South Chicago

Since 2004, Esperanza Health Centers has operated as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) on Chicago’s under-resourced Southwest side, an area of the city shaped largely by its industrial roots and a recent influx of Latin American immigrants. The fragile nature of the social and economic bonds in the area is evident in the way so many health disparities affect its working-poor families. Opening a PACE center on Chicago’s Southwest side is a natural extension of our mission to deliver health and hope to our communities, especially given the dearth of bilingual, culturally-informed services for seniors. Because residents here face multiple levels of stigma – based on race, ethnicity, age, economic status, English proficiency, and immigration status – we know it’s critical they feel welcomed and respected when they are with us. Beyond delivering high-quality medical care (Esperanza has consistently high-quality rankings among FQHCs across the country), we hire patient-facing staff from the communities we’re in so that patients are greeted and treated by people who have walked along the same sidewalks, shopped in the same stores, attended the same schools, and lived on the same blocks as them. Our core values – caring, quality, and family – are tailor-made for PACE.

60453, 60455, 60456, 60458, 60459, 60501, 60609, 60629, 60632, 60636, 60638, 60652

Heidi Ortolaza-Alvear
Vice President of Strategy and Business Development
Phone: 773-640-5786
Email: hortolaza@esperanzachicago.org