“You become what you believe.” – Oprah Winfrey

For over 60 years,  Near North Health has been working to make sure every person, in every Chicago zip code, has access to healthcare that’s innovative, affordable, and easily accessible in their neighborhood.

At each of our healthcare centers, we’ve been setting a new standard of care in our city: care that is sensitive and culturally competent, delivered to patients with respect and dignity.

One that makes our patients feel like Mary*, who says:

“I love how my doctor welcomed me with open arms. She took her time to listen to all of my concerts and explain things to me in an understanding manner. She made me feel heard and seen.”

We believe everyone deserves to feel heard and seen. And we believe it’s possible to create a Chicago in which every single one of us is treated like an essential part of our community, worthy of honor, respect, and care.

Oprah once famously said, “You become what you believe.” We couldn’t agree more. We are big believers that whether an individual or an organization, our beliefs shape our behavior – how we move and act in the world, what we do on a daily basis, what we create. 

Everything we do at Near North Health stems from what we believe. Here are a few of the beliefs that drive us, and the impact they’ve helped us have on the city of Chicago.

But for too many of our friends, neighbors, and family members, dignity is far from guaranteed. The daily tasks many of us take for granted – like being able to purchase and make good food for ourselves, attend school or use public transportation, or get compassionate medical care when we need it – are out of reach for many Chicagoans. We call these neighborhoods where resources are scarce Dignity Deserts. Because when daily life is littered with relentless struggle, it’s easy to lose your sense of dignity.

So in the 1960s, NNH was founded to answer the urgent need for accessible, dignity-grounded healthcare, on Chicago’s Near North Side. Dedicated community activists collaborated with two existing healthcare programs -one by Children’s Memorial Hospital to serve children and one by Northwestern Memorial Hospital to serve adults. Together, they created a broader vision for what health really means to Chicago’s under-resourced families. A vision that could help restore dignity where it had been lost.

And that good health goes beyond treating illness and responding to emergencies to actively help communities build empowered, nourished, and joyful lives. We believe in bringing our best to every patient, every day. That means the best technology, options, and wellness opportunities we can provide them. It means patient-centered care that makes sure the patient is always informed, always believed, and always invited to collaborate in the care they receive. 

It means caring for our staff with the same attention and empathy that we do our patients, empowering them with education, professional development, and benefits that help meet their needs. It means we never stop looking for ways to be more efficient, more effective, and simply more here for the people we serve. 

That was a part of our vision from the moment we opened our doors, and that vision has continued to grow along with us. Patients who had experienced the dignity-granting power of truly attentive care became valued members of our board, staff, and community initiative teams. NNH is truly for the community, by the community, and a majority of our employees and volunteers live in the neighborhoods we serve. This connection to the very real systemic issues our communities are facing has allowed us to create a healthcare movement built on empathy. One with the ability to respond to the actual, present, and pressing needs of the people we serve.

When we listened to our community, we learned that their needs didn’t stop at medical care. They needed mental health support to navigate the very real challenges of oppression, scarcity, and racism. They needed access to fresh food, and creative solutions for how to budget and prepare it well. They needed support for kids and new mothers complete with community events that help them build the sense of “village” they say it takes to raise little ones.

As we look back on over 50 years of service to Chicago’s neighborhoods, we’re proud of the way we’ve responded to these needs. NNH became a Federally Qualified Health Center in 1982, and throughout the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, we opened new healthcare centers in the south, north, and west sides of the city, increasing accessibility for seniors, families, and folks of all abilities to transformational, holistic healthcare. We’re proud of the Chicagoans who have built the NNH healthcenters, mental health care resources, women and children’s support, community gardens, recipe books, and events that create connection, friendship, and joy. 

We’re proud of the trust we’ve earned – and we work every day to keep it.

And that belief is changing Chicago. In 2023 alone, 26,128 Chicagoans visited our health centers for care 93,187 times. Every year, more individuals and families get access to health, wellness, connection, and community resources that help restore more and more of their dignity. 

And the vision continues to grow. With the help of partners, patients, community members, and allies, we’re expanding the NNH culture of compassion, empowerment, and care that truly listens to more of our neighbors every day. 

Neighbors like Carl*, who says: “My doctor took the time to explain my disease to me. I could hear her concern for my well-being. She said ‘I want to see you live to your 70s and 80s.’ That hit me hard. I left the office a totally different person, now armed with information.”

Neighbors like Anissa*, who says: “They are always pleasant, friendly, and treat you like they care and like you matter.”

These comments, and the value and dignity they convey, are what keeps us going. What keeps us innovating and creating. What keeps us showing up to tend, to educate, to help, and to provide care. What keeps us motivated to build the kind of Chicago we believe in, a Chicago where the quality of life is better…for everyone. 

*names have been changed to protect patient privacy