The Illinois Nurses Foundation has honored Rachel Reichlin as one of the 40 under 40 Emerging Nurse Leaders in Illinois. Reichlin is the Manager of Care Management for CountyCare, a Medicaid managed care health plan offered through the Cook County Health (CCH). Winners were chosen by a panel of their peers based on their achievement in the profession, leadership and community & association involvement.

Reichlin helped build the infrastructure for and now oversees CountyCare’s care coordination services  that ensure members receive the right care, at the right time in the right place. In her nomination submission, colleagues praise Reichlin for “creating policies and processes for population care management and using data analytics to create Medicaid coverage innovations.”

“It is an honor to be recognized for work that I do. Through CountyCare, we have the opportunity to be creative with the way we provide healthcare and address social determinants of health. I am proud to apply my training as a public health nurse to play a role in implementing health care reform and supporting a larger team of dedicated care coordinators that leverage our members’ strengths and close care gaps everyday ,” said Reichlin.

Reichlin donates her time to a number of community non-profits and professional associations, including the Health and Medicine Policy Research Group, The Heartland Alliance School Based Health Center at Uplift, and Nurses for Social Justice. She has also traveled internationally, partnering with communities to conduct participatory health assessments in Israel, Dominican Republic and Guatemala.

In addition, Reichlin is helping shape nursing for the future. She is a passionate mentor and preceptor to health profession students, including two current Advanced Population Health Doctor of Nursing Practice students who are assisting with developing the Disease Management program for CountyCare.  She is also a Schweitzer Fellow for Life, where she continues to mentor and provide training to current Schweitzer Fellows.

A graduate of the Rush University College of Nursing, Reichlin also earned a masters in Public Health and Nursing from the University of Illinois Chicago. Reichlin has worked with CCH since 2014. She was previously a maternal and child health care manager at PCC Salud Family Health Center and served as a domestic violence prevention advocate. Reichlin was honored at a recognition event on September 22^nd.