April 16, 2024
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Will-Grundy Medical Clinic celebrating 34 years, remodeling 100-year-old building

RSVP for the May 19 celebration by May 5.

By Denise M. Baran-Unland
U.S. Rep. Bill Foster presented the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic in Joliet with a $300,000 check on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, towards the renovation of the clinic’s building, which is located on 213 E. Cass St. in Joliet.

U.S. Rep. Bill Foster presented the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic in Joliet with a $300,000 check on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, towards the renovation of the clinic’s building, which is located on 213 E. Cass St. in Joliet. (Photo courtesy of the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic)

For almost 35 years, the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic has provided free health care for those in need living in Will and Grundy counties.

The clinic, which is remodeling and renovating the interior and exterior of its 100-year-old building, will celebrate its 34th anniversary May 19 at the Joliet Area Historical Museum, 204. S. Ottawa St. Joliet.

Tickets are $75 and include two free drink tickets, sweet and savory appetizers from Bella Cucina Catering, cash bar, raffle and silent auction. RSVP by Thursday by calling 815-726-3377 ext. 225 or emailing contact@wgmedclinic.org.

But the celebration already has started for Will-Grundy Medical Clinic. On April 19, U.S. Rep. Bill Foster presented the nonprofit with a $300,000 check toward the renovation of the clinic’s building, which is located on 213 E. Cass St. in Joliet, according to a news release from the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic.

Each year, the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic provides free health care, assistance with prescription medicine and referrals to free specialty care to more than 1,000 patients and clients and has several programs in place to meet those needs.

Marlene Lara prepares the weeks medication for one of the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic's clients on Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, in Joliet, Ill.

Marlene Lara prepares the weeks medication for one of the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic's clients on Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, in Joliet, Ill. (Geoff Stellfox - gstellfox@shawmedia.com)

When the clinic transitioned to telehealth at the beginning of the pandemic, it was able to provide smart devices to some of its patients, according to a 2020 Herald-News story.

In 2020, AgeGuide Northeastern Illinois donated 12 smart devices for Will-Grundy Medical Clinic clients who are over age 65 through its Senior Tech Connect program, according to Alaine Kvedaras, community planner for AgeGuide Northeastern Illinois. The clinic also secured funding for another 100 tablets, Shawn West, executive director of the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic said. Pictured above is , Dr. Gregory Adams, a clinical volunteer for the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic).

Then in 2021, the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic began the Housing, Healthcare and Hope Demonstration Program. Through partnering with other community organizations, the clinic could help its homeless patients obtain housing along with one-on-one care coordination and medical case management, according to a 2021 Herald-News story.

[ Will-Grundy Medical Clinic focusing on housing as well as health ]

Shawn Marconi, executive director of the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic in Joliet, said in that story that stable housing is important to wellness.

“If you don’t have stable housing, it’s very difficult to manage chronic illness,” Marconi said. “It’s very difficult to take medication on time and to eat right.”

The clinic has offered other programs through the years, including a diabetes prevention program.

This December 2015 photo shows Sheri Pierce, a staff nurse at the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic and a trained facilitator of the Diabetes Prevention Program, leading a program.

For information on the impact the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic had on the community, visit willgrundymedicalclinic.org/our-impact.

For information on the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic, visit willgrundymedicalclinic.org or call 815-726-3377.