United Way and Heartland International Health Center Team Up

Hibbard Elementary School students listen at the groundbreaking ceremony.

A recent study on the nation’s oral health released by the U.S. Surgeon general reported that more than 51 million school hours are lost each year to dental-related illness. United Way recently helped fund a new health facility that will provide a wide range of services from primary care and mental health to dentistry and nutritional help. This center was opened by Heartland International Health Center (HIHC) in Chicago’s Hibbard School in Albany Park and will help more than 1,700 local underserved children.

Having gone to the dentist last week myself (where I was told I have four cavities), I started to think about what it would be like to not have the ability to visit a dentist. By now I would already be down and out some teeth, I can tell you that much. But, out there right now there are kids and teens who don’t have a dentist to visit. I find it exciting and moving that HIHC will change that for our community. By providing these health services now, many children will have resources on how to get help and understand how their choices will affect them in the future.

Some Hibbard Elementary School students and their principal Scott Ahlman and Alderman Margaret Laurino of the 39th ward at the groundbreaking.

HIHC’s health facility is not a new idea. There are five other locations around Chicago that helped more than 13,000 patients in 2009, showing that this program is growing. But, you can’t deny the fact that many children just need help. Yet, I don’t know whether to feel happy that these services are becoming available for more people in need or frustrated that there is this much need in the first place. These are the things that HIHC is trying to fix. Not only will children be given health care, but they will also gain more class time, making it easier to learn. Now there’s something worth smiling about.

Photos by Jerry Daliege.

Kristin Lastres

Hi! I'm the Marketing and Communications intern at United Way of Metro Chicago for the summer! I'm going to be a senior at Marquette in the fall and I'm majoring in Public Relations and Marketing. I'm looking forward to spending my summer here and will keep you posted on all the United Way happenings!