Greater Family Health Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Greater Family Health, one of Northwest Chicago’s fastest-growing health centers, recently celebrated its 20-Year Anniversary, marking a milestone in serving as a medical home to thousands of families throughout northwest suburban Illinois.

“Providing both well and sick care is the hallmark of who we are because we don’t want families to wait until they are sick to get care” said Bob Tanner, President and CEO of Greater Family Health. “We’re proud to make care accessible and affordable to all families. We’re active in our communities and encourage families to make appointments for medical, dental and behavioral health care.”

Unlike a traditional doctor’s office, Greater Family Health offers care management for all patients (including those who are HIV positive). Navigating the healthcare system can be complicated, so patients can meet with one of the center's care managers who can help secure additional specialty services, depending on the patient’s treatment plan.

Care managers also make sure that patients schedule follow-up visits at the end of their initial appointment, such as signing up for a diabetes or prenatal class. Also, if a woman is pregnant, breastfeeding, has an infant or a child under five, and is working with a limited income or has no income and needs help providing food for her family, a care manager can also help enroll them in WIC (Women, Infants and Children Program), a federal nutrition program.

Patients can also access an on-site laboratory in each of Greater Family Health's nine locations. Serving a diverse population, over three-quarters of Greater Family Health team members are bilingual and speak many different languages. The clinic also reimburses patients for the travel cost of getting to-and-from their appointments.

If a patient doesn’t have insurance or is underinsured, they may also qualify for a sliding fee discount program. This program is available to any patient whose income is under 200% of the Federal Poverty guidelines, based on reported income and family size. Greater Family Health also participates in the federal 340B Drug Discount Program, allowing them to purchase medications from partner pharmacies at a discount for patients.

Health Benefits Specialists are also available to help patients apply for health benefits they are eligible for, year-round while also helping patients figure out which plan is right for them and their families.

With nine locations across Illinois, below are a few more highlights of how Greater Family Health has been able to impact the communities it serves:

• Increasing access to transportation: Provide transportation assistance and reimbursement. All locations are also on bus routes.
• Serving diverse communities: The health centers serve people of many different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Providers and staff are trained to be respectful and sensitive to each patient’s cultural backgrounds and beliefs. Registration forms do not ask for immigration status.
• Helping low-income families get the care they need: Many families don’t have access to affordable, high-quality health care and have waited until they are very sick to seek care. Most of the time, they would end up going to the emergency room as a last resort, often with a very large bill in the end. With Greater Family Health, they have access to affordable, high quality care so they can keep up with their health and help prevent future problems.

To learn more about Greater Family Health’s history, please watch a video HERE.