Located in Crystal Lake, FHPC is a nonprofit clinic serving uninsured adults in McHenry County. The clinic, which does not accept insurance, operates on a sliding fee scale and will not turn anyone away due to inability to pay. 

“FHPC is an indispensable part of the safety net in McHenry County,” said Catie Schmit, president of Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital and Northwestern Medicine Woodstock Hospital. “In a year when more residents are losing coverage or facing impossible insurance costs, their work has never been more crucial and Northwestern Medicine is proud to stand beside them.”

With local families reporting dramatic increases in monthly premiums, shrinking provider networks, and rising copays, the clinic expects a sharp uptick in the number of patients needing care in 2026. To meet growing demand, FHPC hired additional staff, expanded clinic operations, adopted telehealth efficiencies, and strengthened transition of care workflows to handle the anticipated surge.

Despite the mounting pressures, FHPC’s executive director Suzanne Hoban says support from community partners like Northwestern Medicine is one factor that has prepared the organization to meet this growing demand for patient care. 

“Northwestern Medicine has been a fabulous partner and truly a gold standard in what community collaboration looks like,” said Hoban. “This collaboration is built on what truly matters: ensuring that no one in our community goes without care simply because they can’t afford insurance.”

Support Built on “Time, Talent, and Treasure”

According to Hoban, Northwestern Medicine’s support is built on three essential needs: time, talent and treasure. This includes volunteer physicians, access to specialty care and funding to support the clinic’s operations. An annual grant funds nursing staff, supply purchasing, and essential programs such as the in‑house pharmacy and food pantry. 

In 2025, the number of Northwestern Medicine physicians volunteering to see patients at FHPC more than doubled, making it possible to serve significantly more patients without increasing wait times for appointments.

“Our physicians volunteer because they believe deeply in the clinic’s mission,” said Irfan Hafiz, MD, chief medical officer at Northwestern Medicine McHenry, Huntley and Woodstock hospitals. “They see firsthand how removing barriers like transportation, cost, and medication access can dramatically change a patient’s health trajectory. This is the kind of work that reminds us why we went into medicine.”

When a patient requires care beyond the capabilities of the clinic, they have streamlined access to advanced specialty care through Northwestern Medicine, as well as access to financial assistance and counseling.

“Northwestern Medicine works with us to fast‑track financial assistance applications for FHPC patients needing specialty services, surgeries, and follow‑up care,” said Hoban. “This is vital for our patients with needs outside the bounds of primary care. A lack of insurance doesn’t prohibit them from receiving lifesaving care.”

High-Quality Care for Those with Nowhere Else to Turn

Unlike federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), FHPC receives no federal funding and does not accept Medicaid or private insurance. The clinic exclusively provides care to uninsured residents of McHenry County. All operations are funded by community donors, charitable foundations, and partners like Northwestern Medicine.

The clinic provides comprehensive primary care along with behavioral health and specialty clinics for endocrinology and orthopedics, as well as in-house optometry, physical therapy, dental care, pharmacy, and a food pantry to address social determinants of health.

Many FHPC patients present with high‑acuity, chronic illnesses more typically seen in hospital settings, including uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, mental health conditions, cardiac issues, and neurologic disorders. 

“Our patients are sick. They’re not coming in for annual physicals but arriving with complex medical needs that would be rare in a typical primary care office,” Hoban said. “Social determinants, such as poverty, food insecurity, or impossible work schedules, contribute to this acuity and lead many patients to delay needed care for much too long. Our model removes every barrier we can.”

The clinic’s integrated approach with labs, clinical care, medication dispensing, and social support all under one roof, allows patients working multiple jobs or without access to reliable transportation to access care efficiently and consistently. Despite misconceptions about charitable clinics, FHPC delivers outcomes that often outperform privately insured patient populations.

“One of the strengths of FHPC is their comprehensive care model that gives patients access to labs, medications, behavioral health services and specialty clinics all under one roof,” said John Guido, MD, radiologist and immediate past medical staff president for Northwestern Medicine McHenry, Huntley and Woodstock Hospitals, who helped drive the increase in Northwestern Medicine physicians volunteering at FHPC. “In this integrated environment, patients receive continuous care rather than episodic, crisis‑driven care, which we know leads to better long‑term outcomes. For physicians who volunteer their time and expertise, this model allows them to practice high‑quality, efficient medicine for the patients they serve.”

Preparing for a Hard Year Ahead

As health insurance premiums spike—jumping from $300 to more than $1,000 a month for some McHenry County residents —a growing number of people have dropped coverage all together. This trend could bring an unprecedented wave of newly uninsured adults in the county. Even with this anticipated surge of newly uninsured, FHPC is ready to meet the demand and Northwestern Medicine is ready to support them. 

“This collaboration is a model for what community healthcare can look like,” said Schmit, who is on the board of FHPC. “In a challenging healthcare environment, together FHPC and Northwestern Medicine demonstrate that mission‑driven partnerships can still thrive and make a meaningful impact.”

FHPC aims to not only provide high quality care, but to also deliver it with compassion and respect.

“This is a systemic failure, not an individual one,” said Hoban. “Losing insurance shouldn’t be a source of shame. We want people to know we are here for them – before their health crisis becomes an emergency.”

For more information about FHPC and to find community resources, visit https://hpclinic.org/.  

CHICAGO — October 22, 2025 — Ten Northwestern Medicine sites will offer drive-up collection locations during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., providing community members with a safe and convenient way to dispose of unused medications.

In addition to collecting medications, Northwestern Medicine team members will distribute Narcan (naloxone) and share information about opioid overdose prevention.

“Many people are first exposed to opioids through medications found in the homes of friends or family,” said Sterling Elliott, PharmD, BCMTMS, clinical pharmacist at Northwestern Medicine and assistant professor of orthopedics at Feinberg School of Medicine. “Take Back Day is an important opportunity to remove these drugs from circulation and prevent misuse. Proper disposal helps protect our communities and environment.”

Unused or expired prescription medications pose a public safety risk and can lead to accidental poisoning, misuse, or overdose. Northwestern Medicine will host 10 drive-up collection sites across the Chicagoland area on Saturday, October 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., where community members can safely dispose of their medications.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, nonmedical use of prescription drugs is the second most common form of drug misuse in the United States.

Drive-up collection sites include:

• Northwestern Medicine Immediate Care St. Charles (east side of parking lot by Kirk Road), 2900 Foxfield Road, St. Charles
• Northwestern Medicine Valley West Hospital, 1302 North Main Street, Sandwich
• Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital Medical Records Building (one driveway south of main hospital), 2731 Sycamore Road, DeKalb
• Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital (east entrance roundabout), 25 North Winfield Road, Winfield
• Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, 600 North Westmoreland Road, Lake Forest
• Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital, 4201 West Medical Center Drive, McHenry
• Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital (main entrance driveway, first right, west side of hospital), 12251 South 80th Avenue, Palos Heights
• Northwestern Memorial Hospital Lavin Family Pavilion, 259 East Erie Street, Chicago
• Northwestern Medicine Old Irving Park Advanced Outpatient Center Patient Drop-off Area (inside attached parking garage), 4445 West Irving Park Road, Chicago
• Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital Main Entrance, 10400 Haligus Road, Huntley

Narcan kiosks now available at Northwestern Medicine sites

Narcan kiosks are now available at seven Northwestern Medicine locations across Chicagoland, offering free access to the life-saving medication.

“Expanding access to Narcan nasal spray is a critical step in saving lives. The statistics are moving in the right direction,” Elliott said. “We must continue this momentum—DEA data shows that half of all seized street drugs containing fentanyl have to be fatal.”

Naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, can reverse an opioid overdose when sprayed into the nose during an emergency.

Narcan kiosks are located at:

• Northwestern Medicine Ben Gordon Center, 12 Health Services Drive, DeKalb (open daily 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.)
• Northwestern Medicine Ben Gordon Center – Community Support Program, 631 South 1st Street, DeKalb (open daily 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.)
• Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital, Emergency Department Lobby, 4201 Medical Center Drive, McHenry (available 24/7)
• Northwestern Medicine Orland Park Behavioral Health Services, 15300 West Avenue, Suite 313, Building C, Orland Park (Mon/Wed/Fri 8:45 a.m.–9 p.m.; Tues/Thurs 8:45 a.m.–3:40 p.m.)
• Northwestern Medicine Behavioral Health Services, 760 Foxpointe Drive, Sycamore (Mon–Wed 8 a.m.–8:30 p.m.; Thurs/Fri 8 a.m.–5 p.m.)
• Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital, Behavioral Health Services, 27W350 High Lake Road, Winfield (Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–5 p.m.)
• Northwestern Medicine Woodstock Hospital, Emergency Department Lobby, 701 Doty Road, Woodstock (available 24/7)

This funding initiative, which is just one facet of Northwestern Medicine’s community giving campaign, offered grants to local agencies supporting specific health and wellness projects. Northwestern Medicine awarded more than $1.7 million to 49 organizations that offer a wide range of services including housing, nutritional needs, transportation, childcare, mental health and primary care.

“Northwestern Medicine is committed to making our community as healthy as it can be,” said Posh Charles, senior vice president, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare. “This initiative, which is just one way Northwestern Medicine contributes to the community, enhances our ability to provide highly targeted support to partners addressing priority health concerns in their individual locales.”

In fiscal year 2021, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare provided more than $1.14 billion in community benefits including charity care and the unreimbursed costs incurred caring for Medicaid and Medicare patients, training tomorrow’s health care workforce, conducting medical research, and other community benefits that help preserve access to care for the residents of Chicago, its suburbs and Northern Illinois.

The beneficiaries of the community grants range in size and scope from the YMCA of Metro Chicago to the Oak Forest Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, an organization that provides fully furnished twin beds for children who sleep on floors, couches and other situations without beds.

“Our goal is to collaborate and support local agencies to address healthcare disparities across all socioeconomic backgrounds,” said Charles. “We sought out organizations that are making a difference by removing barriers to better health.”

For example, consistent access to nutrition is the very basis for a healthy child and adult. Northern Illinois Food Bank will use the funds to focus on two initiatives. “Take 50 Foods to Encourage” provides an incentive for pantries to select more highly nutritious food.  The “Build Healthy Communities Screen & Intervene” connects local food banks with patients who screen as food insecure during healthcare visits.

“Our neighbors continue to struggle to meet the needs of their families across Northern Illinois. We are grateful to have partners, like Northwestern Medicine, who invest in our programs, which helps us ensure that our neighbors have access to the nutritious food that they need to thrive,” said Maeven Sipes, chief philanthropy officer, Northern Illinois Food Bank.

Kelly Hall YMCA in Chicago's West Humboldt Park neighborhood is using grant funding to expand its roster of popular group exercise classes. In addition to step classes, hip-hop aerobics and line dancing, the center is exploring options for tumbling classes, martial arts and other ways to meet members’ health and wellness needs. Beyond physical fitness, Kelly Hall Y hopes to use the funding to kick start programs for behavioral health, chronic disease prevention and nutrition, all to support a holistic approach to healthy living.

“As an organization, Kelly Hall YMCA, under the umbrella of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, is working to set a higher standard for health and wellness in a neighborhood historically afflicted by significant health disparities,” said Andre Goode, executive director, Kelly Hall YMCA. “Through this partnership with Northwestern Medicine, we have the chance to make significant strides on that front. The sky’s the limit for the impact we can have on our neighbors’ lives.”

In addition to grant funding, as part of Northwestern Medicine’s Team NM initiative, Northwestern Medicine employees build healthier communities through volunteer service and thoughtful actions. Team NM volunteers weed and water the Aurora Food Pantry’s Essential Garden, help sort and label food at the Northern Illinois Food Bank, collected coats for Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, put together beds for Sleep in Heavenly Peace, and assembled heart-healthy care packages for patients at Tri-City Health Partnership.