Dear Center for Health Equity Transformation Community:
It is with a very heavy heart and great sadness that we learned of the passing of Dr. Virginia “Gini” Bishop. There are really no words to express how deeply she will be missed. She was relentless in her pursuit of social justice to lift health for all. Dr. Bishop was and will be the true embodiment of a community health champion. She was my personal hero.
Dr. Bishop held appointments as an Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine Program in Public Health and in the Institute for Public Health and Medicine (IPHAM). She served as an educator and mentor for medical students as the Latino Affairs and Community Engagement liaison from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. She had more than 20 years of experience in public health, child and adolescent medicine, and community-based research. She was a tireless health equity hero and had extensive involvement with governmental partners, regulatory agencies, scientists and key opinion leaders.
Dr. Bishop was dedicated to empowering youth that often times others had given up on. She championed community in every dimension, relentlessly. She found immense joy in encouraging and inspiring others to join her.
We ask that you join us in reflecting on the amazing work and gifts of guidance she provided. May her work in community health and legacy live on through those that she impacted. We strive to be able to continue her work in community health and achieving health equity.
Our thoughts and condolences are with her family and loved ones during this time.
Visitation for Dr. Virginia Bishop will be Sunday, February 9th at St. Sylvester Church (2157 N. Humboldt Blvd Chicago, IL 60647) from 4-9 pm. Mass Monday at 10 am. Burial immediately following at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside.
Services are open to all.
Dr. Bishop’s family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made towards Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos High School, a school in Humboldt Park that Gini strongly supported. Donations can be written out to Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos HS and mailed to 2739 W Division Chicago IL 60622.
Rest in Power,
Melissa Simon, MD, MPH
Director/Founder, Center for Health Equity Transformation
We have lost a wonderful person and a true social justice advocate. I know we will all miss her honest, straightforward clear vision.
Personally I was so fortunate to teach with her at Northwestern, and to have her insight and wisdom shared through our board and the Cook County health system.
-Margie Schaps, MPH
Our world’s light is dimmer today and our communities of Chicago and Northwestern have lost an amazing advocate.
-Jen Brown
I can still see Gini as a young colleague early in my Chicago experience and followed her trajectory with awe and admiration.
-Fred Rachman
I met Gini when she was a premed student and from that time on she always personified the kind of physician-leader that we need in the Latino community. Every time I had doubts about why we did what we were doing, I looked at her example and felt inspired to keep going.
She will be sorely missed.
-Jorge Girotti
Dr. Bishop made a difference in all those she touched! Incredible loss to all of us and those she cared for.
-Carmen Velasquez
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