An artist's rendering of the Joliet Community Health Center.

Aunt Martha’s to Host Ceremonial Groundbreaking at
Future Site of Joliet Community Health Center

Olympia Fields, Illinois – March 8, 2012 – Aunt Martha's Youth Service Center will hold a ceremonial groundbreaking its new Joliet Community Health Center on Friday, March 16 at 9:30 a.m. at 1200 Eagle Street on the former Joliet campus of Silver Cross Hospital. 

Aunt Martha’s CEO Raul Garza will be joined by Senator Pat McGuire (43^rd District – Illinois); Will County Executive Larry Walsh; Joliet Mayor Tom Giarrante and other local community and project officials.

“This project is about more than Aunt Martha’s. It’s about a community coming together to capitalize on an unprecedented opportunity,” says Garza. “This is our chance, the community’s chance to take an important step toward doing what Mayor Giarrante spoke about recently – reinventing itself.”

The new health center, the construction of which is funded by a grant Aunt Martha’s received under Facility Investment Program (FIP) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will house 21 medical exam rooms, 9 dental operatories and 5 behavioral health offices. The facility will have space for administrative offices for Aunt Martha’s staff, as well as meeting space that will be available for use by other community organizations. In its first year of operation, Aunt Martha’s expects to provide more than 24,000 patient visits at the new clinic.

The Joliet Community Health Center is one of two projects included in Aunt Martha’s FIP award. The agency is also preparing to begin work on a Pediatric Health & Community Wellness Center in Chicago Heights. Aunt Martha’s $11.8 million FIP grant represents the largest such award received by any community health center in Illinois, and the third largest amount in the country.

Aunt Martha's Youth Service Center is a private, not-for-profit agency providing complete health care and social services for family members of all ages in underserved communities across Illinois. The agency is state licensed to provide child welfare, substance abuse treatment and child care services. All services, including mental health and primary health care, are Joint Commission accredited. In 2011, Aunt Martha’s served nearly 90,000 patients and clients.

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