Northwestern Medicine Welcomes Bronzeville Advanced Outpatient Care Center
I have been a practicing Internist at Northwestern Medicine for 23 years. As one of the longest-practicing Black physicians at Northwestern, I have seen this organization grow and transition in many ways.
Though I have always been a proud Northwestern Medicine physician and have loved the work that I do every day and have enjoyed and learned so much from my colleagues who work alongside me, this new era, this “focus on equity” era, is truly one of my proudest moments as a physician at Northwestern Medicine. As a part of this focus on equity, Northwestern Medicine will be erecting a 120,000-square-foot advanced outpatient care center on the South Side of Chicago in the Bronzeville neighborhood in September 2025. Certain areas of the South Side, including Bronzeville, have been long known to be disinvested areas not only in terms of healthcare but in other areas as well. I am proud to have been named medical director of this facility and look forward to continuing my health equity fight. This site will represent Northwestern Medicine’s first physical presence on the South Side of Chicago.
Investing in access to quality healthcare in underserved communities is important for so many reasons.
First, it promotes social justice and equity, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their race or socioeconomic status, has the right to good health and well-being.
Second, it improves overall public health. When people have access to preventive care, early detection and proper treatment, it can lead to healthier communities.
Lastly, investing in these communities fosters social cohesion and stability. When people have access to healthcare, they are more likely to lead fulfilling lives, contribute positively to society and participate in community activities.
So may we all continue to march forward in this health equity journey to one day bring to fruition a healthy, whole, and equitable society that recognizes and understands that quality healthcare is not a privilege but a right of all Americans regardless of race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status.
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Medical Director, Bronzeville Advanced Outpatient Care Center