Health

Get to Know Cook County Health as Your Safety-Net System

Cook County Health is one of the nation’s largest public health systems. Its mission is to provide quality care for all, regardless of income, immigration status, or insurance coverage. That means:

Two major public hospitals
A network of community health centers across city neighborhoods and suburbs
Specialized health services for complex conditions
A growing virtual care program
A strong focus on prevention and public health

If you’re not sure where to start, the main entry point is the official Cook County Health website. From there you can explore services, find a doctor, request an appointment, and connect with financial assistance programs.

Under the umbrella of “Cook County IL Health,” you’re not just getting a single clinic—you’re tapping into a full system built to help you stay healthy over a lifetime.

Choose the Right Cook County Health Service for Your Situation

Picking the right type of care can save you time, money, and stress. Cook County Health organizes services in a way that mirrors what most families need day-to-day.

Use the services directory to match care to your health need

When you’re dealing with symptoms or a diagnosis, it helps to know which specialty is the best fit. The online health services directory groups care into common categories, including:

Primary Care – routine checkups, chronic disease management, vaccinations, and wellness visits for adults

Family Medicine – primary care for the whole family, from kids to older adults

Pediatrics – care tailored to children and teens

OB/GYN and Women’s Health – pregnancy care, annual exams, birth control, and gynecologic conditions

Emergency Medicine – life-threatening or very serious conditions that need immediate help

Specialty Clinics – such as cardiology, neurology, orthopedics, HIV/AIDS care, diabetes and endocrinology, pulmonary and lung health, mental health and substance use, and more

A practical way to use this directory:

Think about your main concern (for example, “chest pain,” “diabetes,” “pregnancy,” or “childhood asthma”).

Scan the list of services to see which category matches that need.

Click through to learn what that clinic treats and where it’s offered.

Combine that with the location search tool to find a site that’s convenient for you.

Find a doctor who fits your health history and preferences

Choosing a provider you’re comfortable with can make it easier to stay on top of your health. Cook County Health’s online doctor directory lets you:

Search by name if you were referred to a specific clinician

Filter by specialty (for example, cardiology or family medicine)

Filter by location, which is especially helpful if you rely on public transit or need something close to home or work

If you already have a primary care provider in the system, you can usually keep them even if your insurance changes, as long as they remain in network. For new patients, the directory is a good starting point before you request an appointment.

Find convenient locations across the county

Cook County IL Health is more than just the big hospitals. There are community health centers and clinics spread across neighborhoods and suburbs, many of them offering extended hours or multiple types of services under one roof.

Use the locations search tool to:

View all hospitals, community health centers, pharmacies, and specialty care sites
Filter by location type—such as hospitals or community health centers
See which clinics are closest to your home, school, or workplace

For many needs—like blood pressure checks, diabetes visits, vaccinations, or birth control—your nearest community health center may be the most convenient option.

Get Fast Care from Home with Virtual Immediate Care

Sometimes you feel too sick to ignore a problem, but not sick enough to sit in an emergency room waiting area. Virtual care can be a practical middle ground.

Cook County Health’s ExpressCare program offers Immediate Care (Virtual Visit) for non-emergency issues. You can talk with a licensed provider by video from your phone, tablet, or computer.

Common conditions virtual immediate care can address

Virtual visits are well-suited for many common health issues, such as:

Cold and flu symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat)
Stuffy or runny nose and sinus infections
Allergies and mild asthma flare-ups
Minor rashes or skin irritation
Red or irritated eyes that might be an infection
Mild stomach problems like nausea, diarrhea, or heartburn
Minor cuts, sprains, or muscle strains
Urinary tract infections and some simple infections

During the visit, the provider can:

Ask detailed questions about your symptoms

Look at visible problems like rashes or eye redness over video

Make a diagnosis when possible

Create a treatment plan and send prescriptions to a Cook County Health or other local pharmacy

If your issue turns out to be more serious, they can guide you to in-person care at one of the system’s hospitals or clinics.

When you still need the emergency department

Virtual immediate care is not a replacement for emergency care. You should go to an emergency department or call 911 for:

Severe chest pain or trouble breathing
Sudden weakness, numbness, or trouble speaking
Serious injuries, heavy bleeding, or large burns
Head injuries or loss of consciousness
Severe abdominal pain
Pregnancy complications or heavy vaginal bleeding

If you’re ever unsure, it’s safer to seek emergency care in person. Virtual providers may also tell you during a visit that you should go straight to a hospital if they’re concerned.

Stay on Top of Your Health with the MyCookCountyHealth Portal

Managing health care gets much easier when you can see your information in one place. Cook County Health’s patient portal, MyCookCountyHealth, is a secure online system that lets you manage much of your care without picking up the phone.

Once you enroll, you can:

View lab results and many radiology results
Review visit summaries and parts of your medical record
See upcoming appointments
Request new appointments or send scheduling requests
Request medication renewals
Send secure messages to your health care team

Getting access to the portal

There are two main ways to enroll:

At a visit: Give your email address to a staff member and ask to be enrolled in MyCookCountyHealth. You’ll receive an invitation email with a link to create your account.

Online self-enrollment: If you meet the criteria for self-enrollment, you can follow the instructions on the MyCookCountyHealth page to sign up.

For many patients, the portal becomes the go-to way to:

Check on test results without waiting for a phone call
Ask quick follow-up questions after appointments
Keep track of medications and refills
Print or review visit summaries for work, school, or personal records

The portal is available in English and Spanish, and you can also connect certain health apps and fitness trackers to your record.

Make Sense of Bills, Insurance, and Financial Assistance

Health care costs are a major concern for many families. One of the core commitments of Cook County IL Health is that services will not be denied based on ability to pay. That does not mean care is automatically free, but it does mean there are structured options to help you manage bills.

Start with the Billing & Insurance page

The Billing and Insurance page pulls key information into one place, including:

Ways to pay medical bills (online, by phone, by mail, or in person)
Accepted payment methods such as major credit cards, checks, and money orders
A link to pay your bill electronically
Information about obtaining a Good Faith Estimate of the cost of care
Details about accepted insurance plans

If you receive a bill you don’t understand, this page is the best starting point. From there, you can decide whether you:

Need help setting up a payment plan
Want a cost estimate before a future procedure
Might qualify for financial assistance

Explore CareLink and other assistance programs

Many uninsured or underinsured residents qualify for help but simply don’t realize it. The CareLink program is specifically designed for Cook County residents who need help paying for care at Cook County Health facilities.

CareLink can:

Reduce the cost of clinic visits, hospital stays, lab tests, and emergency services

Offer sliding-scale discounts based on income and household size

Help people who are between jobs, between insurance plans, or ineligible for certain programs

In addition to CareLink, financial counseling staff can help you:

Apply for Medicaid or All Kids
Complete Medicaid redetermination when it’s time to renew
Understand managed care plan options
Explore plans offered through the Health Insurance Marketplace

Because programs and eligibility rules can change, it’s important to talk with a financial counselor rather than assume you don’t qualify.

Understand Medicaid vs Marketplace insurance

For many adults and families, coverage comes through one of two main pathways:

Medicaid: Free or low-cost insurance for people with lower incomes. In Illinois, Medicaid expansion covers many adults who previously did not qualify.

Health Insurance Marketplace plans: Private insurance plans that you can compare side by side during the annual open enrollment period. Many families receive tax credits that lower their premiums.

Even if you think your income is too high for Medicaid, you may still be eligible for sliding-scale help with Marketplace plans, or for discounted care at Cook County Health. A financial counselor can help you sort through these options so you don’t put off needed care because of cost worries.

Protect Community Health Through Public Health Services

Individual health and community health are closely tied. Cook County’s public health infrastructure plays a major role in preventing outbreaks and promoting healthy living.

The Cook County Department of Public Health works alongside Cook County Health to:

Track infectious diseases such as COVID-19, measles, and mpox

Issue alerts and guidance for outbreaks

Support vaccination campaigns

Promote healthy behaviors like physical activity, tobacco cessation, and healthy eating

Address environmental and social factors that affect health, such as housing and transportation

Cook County Health also offers disease-specific information through its own channels—for example, pages devoted to COVID-19, measles, and mpox. Checking these official resources can help you separate rumor from fact during any public health emergency.

For families, staying informed through official public health sources can help you:

Decide when to get vaccinated or boosted
Understand whether symptoms should keep a child home from school
Follow isolation, masking, or testing recommendations during outbreaks

Prepare for Your Visit as a Patient or Visitor

A little planning can make your visit smoother, especially if you are bringing children, older adults, or multiple family members.

In the Patients & Visitors section of the Cook County Health site you’ll find:

Visitor information: policies about visiting hours, support persons, and what you can bring

Community resources: links to social support programs and care coordination

Request medical records: how to obtain copies of your medical records for personal use, other providers, schools, or employers

Good Faith Estimates: how to request advance cost information, which is especially important for people without insurance or with high deductibles

If transportation or scheduling is a barrier, consider combining a primary care visit with labs or specialty visits at the same site when possible. And if you need a specific date or time, use the online appointment request form to start the scheduling process.

Coordinate Your Care Across Clinics and Services

Because Cook County IL Health is a system, not a single clinic, your doctors and nurses can often see your history from other visits within the network. That can make it easier to:

Transition from hospital to outpatient care

Move from pediatric care to adult care

See specialists like cardiologists or neurologists with your primary care provider’s notes in hand

Manage complex conditions that involve multiple specialties

Using the portal, staying with one primary care home when possible, and asking providers to communicate with each other can all help keep your care coordinated and safer.

Key Cook County Health locations and contact details

John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County – 1969 W. Ogden Ave., Chicago, IL 60612 – (312) 864-6000

Provident Hospital – 500 E. 51st St., Chicago, IL 60615 – (312) 572-2000

Englewood Health Center – 1135 W. 69th St., Chicago, IL 60621 – (773) 483-5011

Blue Island Health Center – 12757 S. Western Ave., Blue Island, IL 60406 – (708) 293-8400

Arlington Heights Health Center – 3250 N. Arlington Heights Rd., Arlington Heights, IL 60004 – (847) 934-7669

Cottage Grove Health Center – 1645 S. Cottage Grove Ave., Ford Heights, IL 60411 – (708) 753-5800

Austin Health Center – 4800 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60651 – (773) 826-9600

Belmont Cragin Health Center – 5501 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago, IL 60639 – (773) 395-7400

Dr. Jorge Prieto Health Center – 2424 S. Pulaski Ave., Chicago, IL 60623 – (312) 864-0200

John Sengstacke Health Center – 500 E. 51st St., Chicago, IL 60615 – (312) 572-2900

Robbins Health Center – 13450 S. Kedzie Ave., Robbins, IL 60472 – (708) 293-8100

Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center – 2020 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60612 – (312) 572-4500

Bridge Clinic – 2020 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60612 – (312) 864-4628

Cermak Health Services of Cook County – 2800 S. California Ave., Chicago, IL 60608 – (773) 674-7488

Harrison Square – 605 S. Wolcott Ave., Chicago, IL 60612 – (312) 864-0200

Morton East Adolescent Health Center – 2423 S. Austin Blvd., Cicero, IL 60804 – (312) 864-0200

North Riverside Health Center – 1800 S. Harlem Ave., Suite A, North Riverside, IL 60546 – (312) 864-0200

Professional Building – 1950 W. Polk St., Chicago, IL 60612 – (312) 864-0200

Specialty Care Center (within Stroger Hospital) – 1901 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60612 – (312) 864-0200

Cook County Health FAQs

How can I see what services Cook County Health offers?

Cook County Health runs two hospitals and a wide network of community health centers that cover routine checkups, specialty care, surgery, and more. If you’re trying to figure out whether a specific service is available—like cardiology, pediatrics, OB/GYN, or mental health and substance use care—you can browse the system’s A–Z list of clinics and programs on the official Cook County Health services directory. Each service page explains what’s provided and where it’s offered, so you can match your needs to the right clinic or hospital site.

Where can I get urgent or same-day care without going to the ER?

For many non-emergency issues, you can use Cook County Health’s ExpressCare virtual clinic instead of an in-person urgent care or emergency room. Through the Immediate Care (Virtual Visit) program, adults and children can connect with a licensed provider online for problems like cold and flu symptoms, rashes, minor injuries, and other common concerns. The visit works over a smartphone, tablet, or computer, and the provider can diagnose many conditions, create a treatment plan, and send prescriptions when appropriate.

How do billing, insurance, and financial help work?

Cook County Health treats patients regardless of ability to pay, but you may still receive a bill. The official billing and insurance page explains payment options, accepted insurance plans, and financial assistance programs. Uninsured or underinsured patients may qualify for CareLink, which helps cover costs for clinics, hospital stays, tests, and urgent services at Cook County Health facilities. The same page also links to price transparency information and good-faith cost estimate tools so you can better plan for upcoming care.

What is MyCookCountyHealth and why should I use it?

MyCookCountyHealth is the system’s online patient portal. Once you sign up, you can send secure messages to your care team, see lab and imaging results, request prescription renewals, and review past and upcoming appointments. You can start enrollment and learn how to log in from the official MyCookCountyHealth patient portal page. The portal is designed to make it easier to stay on top of your care plan between visits and to request records or visit summaries when you need them.

How do I pick a clinic or hospital location that works for me?

Cook County Health operates hospitals, pharmacies, community health centers, and specialty clinics across Chicago and suburban Cook County. To find a convenient site, use the official Cook County Health locations search. You can filter by type of location—such as hospitals, community health centers, or pharmacies—and see which services are based at each site before you request an appointment.