NNHSC Family More than forty years ago, the merger of two well respected community-based health centers operated by Children's Memorial Hospital and Northwestern Memorial Hospital, resulted in the creation of the organization that we know today as the Near North Health Service Corporation. The past few decades have seen tremendous growth for NNHSC, from a small community health clinic in the Near North neighborhood to five comprehensive health care centers on Chicago's north, south and west sides, from a handful of social workers to a full program of social services, outreach and health education. All along, our activities have been driven by our mandate to address the health care needs of people who otherwise would not have access to care - low income

individuals and families, the uninsured and under-insured, the working poor, and other at-risk populations.

Established in 1966 by the Children's Memorial Hospital, the Near North Children's Center was designed to serve the area's indigent children. With the assistance of the Near North Community Advisory Board, the Children's Center provided much needed services in the Near North area. Three years later, in response to the need for quality adult health care in the Near North community, Northwestern Memorial Hospital established the Near North Adult Health Center.

In 1981, both hospitals, the Near North Community Advisory Board, the Cabrini Green Tenant Organization, the Near North Development Corporation, the Tranquility Marksman Memorial Organization and a number of other community groups began the process of change. After a great deal of time and hard work, the merger of the Near North Children's Center and the Near North Adult Health Center was complete. The resulting Near North Health Service Corporation was formally incorporated as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization in 1982.

With a new Board structure, incorporating diverse input from hospitals, community-based organizations, health professionals, corporate sponsors, and health center users, the Near North Health Service Corporation began working toward moving its services to a larger, more convenient site. At the time services were being provided out of the Olivet Building on the 1400 block of North Cleveland Street. The lack of an elevator posed a problem for the sick, elderly and pregnant patients. In 1987, NNHSC completed a capital campaign which funded the construction of the Winfield Moody Health Center, named for Dr. Florence Winfield, one of the center's first physicians and former Medical Director, and Alme Moody, one of the founding members of the governing board.

NNHSC expanded its operations to the South Side of Chicago as a result of unforseen circumstances. The Komed Health Center had been in operation as a Section 330-funded community health center for a number of years. Its previous operators experienced increasingly severe problems, which ultimately resulted in their inability to provide services and abandoning the facility. In 1992, the Bureau of Primary Health Care asked NNHSC to take over interim program operation to assure the continued availability of services to the medically needy communities nearby. In January 1994, NNHSC became the permanent grantee for the Section 330 grant, after serving as temporary managers for the previous eighteen months.

Inadequate construction of the Komed building under its original operators resulted in major life safety hazards, and its abandonment left behind serious ownership and tax liability problems. NNHSC obtained funding to build a new facility close to the original site. Through negotiations with the City of Chicago's Public Health Department, NNHSC moved its South Side operations to the city's Claude B. Holman Clinic on July 1, 1997.

While this move resulted in an immediate increase in client volume and the ability to expand on-site services, it reinforced the urgent need for a comprehensive facility to serve this seriously underserved community of more than 200,000 people. In the fall of 1999, NNHSC completed construction of a new 24,000 square foot, $5.1 million Komed Holman Health Center.

In 2000, NNHSC and the non-profit human service agency, Chicago Commons Association, joined together to open the Louise Landau Health Center. This primary care facility, located inside Chicago Commons' newly built Bank of America Settlement House in Southwest Humboldt Park, serves the health needs of the families who live in this underserved community as well as in parts of nearby Austin, West Garfield Park, and North Lawndale. Adjunct social services at this site are provided by Chicago Commons.

As of August 27, 2007, Near North Health Service Corporation assumed the operations at Uptown Community Health Center, 4867 N. Broadway Avenue. NNHSC provides pediatric and teen health services (for children under 18 years of age) at the Uptown Community Health Center.