Dr. Wayne Detmer told us the remarkable story of how the Lawndale Christian Health Center (LCHC) was established and developed, and how it provided assistance to the homeless during the Covid pandemic. Lawndale is an under-served area of Chicago with mostly black and Hispanic residents, many of which are homeless. The LCHC brought first-rate medical care, a fitness center, a food source, and many other much-needed services to this area.
During the height of the pandemic, the infection rate of the homeless population was soaring. The staff at LCHC recognized that existing homeless shelters in the area were contributing to the problem as it was impossible to isolate those who tested positive for the virus. With help from the City of Chicago, LCHC located a boutique hotel that was able to accommodate homeless patients in single rooms during the required isolation period. As a result of this collaboration, the City realized some of the best outcomes for the homeless as compared to other major cities in the United States.