UChicago Medicine Reports $1.1 Billion in Community Benefit Investments for Fiscal 2025 (Chicago, IL) – UChicago Medicine announced it invested $1.1 billion in community benefits during fiscal year 2025, supporting patient care, public health initiatives, workforce development, and economic opportunities across Chicago’s South Side, the south suburbs, and Northwest Indiana.
According to the academic health system’s newly released Community Benefit Report, the investment represents a 54% increase from the $715 million reported in fiscal 2024.
The largest share of the funding — approximately $939.6 million — went toward uncompensated care for Medicare and Medicaid patients, as well as patients unable to afford medical treatment. The report also highlighted investments in medical research, health professions education, violence recovery programs, food access initiatives, and workforce development.
Officials said the increase was driven largely by rising uncompensated care costs, including Medicare and Medicaid losses, unrecoverable patient debt, and the first full year of operations for UChicago Medicine Crown Point in Northwest Indiana.
“Reducing health disparities requires more than delivering care — it requires investment in the research, training and partnerships that address the social and economic conditions that shape health,” said Dr. Mark Anderson, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Chicago. “Our community benefit work reflects that long-term commitment.”
The University of Chicago Medical Center on the South Side accounted for $971.4 million of the total investment, while UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial contributed $124.5 million in Harvey and surrounding south suburban communities. UChicago Medicine Crown Point reported $15.2 million in community benefits during its first full year of operations.
“As our health system continues to grow, so does our responsibility and opportunity to improve health and expand access across our service areas,” said Tom Jackiewicz, President of the University of Chicago Health System. “Community benefit is more than a measure of dollars invested — it’s a shared commitment with our neighbors to build healthier, stronger communities.”
The health system said its community investments are guided by Community Health Needs Assessments developed in collaboration with residents, community organizations, and public health experts. Current priorities include chronic disease prevention, trauma resiliency, food access, housing support, and workforce development.
Among the programs highlighted in the report:
- The Violence Recovery Program supported 1,830 patients through more than 4,100 encounters during fiscal 2025 and connected most participants with housing, counseling, food assistance, and legal services.
- Recovery Legal Care helped nearly 700 victims of violence access legal aid and more than $640,000 in financial support.
- Feed1st distributed more than 71,000 pounds of food to over 34,000 individuals across South Side pantry locations.
- The health system awarded $66.4 million in construction contracts to local and community firms, a 68% increase over the previous year.
- Construction continued on the new AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion, expected to open in 2027 as Illinois’ first freestanding cancer facility.
UChicago Medicine also reported that 32% of its new hires live within the communities it serves, while its Certified Nursing Assistant Pathway Program placed 89% of graduates into full-time jobs during fiscal 2025.
The full Fiscal 2025 Community Benefit Report is available at uchicagomedicine.org/community-benefit.
UChicago Medicine Reports $1.1 Billion in Community Benefit Investments for Fiscal 2025
