May 2010
Feature Article
Chicago Family Health Center Expands with the Opening of its 5th Center in Chicago Lawn
Yes, it’s true. Chicago Family Health Center recently announced the opening of its 5th site with the opening of the Chicago Lawn community health center this June. Located at 63rd and Kedzie, the center will open its doors to thousands of medically underserved and uninsured residents on the Southwest Side of Chicago and surrounding communities.
“Expanding our services into Chicago Lawn is the natural next step for us,” said Warren Brodine, Chicago Family Health Center CEO. “For more than 30 years, our health centers have provided access to affordable health care in South and Southeast Chicago. The Southwest Side now faces some of the same barriers to healthcare. With this center, we hope to revitalize the Chicago Lawn community through health and wellness programs for all stages of life.”
A team of Family Medicine physicians will provide services ranging from prenatal health, pediatrics and diabetes, to heart disease programs, senior care and access to many other supportive programs. In addition, health care providers are culturally and linguistically sensitive to their patients’ needs.
Although this is great news, many of you might be wondering: What about Pullman? The entire CFHC staff and the Pullman employees in particular can rest assured that Pullman has not been forgotten. In fact, Pullman will be re-built. It will be torn down and rebuilt from the ground up. This is a very large undertaking, with a very large budget. As our CEO Warren Brodine mentioned at the all-staff meeting in January, the budget for this project is approximately $8 million. We are pursuing funding through the recent passage of President Obama’s Health Care Reform Bill.
Should we not receive funding for the Pullman Rebuild, we have already begun to take the initial steps for “Plan B”:
- We have received recommendations for a comprehensive remodeling plan;
- Engineering studies have been conducted; and
- Cost developments are being developed.
It is safe to say that Pullman still remains very high on the priority list of our organization’s objectives, and the patients, employees and community are a very important part of the Chicago Family Health Center team.
Chicago Family Health Center continues to work closely with community residents, businesses and other stakeholders to ensure patients receive optimal health care. In Chicago Lawn, these include Holy Cross Hospital and the Greater Southwest Development Corporation.
Holy Cross Hospital has been in the community for 83 years and with so many communities economically hard hit, welcomes CFHC to the area. Currently about 30% of Chicago Lawn residents have no health insurance and about 35% are on Medicaid. This makes it extremely difficult for this population to find quality, routine care.
“Our community is in great need of primary care that is accessible to all residents. This center will go a long way toward making that dream a reality. We at Holy Cross Hospital look forward to working with Chicago Family Health Center to improve the health of our community,” said Wayne M. Lerner, D.P.H., F.A.C.H.E, President and Chief Executive Officer, Holy Cross Hospital.
The Greater Southwest Development Corporation contributes to residential, commercial, and industrial revitalization efforts in Southwest Chicago. It works with investors, government entities, and local organizations to redevelop key business areas, generate new jobs, and stabilize the local housing market.
“Chicago Family Health Center is the bedrock for a healthier community,” said Nick Kollias, Commercial Director, Greater Southwest Development Corporation. “Its mission directly correlates with our own, which is to enhance the quality of life for the residents of Chicago’s Southwest Side which will be felt for years to come.”
