Serving the CommunityPatrick M. Magoon Institute for Healthy Communities Linking Clinic and Community
Linking Clinic and Community
How Lurie Children’s is Expanding Access to Care
At Lurie Children's, we believe that every child deserves access to high-quality healthcare. We work toward this through the following community-clinic collaborations:
Mobile Health Program
Our Mobile Health unit is a fully equipped, 38-foot vehicle staffed by experienced pediatric professionals from Lurie Children's. It visits Chicago Public Schools and other community partners, providing families with high quality, comprehensive services from Lurie Children’s physicians and allied health professionals closer to home.
In August 2023, the Mobile Health program unveiled a new, state-of-the-art unit equipped with running water, bathroom facilities, a wheelchair ramp, internet access, multiple clinic rooms and other enhanced features. The larger mobile unit allows providers to serve more patients and increase the type of clinical services offered. Renowned artist Rafael Lopez created the exterior design of the unit to reflect what community means to the youth of Chicago after meetings with Lurie Children’s patients and workforce development programs.
The new mobile health unit was funded through the Congressionally Directed Spending program with Senator Durbin’s leadership. Lurie Children’s mobile health program is generously supported by ALDI, Dorothea Berggren Charitable Foundation, CVS Health, Fifth Third Bank, Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Andy and Nancy Mills, Vivo Foundation and the Chicago Department of Public Health.
Through the Mobile Health program, Lurie Children’s also collaborates with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in Chicago’s underserved neighborhoods, enhancing their ability to care for children locally. Together, we offer telehealth services, care coordination, and training for FQHC staff, helping them to provide specialized care and keep children healthy in their communities.
Learn more about our Mobile Health services
Chicago Youth Programs
For over 30 years, Lurie Children’s has partnered with Chicago Youth Programs to improve health and life outcomes for at-risk youth. CYP’s comprehensive model combines healthcare with mentorship, tutoring, leadership development, and recreation. Youth receive individualized support, such as weekly one-on-one tutoring and long-term mentoring through college.
The result? A 33-year follow-up revealed that Chicago Youth Program alumni graduated college at twice the rate of their peers who did not participate. Alumni were also more likely to save money at the end of the month and report a better standard of living than their parents.
All Hands Health Network
In 2019, Lurie Children’s was one of only eight recipients nationwide to receive funding from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to develop Integrated Care for Kids, a new model of care that aims to improve health outcomes and reduce costs of care for children covered by Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). In partnership with the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) and community-based organizations, Lurie Children’s launched the All Hands Health Network (AHHN) in January 2022. The AHHN is a socially and clinically integrated network that aims to serve up to 43,000 children and their families living in the Belmont Cragin and Austin neighborhoods of Chicago. The network brings together local pediatricians, specialists, behavioral health providers and community organizations to address the medical and social needs of children and their families.