The Healthcare Council of Chicago sat down with the CEO of CommunityHealth to talk about access to health care.
Meghan Phillip, MBA and David Smith, co-hosts of the podcast from HC3 sponsored by Third Horizon Strategies, discussed our volunteer-based, no-cost business model with our Chief Executive Officer, Stephanie Willding, MPA.
“Until there is a solution that is universal for every single resident in Illinois, regardless of documentation status, there is a need for free and charitable clinics.”
Addressing the sustainability of the health care safety net, the conversation touched upon how our pillars of Partnership, Philanthropy, and Volunteerism are integral investments into funding just as much as dollars themselves.
In explaining what a free health center is as likened to a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), Steph elaborated upon the adaptability of CommunityHealth to step in and step up during crises, as exemplified with our mobile care units for the over 10,000 migrants currently seeking asylum in Chicago.
“When we do anything, the first question we ask ourselves is ‘What does the patient or the community need?’ The first question we do not ask ourselves is ‘Can I bill for it?'”
Learn more about what the health care industry can learn from free clinic leadership at Advancing Access to Health Care.
