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For Immediate Release Date: July 10, 2018 Contact: Hannah Goering hgoering@lakecountyil.gov (847) 377-8099

New Zion Health Center Now Serving Patients
Ribbon cutting ceremony celebrates increased access to quality health services

Zion, Ill. — On Monday, July 9, 2018, the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center announced the official opening of its new Zion Health Center, located at 1911 27th Street, Zion. Local officials gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony to dedicate the newly renovated facility, which will greatly expand access to quality health services for residents of northeast Lake County.

“We believe every person in the Zion area deserves access to quality services, to know we are here for them, to walk in the doors of this beautiful facility with confidence that they are getting the best care possible,” said Timothy Sashko, Lake County Board of Health President. “Today this vision becomes a reality.”

The Health Department acquired the new Zion Health Center facility through a generous donation from the Cancer Treatment Centers of America in early 2017. Grants from the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation partially funded the renovation of the new facility. 

The site was fully renovated to provide integrated health services, including primary care, dental care, behavioral health, women’s health, nutrition services, case management, and more – providing truly holistic, patient-centered care under one roof.

“Our mission is promoting the health and well-being of all who live, work, and play in Lake County,” said Mark Pfister, Executive Director of the Lake County Health Department. “This mission is exemplified by the integrated health services provided here at this new Zion Health Center.”

In 2016, the Health Department conducted a door-to-door survey in Zion, and residents identified three main barriers to health care in the community: the cost of health care, health insurance, and transportation. Additional 2016 survey results revealed that:

• 94 percent of survey respondents were interested in a new health care facility being built;
• 90 percent were interested in dental care services;
• 82 percent were interested in women’s health services, including prenatal care;
• 75 percent were interested in mental health or substance use treatment services;
• 38 percent of those surveyed who were living under the federal poverty line had not had a routine health visit in the past year.

“When we look at the challenges many of our communities in Lake County face, we recognize that things like transportation, housing, financial security and food security are health care issues,” said Lake County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor. “It is important that we work together to address all of the factors that we know contribute to making Lake County a great place to live, work, and play.”

“In the past, we were limited in the services we could provide right here in this community,” said Brent Paxton, Lake County Board representative. In 2017, the Zion Community Health Center served 4000 Zion residents, but nearly 1700 Zion residents traveled to other Health Department locations to receive medical, dental, and mental health services. “The new Zion Health Center will enable us to meet the needs of this community, offering truly holistic care in our own backyard,” Paxton said.

Lake County Community Health Center Governing Council vice-chair Lester Washington, who is also a consumer of health services at the Health Department, shared his gratitude for all parties that made the opening of the Zion Health Center a reality. “Today is a new beginning,” he remarked.

The new Zion Health Center opened to serve patients on June 14, 2018. For appointments, please contact the Health Department’s Patient Access Center at (847) 377-8800.

About the Lake County Health Department:
The Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center’s mission is promoting the health and well-being of all who live, work, and play in Lake County. The Health Department operates nine Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) sites which serve over 40,000 patients annually. For more information, visit health.lakecountyil.gov.

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Lake County Health Department
3010 Grand Avenue
Waukegan, Illinois 60085
(847) 377-8000