West Side Advocates, Patients Unite to Urge Lawmakers to Protect 340B Care

WEST SIDE -- West Side health advocates and patients will unite Sunday, February 1, with community health centers, hospitals, and statewide partners to send a clear message to lawmakers: Illinois must act this spring to protect the 340B Drug Pricing Program.

The 340B Saves Lives Action Day: A Community Celebration will take place at 3401 W. Roosevelt Road, beginning with a press conference at 2:30 p.m. and followed by a public celebration from 3 to 4 p.m. Organized with the support of the Illinois Primary Health Care Association (IPHCA) and its allies, the event brings together “patients, advocates, legislators, [and] community leaders” from across the city and state.

For West Side neighborhoods, where community health centers and safety-net hospitals are often the front door to care, the stakes are especially high. According to the event’s media alert, “The 340B program allows eligible hospitals and community health centers to stretch limited resources, providing affordable medications and essential health care services to low-income, urban and rural uninsured patients.”

Those savings help clinics keep prescription costs down, expand services, and maintain access for families who might otherwise go without care. But organizers warn that “ongoing attacks to the discount drug program threaten patients’ access to care and could force providers to cut critical programs and services.”

Sunday’s rally is designed to highlight why legislative protections are needed now. The alert states plainly: “The future of 340B is at risk.” Without action, it adds, “patients lose access to affordable, lifesaving medications and safety net providers will be forced to close their doors.”

Speakers will include patients and leaders from some of the region’s most trusted providers, including Dr. James Brooks, CEO of Lawndale Christian Health Center; Mahomed Ouedraogo, CEO of Access Community Health Network; Dr. Lisa Green of Family Christian Health Center; and Dr. Ngozi Ezike, President and CEO of Sinai Chicago.

IPHCA represents community health centers across Illinois, many of them serving West Side neighborhoods. These clinics rely on 340B to remain accessible and responsive, particularly as economic pressures and policy uncertainty grow.

Advocates say the rally is about more than one program—it is about preserving the health care safety net that communities depend on every day. When clinics lose resources, appointments become harder to get, programs disappear, and families are left with fewer options.

As the Illinois General Assembly prepares for key debates this spring, West Side patients and providers are coming together to make sure their voices are heard. The event will feature rally signs, patient speakers, and opportunities for interviews and visuals, underscoring what is at stake.

Organizers hope lawmakers hear the message: protecting 340B means protecting access to care, stability for community providers, and the health of neighborhoods across Chicago and all of Illinois.