‘Medical care is a human right’: St. Charles clinics meet the needs of Kane County’s uninsured
The best thing since sliced bread.
That's how patient and former volunteer Lori Gasca describes Tri City Health Partnership, the nonprofit organization that for 24 years has provided free medical and dental care to Kane County residents living at or below the Federal Poverty Level.
TCHP is one of five charities set to receive grants through the Daily Herald/Robert R. McCormick Foundation's fifth annual Neighbors in Need fundraising campaign. As part of the partnership, the McCormick Foundation contributes 50 cents for every dollar readers donate to the fund.
“They help so many people,” Gasca said of the professionals who staff adjacent medical and dental clinics located in former single-family homes at 314 and 318 Walnut St., St. Charles. Medical services include primary care, wellness exams, women's health care, chronic disease management, immunizations, lab tests, prescription medications and specialty services. Dental services include cleanings, X-rays, fillings, extractions and emergency treatment.
“We're working people. We've worked all our lives,” said Gasca, who resides in Maple Park with her husband and their grandson. “If we didn't have (TCHP), we wouldn't have medical care.”
Grants and donations fund the clinics, which administrators say receive no government funding.
“People don't do this for money,” Gasca said. “They do it because they have a heart and they know the community.”
Several physicians, an attorney and a real estate professional founded TCHP in 2001 to provide basic health care for people without health insurance who have no where else to turn, said medical director Dr. Sarah Kimber, a volunteer for nearly 24 years.
“Basic medical care is a human right,” she said, “not a privilege for people who can afford expensive insurance.”
Kimber continues, “We try to provide everyone with preventive care and long-term care in an atmosphere of dignity and respect.”
Eligible TCHP patients must live or work in Kane County, have no insurance and make less than 250% of the poverty level, which translates to an income ranging from $80,000 to $86,000 annually for a family of four, according to executive director Dani Ward.
In 2024, more than 580 individual patients visited the clinics, Ward said. As of early December, TCHP volunteers had treated 550 unique patients, many of whom require ongoing treatment over multiple visits, Ward said.
The clinics treat adults 18 and older. Most patients are between 19 and 64 years old, said Ward. Their most common ailments are diabetes, high blood pressure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
“We primarily see working adults,” Ward said. “Some work multiple jobs, but none provide insurance benefits. Some are self-employed or unemployed.”
Even after more than two decades, getting the word out remains TCHP's biggest challenge, she said. But she and her colleagues persevere.
“We've been here for 24 years, and we will be here for 24 more or as long as we're needed,” she said.
Fourteen full and part-time staff members — including a full-time registered nurse who serves as the clinical care manager and a part-time registered nurse assistant — support more than 100 volunteers. Among those volunteers are internists and general practitioners, specialists, retired medical and dental professionals, nurse practitioners, hygienists, paramedics, phlebotomists and medical residents who volunteer as part of their community health rotation, Ward said.
“I can't say enough about them,” said Gasca, who has volunteered as an interpreter for TCHP’s non-English speaking patients. “They take time for you. Everyone is there because they want to be there.”
“They treat you like family,” she added.
Ward’s hopes for the clinics’ future include expanding hours beyond the current 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekday schedule and opening additional sites.
“We're just barely scratching the surface of need in our area,” she said. “There are a lot more people without health insurance who need our services.”
<strong id="strong-f84ba9448702c2e55622f6610063f1e1">Tri City Health Partnership Medical and Dental Clinic</strong>
Mission: The Tri City Health Partnership provides quality medical and dental care to people living or working in central Kane County. Medical services include care for acute illnesses and chronic conditions, wellness checks, health screenings, women’s health care, flu immunizations, medication assistance. physical therapy, vision care and more.
Website: tchpfreeclinic.org