West Cook Coalition Selected to Receive Healthcare Transformation Funds from the Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Services

MELROSE PARK, IL – We are excited to announce that the West Cook Coalition (WCC) has been chosen to receive funding from the Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Services (HFS) for the State Fiscal Year 2023 cycle of the Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives program (HTC). HTC funding is awarded to collaboratives that have demonstrated innovative visions and equity-focused solutions in support of its goal to reimagine health care in Illinois.

The WCC is a group of collaborative entities dedicated to the health and well-being of the communities they serve. Led by Loyola Medicine, Pillars Community Health, and CareAdvisors, the WCC seeks to address the social vulnerabilities that impact the health inequities and poor health outcomes identified in 18 zip codes in west Cook County. WCC is grateful for the opportunity to advance to the next phase and work with HFS to determine the final funding amount. WCC's proposal requested funding to implement an enhanced care management model that supports high-risk, hard-to-reach, and rising risk Medicaid recipients and uninsured adults residing in these communities.

"It is critical that health inequities are addressed in the communities we serve," said Richard K. Freeman, MD, MBA, FACS, executive vice president and regional chief clinical officer for Loyola Medicine. "This funding will allow us to transform inequitable systems, provide caregivers with more tools and support and increase access to services among vulnerable populations. We are very grateful to Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Services, and we are eager to take this important step forward as part of the West Cook Coalition."

In addition to Loyola Medicine, Pillars Community Health and CareAdvisors acting as key partners, the coalition also includes community partners Healthcare Alternative Systems, Housing Forward, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Proviso Leyden Council for Community Action, Inc., Real Foods Collective, Access to Care, West Cook YMCA, AgeOptions, Beds Plus Care, Beyond Hunger, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Family Focus, Quinn Center of St. Eulalia, Maywood Medical-Legal Partnership (Loyola University Chicago School of Law), and Pav YMCA.

This funding will help the West Cook Coalition increase engagement and access to care for underserved community members, the majority of whom belong to racial and ethnic minority groups (Black/African American and Latinx). West suburban Cook County communities face a nexus of health disparities, including a greater population of uninsured individuals, lower life expectancy and higher mortality rates associated with common chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, notably higher COVID-19 infections and deaths as well as increased infant mortality rates. They also face significant disparities in mental health and substance use disorders. These inequities are shaped in large part by social determinants of health such as housing instability and food insecurity, which many west Cook County community members face.

“Joint care coordination and information sharing at a regional level among health care providers and community benefit organizations will greatly impact how we all move the needle on addressing social determinant of health," said Angela Curran, President and CEO of Pillars Community Health. "In addition, the Transformation Project funds provide us with support for our facility needs to expand access to our behavioral health services, and further develop specialty services such as Medication Assistance Recovery."

Begun in 2021, the Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives program aims to close gaps in health care services and eliminate the barriers to access and inequities that persist in Illinois' health care system. HTC, which includes support from federal matching funds, invests a total of up to $150 million annually in collaboratives HFS has chosen.

"I couldn't be happier to announce our next round of grantees with over $70 million in funding to close the healthcare gap," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Healthcare is a human right and every Illinoisan — regardless of their race, age, location, gender, ability, or socioeconomic status — deserves access to quality healthcare. I am proud that this investment does exactly that. Here's to a healthier and more equitable Illinois."

Grounded in six core strategies designed to transform the nature of health care access in west Cook County, the WCC's goals include connecting more community members with disease management programs, increased access to behavioral health services, improving housing stability and food security, and equipping members with the knowledge and support to achieve positive health outcomes through home-visiting programs.

For more information on Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives program, visit their website.