VNA Health Care launches campaign to raise $5 million for projects including improvements to Aurora facilities
Aurora-based VNA Health Care is launching a campaign to raise $5 million to fund a number of projects, including the expansion of two of its Aurora facilities and the creation of a health center in West Aurora School District.
The three-year campaign, called “Growing for Tomorrow,” launched Thursday with the goal to increase the non-profit community health center’s patients from 75,000 to 100,000 across the suburban Chicago region by 2028.
Linnea Windel, president and CEO of VNA, said the overarching goal is to serve more people who would otherwise have difficulty accessing care.
“There are tens of thousands of people who are not currently using a community health center across our service area, and some might be going to the ER room for care,” Windel said. “It’s an indication that there is a lot of unmet need and we want to reduce the number of people who are not accessing health care regularly.”
The Dunham Foundation, an Aurora non-profit organization, kicked off fundraising with a $1.5 million donation that will support the expansion of VNA’s Indian Avenue location in Aurora and add an additional 15 exam rooms.
The project at the Indian Avenue facility is set to be completed in 2024 and will include a significant expansion to serve more patients in obstetrics, prenatal care, pediatric services and family practices, including adding doula services for pregnant patients.
The clinic will also have a new supervised play area for children while their parents are receiving care and an expanded wellness kitchen, officials said.
The Dunham Foundation has previously partnered with VNA to support expansion of the pediatric wing at VNA’s Highland Avenue facility in Aurora, construction at the Indian Avenue site and to support VNA’s services related to the pandemic, including testing and vaccination.
“VNA’s mission aligns wholeheartedly with the foundation’s goal of building better communities for future generations, and we hope our campaign gift helps launch a successful campaign to support VNA’s growth,” Vicki Morcos, president and CEO of the Dunham Foundation, said in a statement.
Additional plans for VNA include starting a school-linked health center within the West Aurora School District in the fall of 2023. The center would be staffed by a nurse practitioner who would provide medical assessments, diagnosis and prescriptions and be housed at the former Todd School in Aurora, Windel said.
“It is a very convenient way for parents to have services for their students during the school day,” Windel said. “It helps with everything from school and sports physicals and immunizations to a student having asthma and going to the nurse to check on the medications being used.”
VNA already has a similar program at East Aurora High School.
In future years, the comprehensive plan calls for improvements at VNA’s Highland Avenue location and to start a day service program for older adults.
VNA’s plans also include a Joliet location, where ground was broken this summer for a 14,000-square-foot clinic. VNA also operates clinics in Elgin, and plans include an expansion of the clinic on Villa Street in the city.
“We have a far-reaching service area into Kane, Will and DuPage counties where we’ll be adding more sites and services,” Windel said.
