NorthShore Strenghtens Communities through Multi-Million Dollar Investments

NorthShore University HealthSystem (NorthShore) announces investments in Community Benefit programs totaling more than $252 million in 2014 - 2015. NorthShore has helped develop new programs designed to address the needs of the underserved, including NorthShore’s Medical Assistance Program and The Perinatal Depression Program. Investing in clinical research is also a priority demonstrating NorthShore’s commitment to helping create healthier communities.

“Through community needs assessment, we strive to identify, prioritize and deliver resources to serve a wide range of unmet health needs,” said Mark Neaman, President and Chief Executive Officer of NorthShore. “We meet these needs through impactful partnerships, financial investments, and employee efforts, as part of our ongoing mission to preserve and improve human life.”

To view the detailed 2014 - 2015 NorthShore University HeathSystem Community Benefits Report visit: www.northshore.org/community2015.

Among NorthShore’s many community initiatives:

• Evanston Hospital’s Perinatal Family Support Center and comprehensive Dental Center provide free and discounted care to adults without private health insurance. NorthShore is also a partner in creating the school-based health center at Evanston Township High School that provides free care to all students whose parents register them. The center received nearly 3,000 student visits in 2014-2015.
• Glenview Hospital’s Family Care Center offers free back-to-back school sport screenings to middle school students from Glenview District 34.
• Highland Park Hospital provides parental care to primarily Spanish-speaking underserved women through its Family Medicine department. The hospital is also a partner in the Be Well-Lake County diabetes management program for underserved patients, where more than 8 percent of the adult population have diabetes. “Be Well” has benefitted more than 850 patients since the program began in 2009.
• Skokie Hospital’s support of Turning Point Behavioral Health Care Center’s “The Living Room Project” - a first-of-its-kind, innovative psychiatric respite care program. The project helps decrease emergency room visits and lowers costs associated with outpatient and preventative care.

Additionally, NorthShore continues to identify ways to reduce its environmental footprint. In 2014-2015, NorthShore segregated 59,000 pounds of pharmaceutical waste from its operating rooms and patient  departments. The waste was destroyed in an environmentally responsible manner to help keep pharmaceuticals out of lakes, streams and drinking water. NorthShore also collected, distilled and reused 2,200 pounds of volatile solvents generated from laboratory operations.

About NorthShore University HealthSystem

Headquartered in Evanston, Illinois, NorthShore University HealthSystem (NorthShore) is a comprehensive, fully integrated, healthcare delivery system that serves the Chicago region. The system includes four hospitals in Evanston, Glenview, Highland Park and Skokie. NorthShore employs approximately 10,000 staff and has 2,400 affiliated physicians, including a 900-physician, multispecialty group practice with 100 office locations. Further, NorthShore supports teaching and research as the principal teaching affiliate for the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. For more information, go to www.northshore.org.