Mayor Robert J. Lovero and Oak Street Health celebrated the opening of the organization’s fifth neighborhood medical center located at 7000 W. Cermak Road in Berwyn. Oak Street Health centers provide neighborhood-based Medicare-eligible residents with options for primary care and dental services. The state-of-the-art center will employ 35 full-time positions and is committed to hiring local, neighborhood residents to serve the over 2,500 seniors in the area. The organization expects to have more than 150 employees by the end of 2014, and hire another 200 employees in 2015.

The Oak Street Health model invests more in primary care to keep its members healthy and out of hospitals. Physician patient panels are about a fourth of the size of most fee-based medical practices, providing increased patient access to doctors, including same-day and next-day appointments for seniors with unexpected health concerns. The “one-stop care approach” ensures that physicians, medical specialists and care teams work collaboratively to address the unique needs of patients, while on-site dental services and in-house pharmacy services simplify patient care.

Oak Street Health opened its first two Chicago clinics in September 2013 at 1541 West Devon in Edgewater and 4848 West Irving Park in Portage Park. By the end of 2014, it will operate five centers in Chicago and one additional suburban facility in Blue Island, IL. For more information, please visit www.oakstreethealth.com or 312-733-3374.