Advocate Health Care unveiled plans this week to spend $1 billion to improve healthcare services on Chicago's South Side, including building a brand-new hospital, 10 neighborhood care locations, expanded outpatient programs and services and workforce development initiatives.
The hefty investment will help expand access to primary care, specialty care and wellness services on the South Side of Chicago. The health system called it "one of the largest, long-term community-focused health care investments in the nation."
With the investment, Advocate aims to "close the 30-year life expectancy gap between individuals who reside on the South Side, and those residing and living longer on the North Side."
"The health disparity gap the South Side communities face keeps me up at night, and I am proud of the commitment Advocate Health Care is making to change that for generations to come,” said Dia Nichols, president of Advocate Health Care, who oversees operations in Illinois. “I am passionate about everyone getting the care they need—equitable care.”
South Side residents face stark health inequities—84% of hospitalized South Side residents have one or more chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, congestive heart failure, mental health needs, substance use issues or renal failure, according to data from the 2019 South Side Resident Adult Inpatient Encounters by Comorbidity Count. There are four times as many diabetes-related deaths on the South Side than on the North Side, according to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Advocate, the largest health system in Illinois, said the $1 billion investment plan was developed with extensive community input throughout 2024, which included more than 20 listening sessions and engaged hundreds of South Side residents.
"During these sessions, participants shared ideas and suggestions for improving access to outpatient and specialty care, using technology to improve care, providing robust health education and support for chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, and building a state-of-the-art hospital to modernize inpatient care," health system executives said in a press release.
The model is designed to get at the heart of chronic disease and wellness by providing greater access to "extensive prevention, health management tools and education designed to help South Side residents live their healthiest lives,” said Michelle Blakely, Ph.D., president of Advocate Trinity Hospital.
“We need to provide the community with the necessary resources to stay well—where we live, work, play and worship—and that takes a comprehensive plan," Blakely said.
"Advocate Health Care’s historic $1 billion investment in the South Side represents more than a commitment to health care—it’s a promise to the people of Chicago,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson in a statement. “This visionary initiative, rooted in the voices and ideas of South Side residents, takes direct aim at the systemic inequities that have persisted for generations. By expanding access to quality care, addressing chronic illnesses, and fostering sustainable job opportunities, this investment will not only enhance health outcomes but also empower and uplift entire communities.”
The cornerstone of this investment will be a new state-of-the-art hospital at the former U.S. Steel South Works site near the lakefront that will replace the current Advocate Trinity Hospital building, which is more than 115 years old. The new hospital comes with a $300 million price tag.
Advocate has an agreement to purchase 23 acres of land where it plans to build a 52-bed hospital with 36 medical surgery beds, four ICU beds, eight dedicated observation beds, a four-bed dialysis unit and an emergency room with 16 beds/bays. The new hospital will have a cardiac catheterization lab, an enhanced emergency department and leading-edge diagnostic testing and imaging, including new services like robotic surgical procedures.
For decades, South Side communities have had to live with the effects of disproportionately high levels of pollution and inadequate green space. The new hospital will be LEED-certified and carbon-neutral, a leader in environmental sustainability, executives said.
Advocate plans to turn the currently vacant property into a state-of-the-art healing environment with green spaces and access to surrounding parks and the lake. The current Advocate Trinity Hospital on 93rd Street will continue serving patients until the new hospital is built. Once the new hospital is open, Advocate will demolish the site and create green space.
More than $500 million of the $1 billion investment is devoted to expanding outpatient care and embedding it in the community. Advocate plans to establish 10 Neighborhood Care locations that will virtually connect patients to Advocate providers in familiar places such as churches, community centers and more. These care centers will be designed to handle everyday health services like treating the flu, common cold, asthma, sore throat, yearly physicals, lab testing, chronic disease management, contraception and medication refills, executives said in the press release.
The first one is opening in the coming months at the South Side YMCA, and another two will open by next year.
The health system also will expand the Imani Village outpatient clinic to add immediate care with more doctors, more services, more appointments and shorter waiting times. Further, it plans to add a mobile medicine vehicle that will provide primary care access at sites across the community.
These expanded services and new neighborhood care centers are expected to add 85,000 new appointments annually, making it easier to access both primary care and specialists.
Increasing access to primary care can positively impact the community by reducing the burden of chronic diseases that are the primary contributors to lower life expectancy, research shows.
Advocate epidemiologists and researchers reviewed two years of data for a group of patients who were served in a facility located on the South Side of Chicago. Patients who visited primary care had better clinical utilization, fewer new chronic disease diagnoses and better managed chronic disease during the following year as compared to patients who had not visited primary care.
The research found patients who visited primary care during Year 1 were 14% less likely to be hospitalized during Year 2. Among these patients, research also showed a 33% decrease in uncontrolled diabetes, a 24% decrease in uncontrolled high cholesterol and a 21% decrease in uncontrolled hypertension, and patients were 23% less likely to have avoidable emergency department visits.
More than $200 million will be invested in hospital and outpatient programs and services, expanding management of chronic disease and addressing social factors that affect health such as access to healthy food, housing, transportation and prescriptions.
Advocate plans to expand access to pharmacy services with free prescription programs for patients in need and medication home delivery for patients with limited access to a retail pharmacy. The health system also is piloting pharmacy kiosks at select locations to increase access to over-the-counter and prescription medications.
Advocate plans to grow its Food Farmacy program that distributes fresh produce and healthy staples to patients and will greatly expand access to pre- and postnatal care by adding 5,000 annual OB-GYN visits. The health system also is investing in wraparound services that address the entire pregnancy journey, including patient navigation, education, medication, connection to midwives and social workers.
As another part of the investment, Advocate will spend $25 million on workforce development. In addition to keeping every one of its teammates currently working in the South Side, the health system said it is committed to hiring more than 1,000 new teammates within the next three years in a variety of roles and levels of expertise.
“The monumental investment Advocate Health Care is making on the South Side of Chicago will expand access to world-class health care and represents a critical step towards advancing equity – serving as a powerful reminder of what’s possible when we prioritize the health and well-being of our communities,” said Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker in a statement. “In addition to expanding access to state-of-the-art health care facilities, this investment will also expand workforce opportunities in the region. I commend Advocate Health Care’s commitment to create a brighter future for the community and thank everyone involved in making this vision a reality.”
Advocate serves patients across 11 hospitals, including two children’s campuses, and more than 250 sites of care. It's part of Advocate Health, the country's third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system, which was formed through a megamerger of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health in 2022.