SOUTH SIDE HEALTHY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION ENSURES ACCESS TO CARE FOR SOUTH SIDE RESIDENTS AFTER ACA SUBSIDY EXPIRATION

SOUTH SIDE HEALTHY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION ENSURES ACCESS TO CARE FOR SOUTH SIDE RESIDENTS AFTER ACA SUBSIDY EXPIRATION

SSHCO’s Free Services Include Coordination of Primary Care, Specialist Care, Mental Health, Transportation, Food Resources and More

CHICAGO — The South Side Healthy Community Organization (SSHCO) announced that it will continue to provide critical healthcare access and support to South Side residents following the expiration of key Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies on December 31, which has left millions of Americans, including hundreds of thousands in Cook County, facing sharply higher premiums or at risk of losing their insurance altogether. SSHCO is a nonprofit that subsidizes providers on the South Side so that residents can access care within their own community, provides a free doula program for new mothers, and connects patients to primary care physicians, healthy food and even transportation.

“Our community shouldn’t have to choose between paying a bill and going to the doctor, but that’s exactly what’s happening as the ACA subsidy expiration causes coverage gaps to widen,” said Kimberly Hobson, CEO of SSHCO. “SSHCO was created to meet people where they are with care that understands their lives, and today that means standing ready to connect them to free care and guide them through the process of improving their well-being.”

Founded in 2022 and funded by a five-year state award, SSHCO coordinates care across 15 South Side zip codes. With care team members embedded in clinics, hospitals and neighborhoods, SSHCO has already screened more than 18,000 residents, enrolled more than 6,400 patients and coordinated more than 5,300 healthcare appointments. In addition, SSHCO subsidizes specialized care providers, such as obstetricians and cardiologists, in South Side clinics and hospitals. Patients have completed more than 138,000 appointments with SSHCO-subsidized providers. SSHCO has helped 177 individuals and families get into stable housing, and provided more than 27,000 referrals for food, behavioral health, and other essential needs. These services are offered at no cost to patients, with a focus on Medicaid recipients and the uninsured — populations now disproportionately affected by the subsidy rollback.

To register for free services through SSHCO, visit www.southsidehealthycommunity.com.

SSHCO is a nonprofit created through the State of Illinois’ Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives initiative. It brings together 13 healthcare providers — including hospital systems, safety net hospitals, and federally qualified health centers — to close the health equity gap on Chicago’s South Side. SSHCO connects residents to care, coordinates services across providers, and addresses social determinants of health to help people live healthier lives.


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