DuPage Health Coalition

DuPage Health Coalition is an invaluable resource in our community, serving as a critical safety net for individuals facing barriers to health care and financial stability. Our partnership with DHC has had a meaningful impact on both our patients and our organization. Their relentless focus on improving workflows, fostering collaboration, and enhancing care delivery ensures they continue to lead with innovation and compassion.

DuPage Health Coalition is an invaluable partner to APPLE (Addison Partners for Play, Learning and Education) Early Childhood Collaborative. DHC offers a variety of programs and supports for our families, such as Everyday Hero training and Medical Debt Care. DHC is essential in supporting the health and well-being of families with young children in Addison and beyond. We are so grateful for our partnership with the DuPage Health Coalition.

We are grateful for our strong partnership with the DuPage Health Coalition and their Access DuPage program, which helps connect families to essential healthcare services. A special thanks to Joel Jara for his invaluable support in presenting important information and resources for us to share with families. Through our collaboration, we are ensuring that families have access to the care they need empowering them to lead healthier lives. We look forward to continuing this meaningful work together.
Rhonda Eubanks, DuPage ROE

DuPage Health Coalition is a great organizartion that offers the opportunity to a wide community in DuPage county affordable health services and specially for those that are not able to get a health insurance. Additionally, they provide free training in Mental Health and CPR to the partners helping our community and families to build strength knowlege that carry out in better decisions.

Access DuPage has been an excellent site for those who are in the country and do not qualify for Health Insurance or has fallen into cracks. I have been a case manager in this state since 2008, working in different organizations and Access DuPage has been the number one referral that I have given to client.
They never has failed me either my clients.
From the bottom of my heart and on behalf of my clients I thank you guys!!

Matilda S. Faria H.A.S. Inc CASE MANAGER

As a parent navigator at Villa Park Area Early Childhood Collaborative along with Tri-Town YMCA We are very grateful for our partnership with the DuPage Health Coalition! They are very present and compassionate in the community and are always responsive to the families we work with. We feel blessed to have them in our community appreciating their work and collaboration. Thank you, DuPage Health Coalition, for all the work you do.

This organization goes above and beyond to make sure everyone in DuPage County receives the healthcare they need and deserve. They don't stop at coordinating care for their patients to make it to the doctor. They facilitate discounted gym memberships, provide amazing and life-saving community outreach, and act as a foundational partner in every health-related coalition and group. I am grateful to partner with DHC on many projects and to know their amazing staff!

Everyone is super helpful - especially Joel Jara, who always goes above and beyond to provide health care resources for the homeless families I work with.

DuPage Health Coalition is a wonderful community organization providing necessary medical services and referrals. Our County is blessed to have these knowledgable and compassionate partners. They are truly a gift to our community.

We are very grateful for our partnership with the DuPage Health Coalition! They are very present in the community and are always responsive to the families we work with. We appreciate their work and collaboration.

DuPage Health Coalition is very active and helpful for the Latino community. They provide key resources for training and also provide appropriate spaces to reflect about complex social problems. Joel Jara's work of organizing and mobilizing faith communities is very important. I hope their work may continue for many more years.

DuPage Health Coalition leads the way in bringing the community together so that everyone can have equitable access to quality health care and resources. They are the gold standard in community collaboration and ensure that partners can help to articulate their services so that community members can be quickly connected to the programs and services that the organization offers. From ensuring all neighbors know critical lifesaving skills such as CPR and First Aid to supporting positive access to medical services by looking at the root issues surrounding medical debt, DHC is there for neighbors when they need the support the most. Thank you for being the hope people desperately need during times of hopelessness.

I have worked with DHC at various different schools and they are among our favorite organizations to work with because of the initiative they show in developing presentations and information to our families. They have help us arrange informational Q & A sessions on ACCESS DuPage, providing affordable healthcare for our families, helping us arrange basic CPR first aid lessons, and connecting us with mental health presenters.

Great organization to partner and work with.
From the services they provide for community to training and education for residents. I am very happy to work alongside DHC. Joel and his team go above and beyond when it comes to educating the public and informing them about benefits.

Hello, I have worked with Joel Jara and the Dupage Health Coalition and I have only good things to say about them. I am very grateful for Joel because he is always available for any problem that arises with the community. Also, thank you very much for coming to our church to explain to us the different programs that the organization has and how they are available to help if needed. I am looking forward to keep working with them. They are such a great partner.

The DHC has responded to the community in more ways than one could ever imagine. Their dedication and compassion are admirable. They have done an amazing job assuring access to healthcare and strive to reduce disparities in DuPage County. Timber Lake Apartment Homes and the residents are excited to have them as a partner and are grateful for the opportunity to host their HERO CPR/AED/Narcan training event.

My experience with DuPage Health Coalition has been great. I am employed by the Northern Illinois Food Bank and we partner with DuPage Health Coalition. Joel Jara, who is a Community Relationships Coordinator with DuPage Health Coalition, attends our DuPage County food distributions. Joel provides our neighbors with useful health resources and is always very professional.

I enjoy our partnership with DuPage Health Coalition and strongly recommend their agency. They truly make a difference for those living in DuPage County.

Access DuPage providers a vital service for our community, especially for those whose immigration status diminishes access to resources.

The DuPage Health Coalition supports our local community in many ways, we are seeing a lot of families coming in without any health insurance and DHC is able to help most of our families which includes their kids and parents, THANK YOU for your flexibility when we are reaching out to you to facilitate families with making appointments due to language barriers.

Joel came out to speak with my Spanish Parent Outreach program. He did a wonderful job explaining the resources available to the community. . .and he so in Spanish!

The people that work at DHC are top-notch! They are always ready to help with resources and information. I work with school personnel that support McKinney-Vento eligible students and frequently have situations that require specialized information for heath-care needs. The employees at DHC go above and beyond to not only answer the question, but give additional options as well.

The DuPage Health Coalition is an amazing organization that is very proactive in meeting the needs of the community it serves. We partnered with them to help train two members of their staff in Youth Mental Health First Aid in Spanish and they already have three classes scheduled for their community. Congratulations DuPage Health Coalition!

DuPage Health Coalition (DHC) is an exemplary community leader. DHC has responded to our community's needs by providing the Addison Public Library with surgical and N95 masks. Through the Mask Project, the library continues to distribute hundreds of face masks to the community to help slow the spread of COVID-19. DHC is a fantastic and essential asset to DuPage County. Great Work DHC!

Met Joel Jara |Community Relationships Coordinator at one of the community events, very professional, hard worker and dedicated. Since then we have partnered up. He has also connected me with other organizations. We support one another no competition here; just tag teaming it and making a difference in our community one event at a time.

I am so impressed with DuPage Health Coalition. They fill a gap in health care service in our community. Even more than the life-saving service they provide, they are warm and steady in their outreach efforts--really making sure that people in the community know their options, know their rights, and are offered high quality, compassionate care. I could not recommend them more highly.

The DuPage Health Coalition is an invaluable asset to the communities and residents in DuPage County. This partnership group works to help families gain access to health care, which is a vital need for families, especially for children. DHC is a responsive, reliable partner that keeps us informed about their programs, and supports the families we work with. DHC helped a very young child in our school community receive urgent medical care from an orthopedic specialist for a broken leg. Had DHC not stepped in and helped this family, the child would have suffered needlessly for days. DHC is a leader in the health care community in DuPage County and is a valued partner.

The DuPage Health Coalition (DHC) supports our local community in many ways, including through doing direct outreach to the guests of The Outreach House, Lombard during our opening hours. Having Joel Jara from DHC interact so compassionately with our guests, answering their questions and providing them with resources for their health care needs has been a wonderful addition to the experience of our guests when they visit The Outreach House for their food, clothes, infant and emergency needs. DHC has also provided The Outreach House with surgical and N95 masks to distribute to our guests. We're so grateful for the partnership of DHC and all they do for our community!

The DuPage Health Coalition sets an excellent example for community leadership by responding to our community's needs. They always listen, learn, and make essential changes that positively impact our entire community. One task we are working together to change is recognizing the ethnic category of Middle-eastern & North African (MENA), so we can ensure that everyone is valued and counted. Thank you for being an asset to our community and making a difference.

I am a family liaison at Addison School Dist. 4. In my job role I work with all new incoming families in our school. During this process we have interviews and come across common barriers. Most families do not have health insurance for themselves or student(s). Working with Access DuPage we are able to stop these barriers and assist not just the student(s), but the whole family.

Because my husband is older than me, he was able to go on Medicare for health insurance. I had to have private insurance. We are living off of his social security and a small pension only. Private insurance for me was out of reach until President Obama passed the Affordable Care Act. When I went to DuPage County Health Department to apply, I was told about the Silver Access Program. This program enabled me to have a choice of which insurer to use. But more importantly, as long as I chose a "silver" program, Silver Access Dupage supplemented my premium each month, which made my having insurance even more affordable. Thank you!

I recently had the opportunity to work on a special project with Kara Murphy, DHC President. Because of her guidance and expertise, I was able to more effectively help a group of non-profits with whom we are partnering for a targeted, patient population. Kara and the DHC team exemplify service and are great partners. They have made our organization more effective, improving the lives and health outcomes in the communities we serve.

Hola , Estoy agradecida porqu\u00E9 las personas que trabajan en esta organizaci\u00F3n son personas muy eficientes muy profesionales , toman de su tiempo para ayudar a los m\u00E1s necesitados de antemano se les agradece la labor que realizan , siempre poniendo su atenci\u00F3n lo mejor posible con los que necesitamos , muchas gracias por todo sea Dios bendiciendolos y d\u00E1ndoles m\u00E1s de ese buen coraz\u00F3n que tienen para con nosotros .Bendiciones \uD83E\uDD70.

Las personas que están en Access Dupage son las mejores, extremadamente profesionales porque siempre están pendientes de lo que hemos necesitado para atención médica, amables porque te dan todo el tiempo que necesitas para cualquier duda o situación. Estoy especialmente agradecida con Nancy Por su calidez humana por la gran empatía y empeño en ayudar. De corazón muchas gracias por la gran ayuda de las personas de Access Dupage.
Gracias infinitas al condado de Dupage porque sin esta ayuda personas de bajos recursos no podríamos pagar los especialistas y médicos

I have worked with the DuPage Health Coalition for years on a technical support basis. During that time I have had the opportunity to get to know the staff and understand the needs of their operation. It's a rare thing to work with so many people who truly believe in the mission that they support each day. Additionally, not only does leadership actively think about the community it supports but it equally cares about the individuals who make up the ranks of the DuPage Health Coalition. It is real honor to work with an organization that is willing to serve the community in such a positive and helpful way.

The DuPage County Continuum of Care collaborates with the DuPage Health Coalition to ensure individuals experiencing homelessness and those at risk of homelessness have access to health care enrollment through locally funded safety net health programs such as Access DuPage, Silver Access, and Dispensary of Hope for much needed prescription assistance.
During the healthcare crisis, the DuPage Health Coalition equipped homeless housing and service providers to prevent or limit infectious disease outbreaks among program participants by sharing information during weekly communication sessions, individual homeless provider updates, exchanges of updated information and education, formal directives for homeless service providers on increased safety measures, and dissemination of updated health advisories. Information included proper use of masks and proper hand hygiene, the need for social distancing, and the importance of preventing or limiting infectious disease outbreaks among program participants and in places where persons remained unsheltered, as well as in the workplace. The DuPage Health Coalition is a valuable community partner.

Du Page Health Coalition ( DHC) is an amazing community resource for the uninsured and underinsured in Du Page County . DHC is consistently partners with the community in order to assure the residents have access to health care . As a member of the Illinois Association of Free and Charitable Clinics , DHC is a leader in the state in understanding the needs and strengths of the community and always striving to improve and enhance their services. The staff is passionate and knowledgeable- always ready to work collectively for those they serve.

I spent a year with DuPage Health Coalition as an AmeriCorps VISTA on their team and I have nothing but great things to say about the staff and the work that they do! To put it simply, DuPage Health Coalition (with their three major programs, Access DuPage, Silver Access, and DuPage Dispensary of Hope) is a dynamic, yet structured and involved nonprofit that is putting in great strides to increase healthcare access in DuPage County for those who are low income and/or are otherwise ineligible for healthcare. As a clinic without borders, DHC connects patients with providers and resources, working not only with other nonprofits in the area, but also with schools, places of worship, and other community organizations to advocate for and serve their patients. DHC has also been adapting to the needs of the DuPage County community, working to vaccinate DuPage County against COVID-19, providing masks and COVID-19 tests to those in need, operating a free flu vaccine voucher program as well as organizing educational programming about health care and staying healthy. DuPage Health Coalition is such an amazing nonprofit in the DuPage County area, and I’m thankful to have been a small part of it over the last year!

This is a multi-faceted non-profit that strives to increase healthcare access for those with low (or no) income levels in DuPage County. They do not see patients but facilitate access. DHC looks to partner with local clinics and community organizations. It would be fair to say they are "ego-less" as they are just trying to do the best thing by those they assist. The have a good outreach program.

DuPage Health Coalition (DHC) is a leader in promoting health and assuring access to health care for thousands of residents. Thanks to their leadership, regional collaboration among health care providers (hospitals, community health centers, public health) has been strengthened. DHC continues to be responsive and innovative in its ability to function as a key healthcare safety net provider. This is evidenced by their programming, including the DuPage Dispensary of Hope (pharmacy assistance for uninsured), the Silver Access program (assistance with ACA Marketplace premiums), and more.

DuPage Federation on Human Services Reform works closely with DuPage Health Coalition to engage human services providers to be ambassadors of good health and healthy behaviors.



During this pandemic, where groups have been disproportionately harmed by race, origin and other identity, as vaccination has been and is necessary to protect the entire community, DHC joined with DCHD and DuPage Federation to create the Health Equity and Access Response Team regarding COVID-19 (HEART).

I am convinced that hundreds, perhaps thousands of lives were protected, and the health status of thousands of persons, perhaps tens of thousands, was preserved because of DHC.

The DuPage Health Coalition is HIGHLY collaborative and efficient! They work with all clientele, nonprofit organizations, and community members to insure the best healthcare is available to everyone! They advocate and strengthen our community where it counts most--our health!

The DuPage Health Coalition sets an excellent example for community leadership! The DHC has responded to our community's needs by providing the Addison Public Library with reusable cloth face masks. Through the Mask Project, the library continues to distribute hundreds of reusable face masks to the community to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The DHC is a fantastic and essential asset to DuPage County. Great Work DHC!
 
Marcey Hernandez
Social Services Coordinator
Addison Public Library

DHC has helped the West Chicago community through the mask project. These masks were provided with care packages to families in need. When we ran out, DHC was able to send us more. Truly DHC is such an asset to DuPage County.

I am the supervisor of home visiting services for infants and toddlers in Naperville CUSD #203.
Access DuPage has been a lifesaver for many of the Naperville CUSD 203 families that are served through our infant and toddler home visiting program as well as our community-based preschool.
This free program helps eligible residents of DuPage receive low-cost healthcare services. Dental services are also offered at low to no cost in emergency situations. The compassionate care that families receive from cooperating healthcare professionals including specialists, hospitals and medical centers is remarkable and the coordinated efforts to provide high quality healthcare to the diverse families in our community, regardless of income, are exceptional. The renewal process is simple to navigate.
Language barriers in healthcare can lead to miscommunication and decrease the quality of healthcare delivery. Access DuPage understands the importance of effective communication and employs a multilingual staff to help ease tension and build trust.
Enrolled families have found quick response times to inquiries including those needing acute care. Mental health coverage, which can be limited to those without insurance, can also be coordinated in a timely manner. In addition, the response to COVID-19 questions for care has been professional and sensitive.
The Dispensary of Hope provides our families a pharmacy program helping patients receive free medication.
We are fortunate to live in a community that cares deeply about its members regardless of financial status or ability to pay. It should be noted that DACA recipients are also eligible. We continue to be forever grateful that Access DuPage has such a cooperative and generous spirit!
Thank you.

I worked with Access DuPage to deliver health supports and information to our students and families. The support provided to our organization has been exemplary. I truly appreciate their efforts and actions!

It has been so amazing to work with Access DuPage/ DuPage Health Coalition!! Our Rotary Club does many mobile food pantries and we have partnered to hand out cloth reusable face masks to all clients....along with information on flue shots and how to use the masks and clean them!! We are so grateful for their partnership!

Northern Illinois Food Bank worked with Access DuPage in the Fall of 2020 to provide free flu vaccines and distribute vouchers to residents visiting our Mobile Food Pantries. This was an excellent partnership to reach people that may not have insurance to cover the flu shots or may not have time to go to the doctor or pharmacy to get the shot. Access DuPage worked with Walgreens and VNA to bring the flu shots directly to the Mobile Pantry locations so people could receive the shots after picking up food. We were also able to help distribute the vouchers at local food pantries across the county. We look forward to continuing to work with Access DuPage in the coming year.

“For a community to be whole and healthy, it must be based on people’s love and concern for each other.” Millard Fuller
This is what I see with the Dupage Health Coalition. Our clients needed all sorts of help, health education, and more!
At the time of desperation and confusion, this organization stepped up and shared the love and compassion by providing caring services like flu vaccines to our community with the best work ethics. Dupage Health Coalition leads the community during this pandemic by making partnerships and building bridges.
The leadership and the whole team are so down to earth and approachable.
I wish them all the best.
Dr. Saima Azfar
Regional Director
ICNA Relief

I am the coordinator of Marketplace activities for the DuPage County Health Department and I have been for 6 years. Years ago, when DuPage Health Coalition created a premium assistance program called, Silver Access, the only program like it in Illinois, DCHD staff was thrilled to be able to offer this additional premium assistance to our clients since we see a large number of immigrants, self-employed adults and families earning above the Medicaid threshold when job based insurance is not present. For years, we have worked with Marina Sedory, the director of Silver Access, as DHC helped 500 clients initially and 700 clients currently. I love telling clients that the closest program, like Silver Access, is Madison WI. I am also very impressed with the mandatory orientation that Silver Access has each year. The first year the topic was health literacy. I have attended all the orientations and I have been impressed by all of them.
As a social service referring Community Health Worker, another DHC program that I refer clients to is Dispensary of Hope. I meet with many clients at the Medicaid office that have been denied Medicaid and do not have a special enrollment for Marketplace insurance. These uninsured clients have a difficult time finding affordable medications. Dispensary of Hope allows these clients, at 200% FPL or lower, to have free medications. This service has been invaluable for our clients.

The initial mission and vision of, what is now the DuPage Health, was groundbreaking and, dare I say, almost impossible to believe that it would be successful However, the leaders of this organization were relentless in their goal of bringing medical access to individuals who desperately needed it. The development of the program and its services was a huge undertaking, but I believe that its success was due to the endless hours the team spent with local public benefits organizations, medical professionals, emergency room personnel and, of course, individuals in need, to find the best way for everyone to work together and bring primary health care to indigent populations in DuPage County. As a community organization who sees the needs of uninsured individuals on a regular basis, the DuPage Health Coalition is the "go to" referral for everyone who we see in need of insurance, marketplace questions and medical /pharmacy referrals.

The services offered by the DuPage Health Coalition have grown through the years and each new program is designed on the current needs of DuPage county communities with quick and efficient roll outs per geographical needs. To date, our organization has partnered with DHC to bring services like flu shot clinics, enrollment specialists, Covid-19 safety education materials, masks and PPE kits, directly to our location for the clients we serve. DHC also donated disposable medical masks to our staff and volunteers to help protect us during our food pantry distributions and client appointments during the beginning of the pandemic.

The dedication of this organization has been able to decrease the load of ER visits from chronically ill patients, provided financial assistance for insurance premiums, offer free and low cost prescription medication, provided peace of mind to thousands of uninsured individuals who know they have access to medical care if, and when, needed. Most importantly, they have saved people's lives.

I am very grateful to have DuPage Health Coalition in our community and as our partner.

I currently and for the past 21 years have held the title of General Assistance Director for Winfield Township, one of the 9 townships within DuPage County, Illinois. The state-mandated cash assistance program which I administer includes a medical component for the recipients. Access DuPage has been invaluable to our clients and the township by providing low-cost prescriptions and physician visits. Generic prescriptions are $5 for the members of Access DuPage. Doctor visits can range from $5 to $15 including specialists. For recipients of our General Assistance program, even these small co-pays are out of reach. The township must make these payments for its G.A. Recipients and many of the precriptions can be quite costly for a local government's budget to bear. Being able to make the small co-pay instead of paying retail is a benefit to the township. Having low-income, chronically needy individuals in the Access DuPage program will ultimately forestall catastrophic medical issues by assigning people to primary medical care physicians or clinics. I wholly endorse this charily program as does Winfield Township by budgeting $7000 per year to Access DuPage

As a staff member of an affordable housing organization, I rely on other efficient, effective nonprofits to provide crucial services, like healthcare, for our residents. Access DuPage provides such comprehensive care options at incredibly low cost and is often the only healthcare provider that we can refer our residents to. I applaud Access DuPage for their efforts and their consistency in providing great healthcare service for their clients.

DuPage County is fairly affluent, yet there are a large number of uninsured and underinsured residents as well. Access DuPage serves our community by screening clients seeking health care services, linking them to needed health services and/or a primary care-giver, and coordinating specialized services when neccessary. As is the case elsewhere, funding is often inadequate to the growing need, so Access DuPage must also seek grants, in-kind services, and other means of financial support in order to serve their clients. The most important aspect seems to be serving the clients with dignity, expertise, efficiency, and concern.