Press Releases
2.21.12 | Target Awards Grant to Esperanza's Reach Out and Read Program
Centro de Salud Esperanza announced today that is has received a grant from Target for the health center’s Early Childhood Literacy Program. Target awarded $ 2,000 to support Esperanza’s efforts to teach families about the importance of early childhood literacy at the time of their doctor’s visit and help link families with early childhood literacy resources.
The grant will enhance Esperanza’s expanded Reach Out and Read model. Reach Out and Read is a nationally recognized, evidence-based model for encouraging early childhood reading through the efforts of medical providers who “prescribe” books for you children. In addition, thanks to Esperanza’s expanded ROR model, children and their families also receive referrals to local Head Start and Early Head Start programs at 9, 18, and 30 months of age.
Head Star participation has been shown to have benefits for children who grow up in low-income families. According to a long-term research study conducted in Chicago, participation in Head Start is associated with higher rates of high school graduation, higher income, lower rates of felony arrests, and lower rates of substance abuse.
1.30.12 | Avon Foundation Awards Esperanza $20,000 Grant
The Avon Breast Health Outreach Program has awarded a $20,000 one-year grant to Centro de Salud Esperanza to increase awareness of the life-saving benefits of early detection of breast cancer and to ensure linkage to screening for uninsured women. It is the first year that the program has received funding from the Avon Foundation for Women to support its work on this important health issue.
The breast health program Conciencia de la Mujer/A Woman’s Conscience at Centro de Salud Esperanza will educate Chicago-area women and refer them to low-cost or free clinical breast exams at Esperanza as well as free mammography through Esperanza’s community partners. The vital program will also provide linguistically and culturally sensitive appointment scheduling assistance and follow-up to women in Chicago’s Latino neighborhoods.
Since December of 2009, the Conciencia de la Mujer/A Woman’s Conscience at Centro de Salud Esperanza has reached more than 11,000 women with information about the importance of early detection of breast cancer and has referred over 1,000 women for mammograms and clinical breast exams.
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in the United States, and the leading single cause of death overall in women between the ages of 40 and 55. According to the American Cancer Society, 9,090 new cases of breast cancer will be detected in Illinois this year and 1,650 lives will be lost. Nationwide, there is a new diagnosis every three minutes and a death from breast cancer every 14 minutes. While advances have been made in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure, early detection still affords the best opportunity for successful treatment. Programs such as Conciencia de la Mujer/A Woman’s Conscience help ensure that all women have access to early detection information and options, even poor and medically underserved women.
“The Avon Foundation’s generous support will help us to ensure that women who need breast cancer screening in our neighborhoods receive services from someone who speaks their language and shares their cultural background. Too often, women in the Latino community feel they cannot afford a mammogram and do not know where to turn for help. The Avon Foundation’s funding will help us to educate and refer women who might otherwise wait indefinitely to seek screening,” says Dr. Alejandro Clavier, Medical Director of Centro de Salud Esperanza.
7.12.11 | Cuts to Medicaid Reimbursement Will Harm Patients of Community Health Centers
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – In response to budget negotiations occurring at the federal level, Centro de Salud Esperanza announced today that it opposes any significant cuts to Medicaid reimbursements for community health centers. Significant cuts to Medicaid funding are being considered as Congressional leaders try to reach an agreement on raising the national debt limit and reducing the federal deficit.
Centro de Salud Esperanza’s CEO, Dan Fulwiler asserts that any major cuts to Medicaid reimbursements would seriously harm underinsured patients:
“Significant cuts to Medicaid would seriously compromise our ability to serve the over 8,500 children, women, and men who come to us for healthcare and preventive services every year. While we recognize the need for deficit reduction, cutting Medicaid reimbursement to community health centers would be disastrous for the state of Illinois, affecting over 2.9 million people.”
Centro de Salud Esperanza is a non-profit community health center located in the Little Village neighborhood on Chicago’s southwest side. Esperanza provides comprehensive health care and wellness services to the residents of Little Village, Pilsen, Archer Heights, Brighton Park, Gage Park and Cicero. Since 2005, Esperanza has become a vital part of the local health care safety net, providing over 34,000 physical and mental health care visits annually. The health center offers care to all, regardless of ability to pay or immigration status.
Esperanza prides itself on providing healthcare which is both high-quality and cost-effective. According to Medicaid data, Esperanza currently ranks among the top 10% of community health centers in Illinois for providing blood lead testing, appropriate asthma medications, vision screening, breast cancer screening, and cervical cancer screening. Esperanza’s cost-per-patient-visit is only $121, significantly lower than similar health centers in the city of Chicago. This balance of quality and cost-effectiveness would not be possible without full Medicaid funding.
Esperanza's health services include pediatrics, family medicine, internal medicine, midwifery, and obstetrics and gynecology. True to its founding mission, Esperanza offers much more than just doctor’s visits. The health center delivers "wrap-around" services such as mental health counseling, benefits counseling, and health education provided by a bilingual, multicultural staff.
Press Contact:
Dan Fulwiler, CEO
773.584.6130