CHICAGO, IL – January 27, 2014 – The Loretto Hospital announced today of its plans to partner with PCC Community Wellness Center (PCC) to expand the primary care services that it currently offers to the Austin and surrounding communities.
“With ObamaCare in full swing, people can now choose where they want to receive care. Our decision to collaborate with PCC is our way of ensuring that the residents of Austin and surrounding areas has quality medical services and healthcare right in their own community,” Dr. Sonia Mehta said, CEO and CMO at The Loretto Hospital.
Similar to Loretto’s longstanding commitment to its primary patient base, PCC has provided quality healthcare to medically underserved residents on the west side of Chicago since 1980. Plus, what is now becoming more popular among Federally Qualified Health Centers like PCC, it has opened extensions or satellite branches in various other hospitals with a mindset of reaching more of the underserved population that seek care in facilities they may not be able to afford.
Although The Loretto Hospital currently offers its patients quality primary care, geriatric medicine, an eye clinic and behavioral health services, PCC will bring additional access to health service lines including: pediatrics, women’s health, family planning and dentistry. Along with the services that Loretto provides, the hospital is a site to register individuals for health insurance.
“As a physician and leader in this community, I want to personally ensure that Austin residents has access to better standards, better care and better outcomes,” Dr. Mehta said. “And for those individuals who come to Loretto and do not have health insurance, we will help them register to find the right coverage,” she said.
Both healthcare facilities maintain a social responsibility platform by its community health and outreach programs. For more than 70 years, Loretto Hospital has been a beacon in the Austin Community by providing outreach programs such as its Golden Life Senior Wellness Program, James D. Montgomery Men’s Health Program, Breath Easy Asthma Clinic, as well as its annual Visit with Santa and Back-to-School Fitness Fun Fest events. In addition to Loretto’s community programs, PCC will offer health education and outreach services, as well as the Austin Produce Market.
“This is an exciting time for Loretto. For a long time, we have made plans to reestablish specialty areas such as our former pediatrics unit and our women’s health center. Joining forces with PCC will help us make these services available to the community this year,” Dr. Mehta said.
To learn more about The Loretto Hospital and its services, go to www.lorettohospital.org. To learn more about PCC Community Wellness Center, please visit PCC’s website at www.pccwellness.org.
About The Loretto Hospital
The Loretto Hospital is a not-for-profit, community-based hospital located in Austin, the largest community in Chicago. Loretto is the only hospital in the Austin community and is the largest non-government employer in the Austin community. The hospital has more than 600 staff, comprising of 170 physicians and 300 nursing professionals. Although the largest percentage of the hospital’s patients resides in Austin and Garfield Park, neighboring suburban communities also utilize Loretto as a healthcare resource. For more information, please visit www.lorettohospital.org.