Ascension Illinois investing in primary care expansion in northwest suburbs

Ascension Illinois is excited to announce that it is making robust investments into expanding primary care access for families, adults and children across its sites in Chicago's northwest suburbs. In all, the health system is planning on adding 14 primary care providers in 2026 at sites in Palatine, Barrington, Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village, Bartlett, and Elgin.

For years Illinois has been facing a primary care shortage. And according to the American Academy Of Family Physicians, in order to maintain rates from 2010, the state will need an additional 1,063 primary care physicians by 2030. This is occurring while over four million Illinoisans live in primary care "health professional shortage areas," according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Bureau of Health Workforce Health Resources and Services Administration.

"We are incredibly attuned to our communities' needs for additional primary care access," said Dr. Reinhold Llerena, Chief Medical Officer for Ascension Medical Group Illinois. "We at Ascension Illinois recognize that we play a vital role in fulfilling those needs for a number of people across suburban Cook County and we plan on stepping up to the plate in expanding primary care access."

Ascension Medical Group Illinois' primary care and family medicine teams deliver primary care to both children and adults and are available for unexpected, non-life threatening, minor illnesses and injuries. These teams are dedicated to taking the time to get to know patients and their families to learn about their health history and circumstances. They work to promote long-term health and well-being, and deliver a wide range of personalized services, including health physicals, screening tests, and treatments for existing health conditions.

"Having been a clinician for many years now, I have seen how establishing first contact with a doctor through primary care, family medicine and internal medicine is often a patient's largest hurdle in receiving preventative care," said Dr. Ana Gephart, internal medicine physician. "Part of the appeal in joining Ascension Illinois is because they have made clear they recognize the importance of this work."