IMD Guest House provides an essential job in our community. They support those who need that extra support with affordable accommodations. We are very excited to have this nonprofit join our WCA membership base. Please read below to learn more about IMD Guest House.

How long have you been in the neighborhood?

We were founded in 1999, and have been in our current location since 2011.

 

Why the West Loop?

Our legacy hospital partners—Rush, Stroger/Cook County, and UI Health—are in the Illinois Medical District, so this is where we belong!

 

What are your top challenges in growing IMD Guest House?

The biggest challenges we face, in terms of growth, are:

1. Expanding our financial support—as a nonprofit, increasing support from individuals, corporations and foundations is critical to our ability to serve more people

2. Increasing our client base—we provide temporary lodging to medical patients and their families during treatment; a group that constantly changes.  We are interested in finding new patient populations and sources of potential clients.

3. Strengthening connections to the community—we are committed to our mission and confident in our ability to bring it to life. We feel it’s important for IMD Guest House to raise our profile within our community to attract new patient populations, volunteers and donors.   

 

Why did you join the West Central?

Considering (our) growth challenges listed above, especially in regard to becoming more connected with our community, participating in the West Central Association is an ideal place to start.

 

What makes IMD Guest House unique?

IMD Guest House is the only organization of it’s kind in the Chicago area that supports patients of all ages, regardless of whether they are outpatients or inpatients with families who need to be near the hospital.  We are also unique from other lodging options such as hotels because we never turn families away for lack of funds.  About 50 percent of our service supports low-income families, and many of our guests would not be able to complete treatment without our services.

 

What gets you up in the morning?

The opportunity to help the people who stay with us.  Our guests come to us at times of great need, facing a family medical crisis.  Providing a clean, safe affordable space that close to the hospital, along with a caring community reduces some of the stress they feel and breaks through their sense of isolation.  Our clients range from cancer patients, to organ transplant recipients, to traumatic injury victims, to parents with children in the Neonatal ICU, to veterans receiving treatment PTSD through the Road Home program at Rush, to many others.

 

What’s your favorite part of the West Loop?

It’s hard to pick a specific physical place in the West Loop because it’s such a great part of the city, but our favorite aspect of the area is the dynamic growth and change we see every day.

 

What does IMD Guest House's future look like?

We will always be part of this area.  It’s our main source of clients and home to our partner hospitals.  We also feel that advanced healthcare treatment will be increasingly concentrated at major urban medical centers, meaning that people with serious conditions will need to travel to places like the Chicago for treatment.

 

Describe IMD Guest House in 140 characters or less

IMD Guest House provides the comforts of home and care of community to patients and families seeking treatment away from home.

 

Bonus Question: Tacos or pizza? Go.

That’s a tough one, but I need to go with pizza!