Waukegan

Researchers are evaluating surgical and minimally invasive treatments for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) by comparing Medicare patients who received the MILD procedure against those who had interspinous process decompression (IPD). The study focuses on outcomes such as the rate of harms related to the initial procedure and the frequency of additional surgical or minimally invasive interventions within 24 months after treatment. Enrollment includes patients treated from January 1, 2017, onward, with continuation until the sponsor decides to stop. The MILD procedure involves percutaneous image-guided lumbar decompression, performed under fluoroscopy through a dorsal approach to partially remove tissue and bone at the affected spinal level. The control group receives the IPD procedure for LSS. Both groups are monitored for a 24-month period post-index procedure using Medicare claims data to track reoperations and any harms. Participants contribute data through Medicare claims without needing prior enrollment or consent, as the study is exempt from IRB oversight. Researchers collect and analyze information on procedure-related harms and subsequent interventions over two years. This approach allows evaluation of long-term safety and effectiveness outcomes for patients treated with either MILD or IPD.

Researchers are studying ways to reduce opioid-related deaths in Illinois by focusing on people with opioid use disorder who are released from jails and prisons. This 5-year research project, called ROMI, aims to test strategies for connecting these individuals to addiction treatment and harm reduction services. The study is part of a larger national effort funded by the NIH to improve addiction care for people involved with the criminal justice system. The trial compares two approaches: one group receives an intensive case management and peer recovery coaching program that helps link participants to medication-assisted treatment and harm reduction resources. The other group receives naloxone training and a naloxone kit upon re-entry, along with information about local support services. Both groups get harm reduction tools. The study enrolls at least 300 participants in each group from multiple jails and prisons across Illinois. Participants will be followed for 12 months to see how well they engage with addiction treatment and harm reduction programs. Researchers will also track outcomes like re-arrest rates, mental health service use, insurance enrollment, and behaviors that increase overdose risk. The study includes careful monitoring to ensure consistent delivery of services across sites and to guide future efforts to replicate this model in other settings or populations.

This research focuses on parents who have lost a child unexpectedly or traumatically, such as through suicide or overdose, and who often face serious mental and physical health challenges along with family disruptions. The trial examines two different ways to support these grieving parents, addressing the gap where medical examiners or coroners (MEs) typically have limited training and no standard guidelines for helping families during this difficult time. The goal is to identify which approach better connects parents to the care and resources they need after their child's death. The study compares two interventions delivered through a community organization called Missing Pieces. One intervention, CommunityRx-Bereavement (CRx-B), involves a Grief Navigator who contacts parents, provides personalized grief and social support resources, and maintains ongoing communication up to 12 months after the child's death. The other, General Bereavement Support Information (GBSI), sends parents text messages with links to general grief resources and information at multiple intervals up to 12 months post-loss. Parents will be asked to complete surveys about their experiences approximately 6.5 months after their child's death. Researchers will measure outcomes like how confident parents feel in finding support resources and levels of complicated grief. The study includes multiple sites and is designed as a randomized controlled trial to evaluate which method more effectively supports bereaved parents over time.