Cook County Health • System News • November 2025

November 2025

Dear Cook County Health friends and partners,

As we gather to celebrate Thanksgiving, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude on behalf of Cook County Health. Your steadfast partnership, advocacy, and trust make it possible for us to advance health equity, expand access to care, and support the well-being of the communities we collectively serve.

Looking ahead, strong relationships and collaboration will be more important than ever. As we face an erosion of federal support for key health and social service programs, our shared commitment will be essential to protecting the health of Cook County residents and ensuring that vital services remain accessible. Together, we can continue to advocate for the resources our communities deserve and find innovative ways to meet their needs.

I am deeply thankful for your commitment and continue to be inspired by the work we accomplish together.

Wishing you a warm, safe, and joyful Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,

Dr. Erik Mikaitis

Chief Executive Officer

Cook County Health

Cook County Health Opens New $1.5 Million Pediatric Dental Clinic in Belmont Cragin

On November 6, Cook County Health (CCH) joined local leaders to cut the ribbon on the opening of a new pediatric dental clinic at its Belmont Cragin Health Center, expanding access to essential oral health care for children on Chicago’s Northwest Side.

The new clinic, a $1.5 million investment, is part of Cook County Health’s ongoing effort to integrate dental services across its health system and increase access to care.

The Belmont Cragin pediatric dental clinic will offer a full range of preventive and restorative dental services, including cleanings, exams, X-rays, and minor surgical procedures. It is now open for appointments at the Belmont Cragin Health Center, located at 5501 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago, IL 60639.

Learn more: https://cookcountyhealth.org/press-release/cook-county-health-opens-new-1-5-million-pediatric-dental-clinic-in-belmont-cragin/.

UIC, UI Health and Cook County Health Announce Enhanced Partnership Amidst Changing Health Care Landscape

The University of Illinois College of Medicine and Cook County Health, one of the largest public health systems in the country, have expanded their multi-faceted collaborative partnership that began in 2021. This new agreement galvanizes the collective expertise across clinical care teams, medical education, and research from Cook County Health, the University of Illinois Chicago and UI Health, the university’s academic health enterprise, to meet the needs of patients and communities.

At a time when the health care landscape is increasingly uncertain and rapidly evolving due to federal budget cuts and policy shifts, collaborations between public institutions like UIC. and Cook County Health are more important than ever. By aligning missions, sharing expertise and maximizing resources, these partnerships strengthen the health care safety net and ensure patients continue to receive high-quality, accessible care regardless of their income or insurance status.

The collaboration will focus on clinical care, research, and medical education. This new partnership builds on a successful collaboration for shared services between UI Health and Cook County Health. In November 2021, the two institutions formed their Partnership for Pediatric Care.

Learn more: https://cookcountyhealth.org/press-release/uic-ui-health-and-cook-county-health-announce-enhanced-partnership-amidst-changing-health-care-landscape/.

National Diabetes Month

November is recognized as Diabetes Awareness Month, a time dedicated to shining a light on one of the most common chronic conditions affecting millions of Americans. It’s a month of education, prevention, and empowerment — reminding communities that diabetes doesn’t have to define a person’s life.

Cook County Health, through its Division of Endocrinology, offers comprehensive diabetes care and prevention programs through various healthcare initiatives and specialized services aimed at improving community health.

John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital’s Division of Endocrinology, which is recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of the 51 US hospital systems with outstanding diabetes and endocrinology care, offers a broad range of therapy options and specialized care to address your endocrine-based healthcare needs. Our providers work with our patients on:

Multidisciplinary Care: Access to endocrinologists, dietitians, and behavioral health specialists who work together to create personalized care plans.
Advanced Technology: Utilization of continuous glucose monitors and insulin pump clinics to enhance diabetes management.
Lifestyle Support: Programs focused on nutrition and exercise to help patients adopt healthier lifestyles and manage their diabetes effectively.

Through our different awareness campaigns, our patients and their families learn about risk factors, healthy lifestyle choices, and the importance of early detection. For many, this November can spark conversations about health that can lead to lasting change. Initial appointments for endocrine services are made via referrals from primary care physicians. Call Cook County Health’s Patient Support Center at 312-864-0200 to request a Primary Care appointment. And during this holiday season, don’t wait to make a New Year’s resolution, exercise and eat healthy today!

Food can be a pathway to a healthy lifestyle and disease prevention, and with our Food As Medicine initiative, Cook County Health can help you with nutrition and food choices to prevent, manage, or even treat chronic conditions and promote overall health. T

Cook County Health offers food pantries for our patients. The food pantries are designed to provide healthy food options that emphasize:

Whole foods such as fresh produce, dairy, lean meats and proteins
Low-sodium, no-sugar-added canned goods

By offering healthy foods that align with nutritional needs, the program supports better health outcomes, encourages independence, and enhances quality of life. The pantries serve as a vital resource for CCH patients experiencing food insecurity and managing conditions that can be improved through proper nutrition.

Currently, Cook County Health has established food pantries at two sites and our goal is to bring this resource to most of our ambulatory sites. Cook County Health’s Food As Medicine team partners with clinical staff to integrate healthy eating and proper nutrition into medical care to improve outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and empower individuals to take control of their health. To join the program, please speak with your CCH provider or clinical staff member to see if you qualify.

If you need more information, please click on our food resources flyer. To become a Cook County Health patient, please call our Patient Support Center for an appointment.

Cook County Health’s Food pantries:

Food Pantry at Belmont Cragin Health Center

5501 W. Fullerton Ave, Chicago, IL 60639

Wednesdays, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

For Belmont Cragin patients referred by a provider or clinical staff member.

*Operating hours are subject to change.

Food Pantry at Provident Hospital of Cook County Health

500 E 51st St, Chicago, IL 60615

Thursdays, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

For Provident and Bronzeville patients referred by a provider or clinical staff member.

*Operating hours are subject to change.

Afeefah Khan, Food Security Program Manager

Afeefah Khan is the Food Security Program Manager at Cook County Health. She holds a Bachelor’s in Public Health and a Master’s in Management from the University of Michigan. Combining both of these backgrounds, she has worked to build projects and programs around health equity in both community and government settings. Seeing how social determinants of health, such as food insecurity, played a role in her own community growing up, she is passionate about addressing health inequities and tackling barriers to access.

Afeefah leads the newly established Food as Medicine team, which provides programming and resources to address food insecurity amongst CCH patients. The Food as Medicine program includes on-site food pantries and a medically-tailored meal delivery program for eligible patients. The team has also launched a new website that provides different resources and educational material around food and nutrition: Food As Medicine | Cook County Health. The team aims to help patients improve their clinical health outcomes, prevent and manage chronic disease, and feel empowered to make healthier decisions.

Afeefah was born and raised in metro Detroit, but frequently visited Chicago growing up and now considers it a second home. She loves to play volleyball, bake, paint, and go for walks on the various trails that Chicagoland has. She is proud to serve the health system that once provided health services to her family members when they first immigrated to the US from India.

The Greater Chicago Food Depository

The Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD) has been a vital partner to Cook County Health as we establish food security initiatives for our patients, their families and our communities. Established in 1979, the GCFD plays a key role in alleviating hunger throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. As the largest food bank in Illinois, it serves as a central hub for the distribution of food to a network of over 700 local agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and programs that provide direct assistance to individuals and families in need.

Each year, the GCFD distributes millions of pounds of food to help meet the needs of those facing food insecurity in Cook County and the surrounding areas. For many years, the partnership between Cook County Health and the GCFD focused on food distributions via their Fresh Truck initiative at our ambulatory sites. However, the partnership has evolved to the establishment of food pantries at two of our health centers as part of our Food as Medicine initiative.

As Cook County Health's partner organization in addressing food insecurity, the GCFD will continue to serve the Cook County community through its local food pantries, soup kitchens and mobile distribution locations. With Thanksgiving and other holidays approaching, consider making a donation to the GCFD so that they can keep nourishing people at the time in need.

Provident Hospital Grand Opening

Cook County purchased the hospital from HUD for $1 and then spent over $55 million to renovate and upgrade it. Provident Hospital opened its doors to patient care in August 1993. Bureau Chief Ruth M. Rothstein with Congressman Danny Davis, Cook County Board President Richard Phelan and Lester Crowne at the Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for the hospital's Grand Opening.

Community Events

In December, teams from Cook County Health, the Cook County Department of Public Health, CountyCare and the Cook County HIV Integrated Programs (CCHIP) may be present and participate in health fairs, resource fairs, presentations, tabling events or general community events listed below.

December 2 – Commissioner Josina Morita’s 2nd Annual Language Access Summit with President Preckwinkle – Oakton College - Skokie Campus, 7701 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie, IL 60077.
December 2 – Stroger Hospital Blood Drive – Stroger Hospital
1969 W. Ogden Avenue, Chicago, IL 60612.
December 3 – CountyCare Community Stakeholder Committee – virtual meeting.
December 3 – Nicor Gas Community Connection Resource Fairs – Old Masonic Building, 200 S. 5th Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153.
December 5 – State Rep. Will Guzzardi, Ald. Ruth Cruz, State Sen. Graciela Guzman, Cook County Commissioner Jessica Vasquez, and the Illinois Department of Employment Security’s Northwest Side Job Fair – Kilbourn Park, 3501 N. Kilbourn Avenue, Chicago, IL 60641.
December 5 – Aetna Better Health Illinois Winter Wellness H&R Fair – Help at Home, 806 E. 78th Street, Chicago, IL 60619.
December 9 – CCH, CCDPH & CountyCare Vaccination Saturday Event – Robbins Health Center, 13450 S. Kedzie Avenue, Robbins, IL 60472.
December 12 – CCH, CCDPH & CountyCare Vaccination Saturday Event – The Empowerment Center, 202 Forest Boulevard, Park Forest, IL, 60466.
December 13 – CCH, CCDPH & CountyCare Vaccination Saturday Event – Cottage Grove Health Center, 1645 S. Cottage Grove Avenue, Ford Heights, IL 60411.
December 13 – Christmas Fair – McCormick Place, 2301 S. Martin Luther King Drive, Chicago, IL 60616.
December 18 – Cook County Health’s Walk with a Doctor – Red Shield - The Salvation Army, 945 W. 69th Street, Chicago, IL 60621.
December 20 – CCH, CCDPH & CountyCare Vaccination Saturday Event – North Riverside Health Center, 1800 S. Harlem Avenue Suite A, North Riverside, IL 60546.
December 21 – Christmas in the Southland – TBD.
December 27 – CCH, CCDPH & CountyCare Vaccination Saturday Event – Arlington Heights Health Center, 3520 N. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60004.

Medicaid Redetermination Events

Cook County Health and CountyCare are currently hosting a series of Redetermination events in the System’s facilities, other FQHCs and community partners. For more information, please visit CountyCare’s Medicaid Redetermination Information page.

December 1 – North Riverside Health Center – 1800 S. Harlem Avenue Suite A, North Riverside, IL 60546.
December 2 – Cottage Grove Health Center – 1645 S. Cottage Grove Avenue, Ford Heights, IL 60411.
December 3 – Primecare Health Center – 5635 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago, IL 60634.
December 4 – Friend Health – 5635 S. Pulaski Road, Chicago IL 60629.
December 5 – St. Bernard Hospital – 6307 S Stewart Street, Chicago, IL 60621.
December 8 – Stroger Hospital – 1969 W. Ogden Avenue, Chicago, IL 60612.
December 9 – Robbins Health Center – 13450 S. Kedzie Avenue, Robbins, IL 60472.
December 10 – Provident Hospital – 500 E. 51^st Street, Chicago, IL 60615.
December 11 – Alivio Health – 2021 S. Morgan Street, Chicago, IL 60608.
December 12 – Arlington Heights Health Center – 3520 N. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60004.
December 15 – Blue Island Health Center – 12757 S. Western Avenue, Blue Island, IL 60406.
December 15 – Chicago Family Health Center – 9119 S. Exchange Avenue, Chicag, IL 60617.
December 16 – Esperanza Health Center – 4700 S. California Avenue, Chicago, IL 60632
December 17 – Primecare Health Center – 5635 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago, IL 60634.
December 18 – Friend Health – 5635 S. Pulaski Road, Chicago IL 60629.
December 19 – Care for Friends – 530 W. Fullerton Parkway, Chicago IL 60614.
December 19 – Englewood Health Center – 1135 W. 69th Street, Chicago, IL 60621.