Family Christian Health Center: 2004 – 2005

Healthy mothers and babies is the objective of Washington Square Health Foundation’s recent grant to Family Christian Health Center’s OB/GYN program, in Harvey, Illinois

Provision of specialty care for women and their unborn children makes for healthy mothers and deliveries.  This really is the “healthy start” Washington Square Health Foundation, Inc. wants for each mother and her child. The Foundation wants every woman to have access to “women’s health care specialties.”   Unfortunately, for the medically underserved, these medical specialties have become increasingly more difficult to obtain.

Under the leadership of Dr. William Crevier, the Family Christian Health Center, in its new location in Harvey, Illinois, has established, with funding from the Washington Square Health Foundation, the clinic’s own OB/GYN Program in September 2004.  Located just South of Chicago, in Harvey, Illinois, Family Christian Health Center serves a large population of uninsured and public aid patients who may not otherwise receive adequate medical care.  With a Washington Square Health Foundation grant and grant(s) from other health care foundation(s), Family Christian Health Center has been able to provide OB/GYN services to over 1,600 women through 4,201 patient care visits in the first year.

The project will improve access to OB/GYN care, reduce the number of low birth weight babies, infant mortality, teen pregnancy and STD rates.  Infant mortality and teenage pregnancy rates in the Harvey community are currently high.  The teenage pregnancy rate is nearly three times that of suburban Cook County and the late entry rate prenatal care is over two times the suburban Cook County rate.  The incidence of cocaine babies in Harvey is among the highest in the state.  AIDS will likely become the leading cause of death of teenage and young adult women.  HIV rates are 2.3 times higher in Harvey than in the rest of Illinois, while STD’s excel Cook County rates by a factor of 8 for gonorrhea, 7 for syphilis, and 4.8 for chlamydia.

The Foundation has had a continuing relationship with Family Christian Health Center.  It initially provided a $100,000 PRI for start-up costs for Family Christian Health Center, prior to the Center’s move to its new facility.

Now at the “new clinic facility,” the Foundation is continuing, through this OB/GYN program grant, to be a partner with Family Christian Health Center in providing “desperately needed” OB/GYN services to south suburban Chicagoland area communities.