Erie Family Health Center receives $4 million federal grant to build new facility in Waukegan 

 CHICAGO – May 1, 2012 – A provider of high quality health services to underserved communities, Erie Family Health Center received a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to build a new health center in Waukegan, Ill. Provided through the Affordable Care Act to help build, expand and improve community health centers nationwide, the award is the largest granted to an Illinois institution.

The new community center, to be located in Waukegan and scheduled to open in 2014, will be Erie’s 12th health care center and the first outside of Chicago. Providing medical, specialty care, dental, mental health and pharmacy services, the new center, like Erie’s other health care centers, will be a portal to care and a higher quality of life for community residents, regardless of their ability to pay.

Erie prides itself on providing culturally sensitive health care to approximately 37,500 patients every year at 11 centers on Chicago’s West and Northwest Sides.

“There is a great need for affordable health care in Waukegan and the surrounding area and this award enables us to expand our reach,” said Lee Francis, M.D., President and CEO of Erie Family Health Center. “The low-income population in the Greater Waukegan Area is growing, yet nearly half of them do not have access to health care. We look forward to being able to serve patients and provide them with the high-quality care that they want and need.”

Once the site is at full capacity, Erie estimates the new center will provide care for more than 13,000 patients through more than 44,000 annual patient visits. The site will provide primary medical care for patients, including prenatal care, pediatrics, women’s health and adult medicine, as well as chronic disease management and dental care.

About Erie Family Health Center
Founded in 1957, Erie Family Health Center’s mission is to provide accessible, affordable, high quality health care to those in need. Erie provides primary care medical services including: pediatrics, internal medicine, family medicine, women’s health and podiatry to approximately 37,500 low-income Chicagoans each year at eleven health center locations. Erie also provides HIV/AIDS care, behavioral health counseling, case management services, health education, oral health services, and eye care. For more information on Erie Family Health Center call 312-432-7414 or visit www.eriefamilyhealth.org.

Media Contact

Sarah Dietze, PCI

312-558-1770,

On Thursday, April 12, we held the official Grand Opening ceremony for the renovated Humboldt Park Center and had the formal debut of our Family Practice Residency Program. We heard from award recipients Northwestern Medicine, Norwegian American Hospital, Feinberg School of Medicine- Northwestern University in the first half of the night. Then, Congressman, Danny K. Davis pleasantly surprised us with his arrival and spoke about the impact of our health centers.

Video from the event

Erie Family Health Center unveils first
community health residency in state!

Appeared in Crains Chicago on April 13, 2012

A $1.8 million grant from Northwestern Memorial Hospital has helped launch the first community health residency for new doctors in Illinois, according to a news release. The program includes the Streeterville-based hospital and two health care providers in Humboldt Park: Norwegian American Hospital and Erie Family Health Center. Started in 2010, the program now has 24 residents. In 2011, it was designated as a federal Teaching Health Center, one of 11 in the country, receiving a $300,000 grant, according to a news release issued at the time by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.