About Us

Mission statement: Through an innovative model supported by volunteerism and philanthropy, CommunityHealth will be the leader that defines excellence in delivering comprehensive, patient-centered health care at no cost to low-income, uninsured individuals and families in need of a medical home.

CommunityHealth is dedicated to serving the uninsured and underserved in Chicago and surrounding communities. Since our founding in 1993, CommunityHealth has provided upwards of 170,000 medical and education visits to more than 30,000 uninsured men, women and children. Today, CommunityHealth provides medical and educational visits for approximately 7,000 patients a year.

With our comprehensive patient services and many institutional affiliations, CommunityHealth is a leader among free clinics nationwide. We offer an innovative model for providing compassionate and comprehensive medical care to the uninsured, and are the largest volunteer-staffed free medical facility in Illinois.

>>Want to register to become a CommunityHealth patient? Click here.

What We Do

The health center operates six days a week, including four evenings and Saturdays. We provide a broad range of primary and specialty care, as well as education, health promotion and case management services. All examinations, lab services and medications are free. Learn more about our programs and services.

We are also committed to being a voice for the uninsured and so collaborate with local and national organizations that address the growing crisis of the uninsured. Together, we hope to improve access to quality, affordable health care. Learn about our advocacy in action.

Who We Are

With more than 650 volunteers, including 285 physicians from Chicago's leading health care institutions, CommunityHealth represents a grassroots response to the needs of the uninsured. In 2008, our volunteers donated more than 42,000 hours of their time.

What's more, our relationships with nine local medical schools and residency programs have established CommunityHealth as an important medical-training center.

Who We Serve

More than 1.8 million Illinois residents are without adequate health coverage, and 1.3 million of those live in the Chicago metro area. Like the vast majority of the uninsured, most of CommunityHealth's patients are from working families.

A snapshot of our patients:

• 80% come from working families.
• All lack health insurance coverage.
• All are living at or below 250% of the federal poverty level.
• 43% present with one or more chronic health conditions.
• Many are new immigrants and don't speak English.
• Several travel great distances to receive free care.

Learn more about the crisis of the uninsured.

How We Operate

CommunityHealth is almost entirely dependent upon the private sector for support, with gifts and grants from individuals, foundations and corporations accounting for more than 90% of our revenues. Learn more about our funding and how you can become a supporter in our Giving section.