Every day nearly 2,000 people arrive at Cook County Health in need of care.
What they all have in common is that they are sick or injured and need quality care. Many have few, if any, financial resources. Cook County Health’s clinics and hospitals are the only health care services that welcome everyone regardless of their ability to pay. Over 80% are from communities of color.
Cook County Health Foundation believes that every resident of Cook County deserves the opportunity to be healthy.
Founded in 2011, the Foundation is committed to making quality and responsive health care accessible to all. Every patient, wherever they are from, whatever their need and regardless of their ability to pay, deserves to be treated with respect and dignity and to receive the best care, when they need it.
We partner with Cook County Health to Make that a Reality.
The need is greater than many realize. Of the more than 300,000 patients cared for by Cook County Health each year, more than 45% are uninsured. The public health system provides more than 55% of the charity care delivered to those in need in the Chicago metro area.
Only 3% of the health system’s budget is supported through County taxpayer dollars.
The need for private support to help sustain and expand high quality, accessible care is great. Data show that communities of color have lower life expectancies and higher incidence of chronic disease, such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and heart disease, than their neighbors in more affluent communities. These are the very people who rely on our public health system.
Cook County Health Foundation raises funds to support innovative initiatives, capital equipment needs and education, working to help Cook County Health build on its legacy of innovation and excellence in care while addressing health equity in our County.
Primary funding for the Foundation and Cook County Health is raised through the annual Gala. Over the past five years, the Gala has raised more than $2 million to support health services.
Past funding investments included support for:
- Cook County Health’s well-regarded Trauma Center and Burn Unit
- Critical behavioral health and substance use disorder services to help those with addictions move toward recovery
- Toys, books and amenities for the new Women’s and Children’s Center at Stroger Hospital
- Cardiac Care and Diabetes Management
- COVID 19 Prevention and Care
Please support the Foundation in its efforts to assure that every person in Cook County has the opportunity to be healthy.
