A new wellness center backed by Chicago-based Rush University System for Health and several community partners will open April 23 on Chicago’s West Side.
The Sankofa Village Wellness Center — a joint effort between Rush, Chicago-based Erie Family Health Centers, the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago and other organizations — aims to improve health outcomes in West Garfield Park, where residents have a life expectancy up to 18 years less than those living five miles east in the Loop, according to an April 20 news release from the system.
The facility spans 60,000 square feet across three floors and includes a 3,200-square-foot Rush Center for Community Well-Being offering mental health services, addiction care, screenings and wellness programing. Erie will provide primary care regardless of a patient’s insurance status, while the YMCA will operate fitness and youth programming.
The center will also offer services from Equal Hope, West Side United and the Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative, connecting residents to cancer screening, employment programs and other support services. Erie, which services more than 95,000 patients across 13 Chicagoland locations, expects to treat approximately 6,000 patients annually at the site, according to the release.
The project is part of the broader Sankofa Village development, supported by a $10 million grant awarded in 2022, a $3 million donation and $1.5 million in investments from Rush.
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