Our Community
The University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital is located on the South Side of Chicago. We care for children from across the city, the region and the state. Our expertise and care have also drawn patients from around the country and the world.
One of the fundamental strengths of Comer Children’s is our diverse patient population. We treat some of the most challenged kids in America. Our commitment to providing culturally competent care and fostering an environment of equity and inclusion is at the heart of everything we do.
Caring For Our Community
Our care doesn’t stop at the lobby doors. We believe that fighting for healthy kids also means looking after the communities in which they live. That’s why Comer Children’s engages in a wide range of outreach programs, initiatives and projects from community education to simplifying the transfer process for critically ill children.
In order to maximize an efficient exchange of critical information and reduce transfer times, Comer Children’s initiated the “Just Say Yes” transfer process. In this more robust and efficient process, all transfer calls are facilitated by UChicago Medicine’s Aeromedical Network, a transfer center nurse and a pediatric critical care physician.
Ronald McDonald House
For more than 30 years, the Ronald McDonald House near Comer Children’s has welcomed thousands of families from around the world. The House offers 22 families private guest rooms with all the comforts of home just blocks from Comer Children’s. The Ronald McDonald Family Room inside Comer Children’s is located just outside the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and provides a comfortable place to recharge for families of pediatric patients. The Family Room offers eight overnight guest rooms for families of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit families to get a good night’s sleep.
A partnership to bring trauma-informed care
We teamed up with therapists from La Rabida Children’s Hospital’s Child Trauma Center (CCTC) to help provide trauma-informed care to children through the Comer Children’s Pediatric Mobile Medical Unit. La Rabida’s CCTC staff of licensed therapists is dedicated to providing thoughtful care to children and teenagers dealing with the effects of trauma and behavioral health concerns. The mobile unit visits Chicago Public Schools locations, day care centers and community organizations on Chicago’s South Side to provide medical services to underserved and uninsured children.
REACT — Recovery & Empowerment After Community Trauma
The REACT program provides screening and mental health care for hundreds of children and families who have been affected by violence in many of Chicago’s South and West Side neighborhoods. Patients and families are offered support, counseling and intervention. REACT is designed to care for the psychological, psychiatric, social and behavioral effects of being exposed to community violence. Learn more about REACT
Community Events
This autumn saw the first annual UChicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital Remoc’s Back to School Safety fair. This event provides education to families about car seat safety, the importance of bike helmets, poison control, mental health, a teddy bear clinic and more. In addition, there was a DJ, face painting, bubbles, and visits from our local police and fire departments. This event couples together learning and fun to engage with our UChicago Medicine and South Side communities.