SJ0032 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0032 LRB096 11288 KXB 21716 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, CommunityHealth was founded in 1993 by Serafino Garella, M.D., a board-certified Internist and Nephrologist, as a direct response to the Chicago metro area community's lack of access to reliable health care; and

WHEREAS, CommunityHealth operates an innovative model supported by volunteerism and philanthropy, guiding it to be the leader that defines excellence in delivering comprehensive, patient-centered health care at no cost to low-income, uninsured individuals and families in need of a medical home; and

WHEREAS, CommunityHealth is dedicated to serving the uninsured and underserved in Chicago and surrounding communities, it has provided since its founding upwards of 170,000 medical and education visits for more than 30,000 uninsured men, women, and children; today, CommunityHealth provides medical and educational visits for more than 7,000 patients a year; and

WHEREAS, With more than 650 volunteers, including 285 physicians from Chicago's leading health care institutions, CommunityHealth represents a grassroots response to the needs of the uninsured; in 2008, its volunteers donated more than 42,000 hours of time; its innovative relationships with eight Chicagoland medical schools and residency programs have established CommunityHealth as an important medical-training center; and

WHEREAS, Of the 1.3 million uninsured who live in the Chicago metro area, like the vast majority of the uninsured, most of CommunityHealth's patients are from working families; specifically, 80% come from working families, all lack health insurance, all are living at or below 250% of the federal poverty level, 43% present one or more chronic health conditions, many are new immigrants and don't speak English, and several patients travel great distances to receive CommunityHealth's free care; and

WHEREAS, In the beginning the storefront clinic was open just a few hours per week, today after demand for services ballooned and the number of healthcare volunteers grew, CommunityHealth operates a clinic six days a week, including four evenings and Saturdays, providing a broad range of primary and specialty care, as well as education, health promotion and case management services; all examinations, lab services and medications are free; and

WHEREAS, Thanks to a successful capital campaign, CommunityHealth owns the building that houses its clinic at 2611 W. Chicago Avenue, which in 2005 was renamed the Lederman Family Health Center after CommunityHealth's friend and benefactor Sam Lederman; and

WHEREAS, CommunityHealth is also committed to being a voice for the uninsured and collaborates with local and national organizations that address the growing crisis of the uninsured; through these efforts, it hopes to improve access to quality affordable health care; and

WHEREAS, CommunityHealth operates almost entirely dependent upon the private sector for support, with gifts and grants from individuals, foundations, and corporations accounting for more than 90% of our revenues; and

WHEREAS, CommunityHealth, through its comprehensive patient services and many institutional affiliations, has become a leader among free clinics nationwide; it offers an innovative model for providing compassionate and comprehensive medical care to the uninsured, and is the largest volunteer-staffed free medical facility in Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that we applaud and honor CommunityHealth in its more than fifteen years of dedicated service to meeting the needs of the uninsured in Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the Department of Public Health, in cooperation with the Departments of Healthcare and Family Services and Human Services, to identify public-private collaborative opportunities with CommunityHealth to continue its mission to serving the uninsured; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Department of Public Health shall issue a report of identified collaborative opportunities to the Governor and General Assembly, as well as copies of the report sent to Directors of the Departments of Healthcare and Family Services and Human Services, no later than January 2, 2010; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be delivered to the Governor, the Directors of the Departments of Public Health and Healthcare and Family Services, and to the Secretary of Human Services; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to CommunityHealth as a symbol of our respect and esteem.