This month Cook County Health is celebrating a major milestone: the 50th anniversary of the Dr. Jorge Prieto Health Center. Opened in August 1975, the center was Cook County’s first community-based clinic, pioneering a new approach to public health by moving care directly into the neighborhoods where people live.  Initially known as the South Lawndale Health Center, the clinic was the result of a shared vision between Dr. Jorge Prieto and the community to make quality health services more accessible. In 1991, it was renamed in his honor.  Today, the Prieto Health Center remains a model for community-centered care, offering a wide range of services including primary care, women’s health, pediatrics, and dental care, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay or immigration status. This approach has helped build trust and improve health outcomes for families throughout the area.  Cook County Health has expanded on this model over the past five decades and now operates more than a dozen community health centers across the county. In 2024 alone, these clinics had over 569,000 visits, continuing the legacy of providing high-quality, accessible care to all.  “Fifty years later, our father’s legacy and vision live on through the quality-of-care patients receive at Cook County’s neighborhood clinics, as well as around the country from doctors trained in family practice medicine,” said Carmen Prieto.

Photo Credit: Cook County Health