Fisher House at Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago will be the 100th Fisher House
April 19 2024 - 2:41PM
Construction of the 100th Fisher House has begun at the Captain
James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center located in North
Chicago, Illinois. Unlike other Fisher Houses built for the VA or a
particular military service, this will be the first-of-its-kind
home built for the partnership between the U. S. Department of
Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense (DoD), integrating
all medical care into a federal healthcare facility with a single
combined mission.
This Fisher House will be the 100th Fisher House operating in
the United States and Europe. Once finished, up to 1,400 families
will be able stay in a Fisher House across the country and overseas
on any given night.
The North Chicago Fisher House will allow up to 16 Veteran and
military families to stay free of charge, serving families
traveling to the health care center for medical care. It will offer
more than 5,800 nights of lodging each year, potentially saving
families more than $1.1 million annually.
The Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center provides
comprehensive health and dental care for Navy recruits, service
members, and their families based at Naval Station Great Lakes, and
Veterans from northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin.
"We’ve been waiting for our Fisher House for a long time and are
excited to begin construction,” said Lovell FHCC Director Dr.
Robert Buckley. “Our unique mission here to care for Veterans and
military members and their families is a perfect match for the
100th Fisher House and makes this all the more impactful.”
The 16-suite, 14,490+ sq.-ft. “comfort home” will be the
second Fisher House in Illinois joining the Hines VA Fisher House
also located in the greater Chicago area. Each bedroom suite
will be equipped with a private, wheelchair-accessible bathroom.
Common areas will include a spacious kitchen, laundry room, patio
and large communal living, dining and family rooms.
“Fisher House Foundation is thrilled to start construction on
the new Fisher House at Lovell Federal Health Care Center,” said
Fisher House Foundation Chairman and CEO Ken Fisher. “As the 100th
Fisher House, this house will reach an exciting milestone, but it
is important to remember that it is not a stopping point. The need
for military and Veteran families to have a safe place to stay
while their loved ones receive care is only growing. Military
service members and Veterans deserve our support, and this new home
will serve as a refuge for military and Veteran families traveling
to Northern Chicago and Great Lakes for medical care who might
otherwise have to rely on long, expensive hotel stays.”
A Fisher House creates an instant community for its
residents united by their common mission of supporting a sick or
injured loved one, but it also provides individuals with a
secure and private refuge after a long day at the hospital to rest
and recharge.
Fisher House Foundation proudly recognizes the generosity of the
following contributors for their extraordinary support of our
military and Veteran families: 84 Lumber; Combined Insurance, a
Chubb company; Enterprise Mobility Foundation; Friends of Fisher
House Illinois; The HPB Foundation; Men's Wearhouse; Pritzker
Military Foundation on behalf of the Pritzker Military Museum &
Library; Sevan Charitable Foundation; Vehicles for Veterans;
Wohlers Family Foundation, and the many gifts of a grateful
nation.
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About Fisher House
Fisher House Foundation is best known for its network of 97
comfort homes where military and Veteran families can stay at no
cost while a loved one is receiving treatment. These homes
are located at major military and VA medical centers nationwide and
in Europe, close to the medical center or hospital they serve.
Fisher Houses have up to 21 suites with private bedrooms and
baths. Families share a common kitchen, laundry facilities, a
warm dining room, and an inviting living room. Fisher House
Foundation ensures that there is never a lodging fee. Since
inception, the program has saved military and Veteran families an
estimated $610 million in out-of-pocket costs for lodging and
transportation. www.fisherhouse.org About the
Lovell Federal Health Care Center
With the main hospital located in North Chicago, Ill., Lovell
FHCC is the nation’s only fully integrated Department of Defense
and Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility. It serves
Veterans, active duty military members, and military families.
Lovell FHCC operates outpatient clinics for Veterans in McHenry and
Evanston, Ill. and Kenosha, Wis., and has four Naval Station Great
Lakes clinics for Navy recruits and students, and other area
military members and their families.
- Fisher House Foundations partners and staff break ground on
100th Fisher House at Lovell Federal Health Care Center
Michelle Horn
Fisher House Foundation
240-599-2478
mhorn@fisherhouse.org