This episode of The Nonprofit Report explores the groundbreaking work of the Center for Better Aging, a Chicago-based organization focused on reshaping how older adults—particularly those on the city’s South Side—experience health care. The conversation features Estrelitta Harmon, Executive Director, and Tracy Thomas, Director of Population Health and Care Innovation.
Guests:
Estrelitta Harmon, Executive Director
Tracy Thomas, Director of Population Health & Care Innovation
Interview by: Mark Oppenheim
Key Points:
- The Center for Better Aging supports aging adults starting at age 50, recognizing that earlier intervention can significantly improve health outcomes.
- Based in Chicago’s South Side, the organization addresses stark disparities in life expectancy—up to a 10-year gap in neighborhoods like Englewood.
- The organization’s care model is holistic, person-centered, and proactive, offering one-hour appointments, integrated social support, pharmacy, and dietary services.
- Staff are trained to build trust with patients and accommodate non-clinical barriers to care, including housing, transportation, and medication access.
- Supported by Illinois’s Health Care Transformation Collaborative, the Center’s value-based care approach aims to reduce ER visits and inpatient costs.
- Located on the Saint Bernard Hospital campus, the clinic refers in-network to expand access to specialists, generating hospital revenue and patient convenience.
- Daily team huddles and collaborative leadership meetings ensure seamless care coordination across multiple partners and disciplines.
- Outreach extends to home visits for post-discharge support and wellness checks, ensuring continuity of care.
Other Points on Center for Better Aging:
The Center for Better Aging challenges traditional notions of when aging-related care should begin. Recognizing that poverty is a critical determinant of health, the Center begins interventions at age 50, offering a longer “runway” to manage chronic conditions and build healthy habits. Appointments are designed to foster trust, often lasting up to an hour and involving multi-disciplinary teams including physicians, social workers, pharmacists, and dietitians.
A unique feature of the Center’s approach is how it treats nonmedical needs—like transportation and food insecurity—as integral to medical outcomes. Staff are trained not only in clinical best practices but in empathy and cultural sensitivity, ensuring patients feel seen and heard. This model leads to stronger patient relationships and increased engagement, with many families becoming multi-generational clients.