Westlake Health Foundation Gift
Loyola University Chicago has received a $1.7 million gift from the Westlake Health Foundation to sustain and strengthen programs at the School-Based Health Center (SBHC) at Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois.
Loyola University Chicago has received a $1.7 million gift from the Westlake Health Foundation to sustain and strengthen programs at the School-Based Health Center (SBHC) at Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois.
The Westlake Health Foundation has been a valued and loyal partner to Loyola University and the Proviso East community, funding scholarship support for Loyola students from west suburban Cook County preparing for health sciences careers for the past 15 years, and nutrition education for Proviso East students for the past 20 years. This most recent gift will expand their support to Loyola’s Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing operation of the SBHC, while continuing the innovative nutrition education program run by the Dietetics program of the Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health and offered through the SBHC.
Since 2002, the SBHC has provided comprehensive primary care and behavioral health services to high school students at no cost to them. Of the three-year gift, $1.36 million will provide services including immunizations, school and sports physicals, chronic condition management, mental health services, and preventive care. These services address barriers to health care and advance health equity in Proviso Township, the home of Loyola’s Health Sciences Campus.
“The SBHC is a powerful example of how we put our mission to provide equitable health care into action,” said Loyola Nursing Dean Lorna Finnegan. “The breadth of interdisciplinary services Loyola provides at Proviso East helps students and families live healthier lives, while our students gain transformative, real-world experience in community health care.”
The concluding portion of the gift, $322,000, will support the Parkinson School’s Nutrition Revolution programming at Proviso East, which includes dietitian-led classroom and sports team education, as well as medical nutrition therapy.
Through the program’s flagship nutrition education series, Lunch Bunch, Loyola dietetic interns and nursing students, under the direction of a dietitian, plan and prepare healthy lunches using fresh ingredientstwo days each week. They use the lunch period to talk with Proviso East students about nutrition-related topics, including the connections between a healthy diet and disease prevention, mental health, and academic performance.
"Good nutrition is critical for an individual's health and for the health of the entire community," said Elaine H. Morrato, professor and founding dean of the Parkinson School. "In today’s landscape of misinformation, connecting students directly with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) who can provide evidence-based answers to common questions and deliver nutrition therapy within an easily accessible School-Based Health Center is a crucial step toward advancing better health for all."
The SBHC is a living laboratory for Loyola students from multiple schools, providing interprofessional education and workforce development. Students from Loyola Nursing, the Parkinson School, the Stritch School of Medicine, and the School of Social Work work collaboratively under faculty supervision, learning to deliver coordinated, culturally responsive care.
This model strengthens the pipeline of future clinicians prepared to serve adolescent populations and practice in integrated-care environments. It also aligns with Loyola’s Jesuit mission to engage and enhance the communities we call home.
Westlake Health Foundation, an Illinois-based organization dedicated to promoting the health and welfare of west suburban Cook County, continues to play a critical role in advancing access to care. Loyola is deeply grateful for the Westlake Health Foundation’s sustained investment in primary care services that support both student health and educational success in Proviso Township.