Illinois State Sen. Morrison receives AMA government service award

WASHINGTON-The American Medical Association (AMA) presented Illinois State Sen. Julie A. Morrison with the AMA Award for Outstanding Government Service, recognizing her leadership in advancing public health and strengthening patient protections. Over her years of service, she has championed policies that improve health outcomes, expand access to care, and protect the state's most vulnerable populations.

As a state legislator, Sen. Morrison helped advance policies that raised the purchase age to 21 for tobacco products, required coverage for hearing aids, expanded newborn screenings for rare diseases, required private insurance providers to cover continuous glucose monitors, and mandated insurance coverage of genetic cancer screenings for adults.

"Sen. Morrison's commitment to public health and her leadership in working across the aisle to advance evidence-based care have led to real results for patients and families across Illinois," said AMA Board Chair David H. Aizuss, MD. "Her bipartisan leadership demonstrates how thoughtful, collaborative policymaking can achieve meaningful change. Her sustained focus on expanding access to care for those who need it most has made a lasting impact on the communities she serves. It is an honor to present Sen. Morrison with the AMA Award for Outstanding Government Service."

Sen. Morrison chairs the bipartisan Senate Women's Caucus and is a founding co-chair of the Illinois Legislature's Children's Health Caucus, which focuses on the physical and mental health of children. In 2024, Sen. Morrison worked with the Lake County Children's Advocacy Center and Rosalind Franklin University Health to launch a new medical clinic to treat children who have been abused or witnessed abuse.

Elected in November 2012 from Illinois' 29th Senate District, Sen. Morrison represents a district that includes communities in the northern suburbs of Chicago.