Administration

Berneice Mills-Thomas, Executive Director

Berneice Mills-Thomas, RN, MSM, MPH, MBA, is dedicated to improving the well being of the poor, uninsured and underserved families who reside in impoverished communities of Chicago.

Ms. Mills-Thomas is Executive Director of Near North Health Service Corporation (NNHSC), a Federally Qualified Health cCenter that operates five of urban Chicago's community-based health centers: the Winfield Moody Health Center, serving the medically disadvantaged residents of Near North, Cabrini-Green, West Town, and Humboldt Park; KomedHolman Health Center, providing services to the South Side neighborhoods of Kenwood, Oakland, and Grand Boulevard; Louise Landau Health Center, responding to the needs of families who live in Southwest Humboldt Park; Cottage View Health Center, primarily providing healthcare services to the senior population on the South Side of the city; and Uptown Community Health Center, providing pediatric health care to residents of Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, North Park, DePaul and Uptown communities on the North side of the city.

For more than 25 years, Ms. Thomas has worked in the health care industry. She held managerial and clinical positions in several community health centers and two community hospitals in Chicago. In spite of her hectic schedule, she still makes time to serve on the board of the Alliance of Chicago Community Health Services. She holds memberships with the National Association of Community Health Centers, Illinois Public Health Association, and National Association of Female Executives and the American Management Association, and has held past positions on the IPHCA Board, IMCHC Board, CDPH West Town Facility Board, and United Way/Crusade of Mercy, Inc. Chicago Council.

The city of Chicago and many private entities have honored Ms. Thomas for her devotion and unparalleled commitment to empower communities, which have been neglected by former health initiatives. It is Ms. Thomas' advocacy within the health care field that truly distinguishes her from other providers due to her ability to develop and implement human service health programs that improve the quality of life for many of Chicago's forgotten citizens.

Under Ms. Thomas' leadership, NNHSC's health centers have grown from one primary care site to four and NNHSC continues to provide necessary health care and comprehensive social services to its communities. NNHSC's mission is rooted in the belief that if an individual is healthy, families are healthy and as a result, the health status of the community improves overall. She believes in embarking on a holistic path to community-based health care, providing a means for people to improve their lifestyle, thereby improving their health. Programs of Near North Health Service Corporation reflect this belief..

The Chicago Nutrition Education Center and its four auxiliary sites provide instruction and counseling to clients in order to encourage smart purchasing decisions and healthier preparation of foods to combat the double threat of diabetes and chronic obesity. Case management and outreach workers go out into the community, door-to-door to provide early intervention and education on the prevention of low birth weight babies, high morbidity, and mortality.

Teen pregnancy and subsequent pregnancy prevention programs offer individual and group counseling, parenting classes, and education to give teens alternatives to early sexual activity. NNHSC's teen pregnancy programs collaborate with the Chicago Public School system.

Medical services are provided on site in the Flannery Senior Citizen Building, reaching the seniors who cannot leave their homes to come in to receive treatment for illnesses. The Education Drop-In Center provides after school mentoring, summer programs, parenting and individual/family counseling for children and their families.

Ms. Thomas is a profound leader among executive directors overseeing health centers in Chicago. However, through her spirit of giving and unconditional commitment, she thrives on providing programs for indigent communities. Her work demonstrates an assurance to impact the lives of individuals who cannot fight for themselves and empower children, adults and families to take control of their health.

Senior Management