VNA Health Care, the largest Community Health Center in the Chicago suburbs, today announced the execution of a lease agreement that paves the way for an expansion of its healthcare services at a new clinic on the Bloomhaven Campus. The new facility, located at 323 Weston, will continue VNA’s deep, long-standing commitment to the Aurora community and will allow VNA to expand its service offerings and increase patient accessibility to quality, affordable healthcare on the east side of Aurora. Services are anticipated to begin in Summer 2024.
VNA is making a substantial, $5 million investment in the buildout of an over 26,000 square foot medical center that will be home to at least 30 medical exam rooms, procedure rooms, mental health counseling rooms, and therapy centers, a pharmacy, a wellness center and kitchen, and laboratory. Services will include family practice & internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry & counseling, podiatry, nutrition services, lab tests & vaccinations, doula support, health & wellness education, and more. Additional services that are in high demand in Aurora, including immediate/urgent care for injuries that don’t require a specialist or emergency room visit, such as simple fractures, sprains, lacerations, and other conditions, as well as x-rays, will be provided. VNA expects to serve 15,000 patients per year by the end of year two at this location.
At an event hosted at the site of the future VNA clinic, VNA President and CEO Linnea Windel and Bloomhaven Founding Partner Michael Poulakidas executed a lease for the space. They were joined by Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, Aurora School District 131 Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Norrell, VNA leadership and staff, and other community leaders to mark the occasion and recognize the importance of this new health clinic.
“We are thrilled to bring quality, affordable healthcare back to the site of the former Copley Hospital – a location that is very accessible for vulnerable populations. VNA Health Care has called Aurora home since our founding more than 100 years ago, and with this new health center, we are furthering a long commitment to this community to serve everyone regardless of insurance status or ability to pay for services,” said Linnea Windel, President and CEO of VNA Health Care. “Our team of highly skilled healthcare professionals is dedicated to providing personalized and compassionate care that meets the unique needs of each patient, and we are grateful to our partners at Bloomhaven and the City of Aurora for their vision to restore the site which accommodates more services for the community.”
“VNA Health Care has been a staple in our community, providing invaluable services to those most in need,” said Aurora Mayor Richard C. Irvin. “This amazing expansion into the Bloomhaven campus will provide more of our residents direct access to medical services while returning healthcare to the near eastside Bardwell community for the first time in a quarter of a century.”
The new Bloomhaven Campus transformed the unused former Copley Hospital into an exciting new mixed-use development. Co-located with Weston Bridges, which serves adults with disabilities, and Bardwell Residences, an assisted living facility, this new VNA clinic will provide much-desired healthcare in an accessible location for vulnerable populations.
“Bloomhaven is proud to welcome VNA Health Care to our innovative living community. By bringing quality healthcare back to the east side of Aurora, Fox Valley Developers has helped this neighborhood come full circle,” said Michael Poulakidas, Bloomhaven Founding Partner. “Joining Weston Bridges, Bardwell Senior Residences, and East Aurora School District, VNA is a wonderful addition to Bloomhaven – a campus that epitomizes renewal, vitality, and growth.”
VNA currently operates three clinics in Aurora, serving nearly 30,000 residents in the city each year. To date, VNA has expended $15 million for physical infrastructure in Aurora, including VNA clinics at 400 North Highland Avenue, 1400 Indian Avenue, and VNA’s School Based Health Center at Aurora East High School. In March of 2023, VNA launched a three-year, comprehensive “Growing for Tomorrow” campaign to support its efforts to expand services in the Chicago suburbs, which includes this new facility in Aurora. The Weston project is one of three major clinic investments VNA has planned in the Aurora area through this campaign, with plans for expansion at the Indian Avenue and Highland Avenue locations.