PILSEN — A family health clinic has been converted into a coronavirus screening and testing center in Pilsen.
University of Illinois Health’s Pilsen Family Health Center, 1714 S. Ashland Ave., opened the new community screening and testing facility last week, spokeswoman Jacqueline Carey said.
At the clinic, patients with symptoms of COVID-19 are being evaluated by medical professionals and tested if they meet certain medical criteria.
The clinic is accepting patients by appointment only. People can request an appointment by calling 866-600-CARE.
“People who are experiencing mild or moderate symptoms of COVID-19 should follow the prompts to speak with a nurse who will provide guidance or help schedule an appointment,” Carey said.
Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th), who worked with UI Health to make the conversion of the clinic possible, said more testing is needed to protect vulnerable communities that have pre-existing conditions like asthma and diabetes.
Coronavirus is impacting large swaths of Black Chicagoans as well as undocumented residents who don’t have access to medical care, Sigcho-Lopez said. In Chicago, 70 percent of the people who have died from coronavirus are Black, according to a WBEZ analysis.
Across the 25th Ward, from the ABLA Homes to Chinatown to Pilsen, people are afraid to seek medical attention because of the prohibitive cost of treatment, Sigcho-Lopez said.
“We have seen how these fatalities have disproportionately impacted African American and Latino residents, we want to make sure [testing and resources] are available to everyone to prevent fatalities and save lives,” he said.
Coronavirus screening and testing is also being done Alivio Medical Center, 2355 S. Western Ave. in Pilsen, Sigcho-Lopez said.
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