago State University. “Advocate's investment in our programs will help prepare the next generation of nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals. Many of these graduates will leave CSU to become part of the Advocate Health Care system. With Advocate as our official sports medicine partner, student-athletes from our 17 sports programs will access the high-quality care needed to compete at the highest level. This partnership demonstrates what is possible when two mission-driven institutions join to improve lives, strengthen communities and build a healthier future for all.”

The partnership announcement was a featured moment of CSU's annual Back-to-School Parade, a university tradition that welcomes students to campus and celebrates the beginning of a new academic year. Serving as Grand Marshal, Nichols joined students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members in the celebration, highlighting Advocate Health Care's commitment to Chicago State University and the South Side communities both organizations proudly serve.

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About Advocate Health Care

Advocate Health Care is the largest health system in Illinois, serving patients across 11 hospitals, including two children’s campuses and more than 200 sites of care. Advocate Health Care is committed to continuously advancing how care is connected and delivered — ensuring access to high-quality, coordinated services for all. It is part of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Advocate Health, the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States. Advocate Health is a preeminent academic health system at the forefront of clinical excellence, innovation and research, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as its academic core. Nationally recognized for expertise in heart and vascular, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, Advocate Health is also a pioneer in the delivery of virtual health care. It’s accelerating discovery by making research participation part of the standard-of-care through its one-of-a-kind National Center for Clinical Trials, plus two affiliated life-sciences-focused innovation districts and one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs. With more than 165,000 teammates serving patients at 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations across seven states, Advocate Health reinvests over $6 billion each year to improve community health, making it one of the nation’s largest providers of community benefit.

About Advocate Health

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States. A preeminent academic health system at the forefront of clinical excellence, innovation and research, it delivers care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin and Michigan, and Wake Forest University School of Medicine is its academic core. Nationally recognized for expertise in heart and vascular, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, Advocate Health is also a pioneer in the delivery of virtual health care. It is accelerating discovery by making research participation part of the standard-of-care through its one-of-a-kind National Center for Clinical Trials, plus two affiliated life-sciences-focused innovation districts and one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs. With more than 165,000 teammates serving patients at 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations across eight states, Advocate Health reinvests over $6 billion each year to improve community health, making it one of the nation’s largest providers of community benefit.

About Chicago State University

Chicago State University, founded in 1867, is the oldest public university in the Chicago Metropolitan area. The University’s four colleges offer over 95 undergraduate and graduate degree-granting and non-degree programs. CSU is committed to equity in education, serving as the only U.S. Department of Education-designated four-year Predominantly Black Institution in Illinois. The University’s continued value to students and the State of Illinois is demonstrated by the ranking by a Harvard economist that places CSU in the top 4 percent of public and private universities nationwide in supporting its graduates’ economic mobility. The University serves as a prominent community anchor and civic space on the greater south side of Chicago by leading a multitude of athletic, educational, cultural, and recreational activities. Visit csu.edu.