Cook County (Ill.) Health plans to open a new ASC in early 2025 on the site of the former Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago, reported WBEZ Chicago Aug. 8
The county plans to invest $10 million in the future Bronzeville Health Center, which will offer family medicine, mental health care and rehabilitation services. Once completed, the facility will feature 44 exam rooms and a gym for therapy services. Cook County predicts the center could see 85,000 patients in its first year.
Officials said the new center will address "a deeply troubling disparity head-on," after a 2019 study found a 30-year gap in life expectancy between Black and white residents in different parts of the city.
Michael Reese Hospital closed in 2008, leaving many residents in the area without nearby access to health services. The new ASC is an extension of Provident Hospital, the first hospital in the nation owned and operated by Black Americans.