July is a special month for Greater Family Health – we’re marking our 20th-anniversary of being a medical home to thousands of families from throughout northwest suburban Illinois. For two decades now, we’ve encouraged patients to receive their health care from our award-winning locations.
“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” says 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 is complicated, so that’s why our care managers are here to help. For example, a patient can meet with one of our care managers who can help secure additional specialty care services, depending on the patient’s treatment plan. (Learn more about the community agencies we partner with.)
Care managers also make sure patients schedule follow-up visits at the end of their initial appointment. In addition, care managers can help get patients sign up for our diabetes and prenatal class. Also, if a woman is pregnant, breastfeeding, has an infant or a child under five, and are working with a limited income or have no income and need help providing food for their family, a care manager can also help enroll them in WIC (Women, Infants and Children Program), which is a federal nutrition program.
Each of Greater Family Health’s nine locations fosters a warm, welcoming environment. In addition, patients can also access our on-site laboratories in each of our locations. Because we serve such a diverse population, over three-quarters of Greater Family Health team members are bilingual and speak many different languages. We also reimburse patients for the travel cost of getting to-and-from their appointments.
If a patient doesn’t have insurance or is underinsured, they may qualify for our sliding fee discount program. As a Community Health Center, we offer a sliding fee discount program to all patients whose income is under 200% of the Federal Poverty guidelines, based on reported income and family size. We also participate in the federal 340B Drug Discount Program, which allows us to purchase medications from partner pharmacies at a discount for our patients.
In addition, our Health Benefits Specialists help patients apply for health benefits they are eligible for, year-round. We also help patients figure out which plan is right for them and their families.
With nine locations across Illinois, here are a few more highlights of how Greater Family Health has been able to impact our communities positively:
- Increasing access to transportation: Providing transportation assistance and reimbursement has been life-changing for our patients. Additionally, all of our locations are on bus routes.
- Serving diverse communities: Our health centers serve people of many different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. All of our providers and staff are trained to be respectful and sensitive to each of our patient’s cultural backgrounds and beliefs. Our registration forms do not ask for immigration status.
- Helping low-income families get the care they need: Many families in the communities we serve 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 care, care that meets the highest quality standards, so they can keep up with their care and help prevent future health problems.
To learn more about Greater Family Health’s history, please watch our video.
