Newsroom Archives
Below are our archived newsposts, sorted by year. Click on the title to view the newspost. Click it again to close it.
2008
CommunityHealth Honored by the American Osteopathic Foundation
Communityhealth is honored to have been selected as the 2007 recipient of the AstraZeneca Award from the American Osteopathic Foundation (AOF). Executive Director Judy Haasis accepted this award at the AOF's Black Tie Honors Dinner and Awards Ceremony on September 30 in San Diego. More on this outstanding honor can be found in the Fall 2007 issue of Connections, the health center's bi-annual newsletter.
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2007
CommunityHealth and MedAccess Chicago Provide Free Medications to Chicago's Uninsured
In October 2007, thousands of uninsured, low-income Chicago families gained access to free prescription drugs with the launch of a new program.
The program, MedAccess Chicago, is the first in the city to secure bulk medications from drug companies and distribute them at no cost through community health clinics.
It promises to become a much-needed alternative, at least for some families, to the beleaguered Cook County health system, where patients often wait in line for hours to fill prescriptions.
In the first year, four companies will donate up to $7 million in medications for conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. They are Abbott Laboratories, AstraZeneca PLC, Merck & Co. and Novartis Pharmaceutical Corp.
The program is starting at two of the city's largest clinics for low-income patients, CommunityHealth and Erie Family Health Center. Together, the clinics serve more than 35,000 patients a year, more than half of whom are uninsured.
...continue reading about MedAccess Chicago in this Chicago Tribune article.
View photos from the recent MedAccess ribbon cutting and reception held October 11, 2007, at CommunityHealth.
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Crisis at Cook County Hospital
The Cook County budget cuts have precipitated a crisis for the uninsured poor and underserved, as Stroger (Cook County) Hospital has experienced severe cut backs in services several of the County’s community and school based clinics have been closed.
The County’s Neighborhood Referral Program, a free prescription drug program that benefited more than 600 of CommunityHealth's patients, was discontinued for a time but has been reinstated for now with reduced pharmacy hours. The IRIS referral program for specialty services was closed to community partners like CommunityHealth, effectively shutting down patient referrals (except for emergencies) to the hospital in April, but has now been restored for a three month period after which a final decision will be made.
Read the Chicago Tribune's full story on the drastic budget cuts here.
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Why Cook County Hospitals are Losing Millions
Cook County's three hospitals and 28 clinics often fail to collect payment for medical services--even when patients have insurance and qualify for government health plans, according to almost two dozen interviews with officials, doctors, nurses and other experts.
As a result, taxpayers are underwriting millions of dollars--perhaps tens of millions--in medical care annually for people who could contribute to the county's coffers instead of being a financial drain on the public health system.
Exactly how much money is at stake isn't clear, because no one at the Cook County Bureau of Health Services knows how many patients listed as uninsured in fact have coverage from Medicaid, Medicare or private insurers.
But in the last year alone, patient fees were $97 million less than projected, and $250 million in medical services weren't billed, according to estimates released last month.
Read the full Chicago Tribune story.
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2006
46 million Americans/1.8 million Illinois Residents Lack Health Insurance
As reported in an August 30, 2006 Chicago Sun-Times article, the most recent U.S. Census Bureau statistics are out... A record 46.6 million people in the United States -- nearly 16 percent -- live without medical insurance, including 1.8 million in Illinois, the U.S. Census said.
The ranks of people without health insurance are expanding in Illinois despite the state's efforts to provide medical coverage to more children and working families, explains a recent Chicago Tribune article.
Last year marked the fifth straight increase nationally in the number of individuals who lack health benefits. Meanwhile, medical expenses rose three times as fast as wages in 2005, researchers say.
Learn more about the most recent statistics on the uninsured in the full Sun-Times article which features CommunityHealth.
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Major Award to Enhance Cancer Screening at CommunityHealth
CommunityHealth has been awarded $300,000 as part of the $1.86 million settlement brokered by the Office of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan with the makers of the prostate cancer medication Lupron. CommunityHealth is one of 15 free clinics and four federally qualified health clinics across Illinois to receive funds through the settlement. The 19 grants ranging from $50,000 to $300,000 are earmarked to provide cancer related services to low-income patients.
“We are deeply grateful to the Illinois Attorney General for this tremendous vote of confidence in CommunityHealth and its programs,” announced Executive Director Judy Haasis. “It is documented that the uninsured live sicker and die younger. CommunityHealth is here to try to reverse this statistic by providing care and treatment before a condition becomes unmanageable or life-threatening.” Commenting further she stated, “Screening for cervical, breast, prostate, colorectal and skin cancer already are part of the comprehensive health care services available free to our patients. This award will not only help us sustain these critical efforts but significantly strengthen cancer detection, early intervention and educational initiatives at the health center.”
Learn more about the Lupron settlement and the vital role free clinics play in Illinois' health care system on the Office of the Illinois Attorney General Web site and in Executive Director Judith Haasis' testimony to the Illinois Department of Public Health's Adequate Health Care Task Force.
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New CommunityHealth Officers named
We're proud to announce the results of our recent Board of Directors election, and are pleased to welcome these new officers:
 | Arnie Widen, M.D., president. Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Dr. Widen was in private practice for 40 years. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a former president and executive director of The Institute of Medicine of Chicago. A Board member and volunteer physician at CommunityHealth since 1998, and an associate professor of internal medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, he also serves as the Medical Director for the Office of the Illinois Attorney General. |
 | Sally Benjamin Young, vice president. Sally has more than 20 years of experience managing award-winning health care marketing and communications programs for corporations, agencies and non-profit organizations. In 2000, PR Week magazine named her one of the nations top corporate health care public relations professionals. Sally joined the CommunityHealth Board in 2004 and recently became Vice President of Communications at Ovation Pharmaceuticals. |
 | Leo F. Voet, treasurer. Since joining the Board five years ago, Leo has headed the Board's Finance Committee. He became treasurer four years ago. A CPA, he has worked in the health care industry as a CFO for more than 30 years. |
 | Jill S. Schield, secretary. A Board member for nine years, Jill has been active on the Board's Operations, Strategic Planning and Development Committees. An expert in health insurance and issues relating to the uninsured, Jill is a Research Associate in Health Policy at Northwestern University's Institute for Healthcare Studies. |
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CommunityHealth Goes Global
Arnie Widen, M.D., president of the CommunityHealth Board of Directors, recently led a group of medical students on a medical mission to Nicaragua. "Without a doubt, the most distressing part of the trip was the realization that although we worked very hard and provided care to hundreds of people, we had only seen a tiny fraction of the huge population in need," Dr. Widen commented upon his return. Read more from his personal account of the trip.
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Free Clinics in Illinois: A Vital Part of the Safety Net
2005
Caring for Cardiac Patients
Heart disease affects many of CommunityHealth’s patients. The cardiology services that the health center offers on site are vital to helping those with heart disease, as well as identifying those at risk for developing heart problems.
For the past four years, Dr. Pablo Denes, a cardiologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, has been the volunteer physician directing these efforts. Since September 2005, thanks to Dr. Denes, the health center has been able to send select patients to Northwestern Memorial for stress echocardiograms and Doppler tests. The tests and the physician time are provided for free, the result of an arrangement Dr. Denes established between CommunityHealth, Northwestern Memorial and the Northwestern Memorial Faculty Foundation.
“I am gratified to have been able to make this happen,” Dr. Denes stated. “All of us must work together to address the disparities in access to care that are so prevalent in our community and across the nation.”
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Sam Lederman Makes CommunityHealth History
In 2005, Sam Lederman’s gift to the CommunityHealth Spirit of Caring Capital Campaign became the largest single gift in the organization’s 12-year history.
Sam first became involved with CommunityHealth through his friendship with Dr. Arnie Widen, a long-time volunteer physician and current president of the board of directors. Recognizing that CommunityHealth plays a vital role in the lives of thousands of men and women, Sam has annually supported the organization through our year-end appeals and fundraising events.
Commenting on his decision to present a gift to the Spirit of Caring Capital Campaign, Sam stated: “Through my involvement with CommunityHealth over the years, I learned that more than 1.3 million uninsured individuals live in the Chicago area. My hope is that this contribution, along with the generosity of countless others, will make a difference for those in need.”
Learn more about how you can contribute to CommunityHealth in our Giving section.
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