CHICAGO, Illinois, April 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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.
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