In Illinois, nearly 200,000 residents who require home-based primary care (HBPC) are not receiving this critical medical service. To address this urgent need, 17 Illinois medical practices, some independent, others representing hospital systems, and three supporting subspecialty groups including dentistry, dermatology, and wound care, will participate in a new 3-year project, the Illinois House Call Project, building on their track record of caring for the state’s most vulnerable residents—homebound adults with chronic conditions. Among the 2.1 million older adults living in Illinois, at least 12 percent are 85 years of age or older. More than 700,000 residents have ambulatory difficulties, and 40 percent of Medicare beneficiaries across the state have four or more chronic conditions. Approximately 260,000 individuals are homebound*, with only 26 percent receiving HBPC. The House Call Champions—in addition to their existing base of patients—seek to collectively enroll and serve 3,000 new homebound or home-limited people in their homes by 2024. Without HBPC, many forego primary care or rely on their local emergency rooms and hospitals to help them when crises arise. Chicago hospitals selected for the “House Call” Project are:

• Comprehensive Care @ UChicago Medicine, Chicago, IL

• Duo Health, Chicago, IL

• ElderDerm (Dermatology), Chicago, IL

• Frontier Healthcare Systems, Chicago, IL

• H2Home Med, Chicago, IL

• In-Home Physicians, Chicago, IL

• Joyful Dental (Dentistry), Chicago, IL

• Lifesaver Healthcare, Chicago, IL

• Mendota Health (Wound Care) – based in St. Paul, MN, serves Chicago and outlying areas

• Shifa Nephrology Associates, Chicago, IL