On June 10, Cook County Health held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of a new dialysis center at Provident Hospital.

The 6,600-square-foot standalone facility, located at 430 E. 50^th Place, has been opened since March.

The ceremony brought together local elected leaders, Cook County Health officials and a dialysis patient who noted the importance of the center’s location on the South Side of Chicago.

African Americans (17.01 percent) and Hispanics (15.29 percent) are more likely to have chronic kidney disease than Caucasians (13.99 percent), according to the National Institutes of Health. African Americans are also four times as likely as Caucasians to develop kidney failure.

“Health conditions that disproportionally impact Black and Brown communities, including heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, can result in kidney disease,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said. “Kidney disease often has no warning signs and can go unnoticed until it is in advanced stages. There are an estimated 15,000 people suffering from kidney failure in Cook County alone.”

Dialysis requires three treatments a week and each treatment taking several hours. Cook County Health treats thousands of people with renal disease and more than 100 will start dialysis each year.

Previously, patients with Cook County Health who required dialysis would have to travel to Stroger Hospital for treatment or, due to a lack of dialysis center in many communities, had to be dialyzed at a private center far from their home.

“By opening the dialysis center at Provident, patients on the South Side will reduce their travel time, improve their quality of life and have continuity of care, keeping them within the CCH system and with the doctors and nurses they know, and who know them,” said Cook County Health CEO Israel Rocha.  “As we’ve seen during the pandemic, quality health care services are needed here now more than ever before.”

The dialysis center is part of Cook County Health’s larger vision for transforming Provident Hospital and improving care to residents on the South Side of Chicago.

“We are reaffirming our commitment to our longstanding mission to deliver health services with dignity and respect, regardless of an individual’s background or ability to pay,” Mr. Rocha said.

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Kate Hedlin, Communications Manager
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