University of Illinois CHECK program

The University of Illinois is receiving a $19.6 million federal grant to test a medical care model that focuses on poor children and young adults with chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes.

University of Illinois CHECK, will establish and build a “medical neighborhood” model to address the lack of access to care in medically underserved areas on the West and South sides of Chicago. CHECK employs 30 community health workers to connect patients and their families to the primary care doctors, specialists, mental health clinicians and others who can help them. Teams led by nurses and social workers would coordinate the care to prevent duplication of services, and all the parts of the network would be knit together with an IT system that would facilitate sharing of information and communication between providers.

U of I's pilot will draw about 6,000 Medicaid recipients up to age 25 with a chronic disease like asthma, diabetes, depression or sickle-cell anemia or at least two or more minor chronic diseases, such as epilepsy. Enrollees come from the ranks of patients signed up in UI Health Plus, U of I's accountable care entity, or ACE, a managed care program for people on Medicaid.

Who We Are
CHECK is an innovative health and behavioral health care delivery organization working to improve overall health and quality of life by making sure that our patients, and their families, receive the resources and care they need. The CHECK team provides comprehensive and coordinated health and behavioral health care coordination to Medicaid recipients as one of Illinois’ newest Integrated Health Homes. Our team consists of Care Coordinators and Behavioral Health Care Coordinators who provide assistance with navigation of the healthcare system, referrals to health and social services, and offer ongoing patient and family support with the goal of improving physical, behavioral, and social health.

The CHECK program is located in the Department of Pediatrics in the College of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System (UI Health).

What We Do
Guided by healthcare professionals within Chicago’s premier public research university, the University of Illinois at Chicago, CHECK offers holistic care to you and your family. As a part of our commitment to providing your family with the best healthcare solutions, we provide a unique healthcare road map, created by you and our health experts, that works to promote healthier lifestyles, reduce hospital visits, and takes a preventative approach to physical and behavioral care.

In addition to providing a unique approach to community care, we also work with you and your family to remove any barriers to care. We work with you to identify these barriers and will provide you with additional resources or referrals from our wide network of professionals. Whatever you and your family need, CHECK has you covered!