Friend Health

What Friend Health does

Friend Health (legally Friend Family Health Center, Inc.), founded in 1997 and headquartered in Chicago, is a private nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that delivers integrated primary, preventive, behavioral, dental, and pharmacy care to medically underserved populations across Chicago's South Side. The organization operates from six clinical sites — Ashland, Beethoven, Cottage Grove, Pulaski, Western, and Pulaski II (the latter collocated with UI Health and opened November 2025 as a 15,000-square-foot facility representing the largest expansion in the organization's history) — supplemented by telehealth services delivered via phone and video. Its payer mix spans Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial insurance, and the organization accepts all patients regardless of ability to pay through a Sliding Fee Discount Program scaled to household size and income, with free Certified Application Counselor support for ACA/Marketplace and Medicaid enrollment.

The technology backbone is an Electronic Health Record integrated with the MyChart patient portal enabling 24/7 patient access to test results, prescription refills, appointment scheduling, secure messaging, and medical history. Operational technology also includes an in-house retail pharmacy (Friend Health Rx) offering compounding and Medication Therapy Management, on-site laboratory services, and care coordination systems that link patients with community resources and monitor care plan compliance. The organization holds HHS Federal Public Health Service deemed status, which provides medical malpractice claim protection, and meets federally designated Medically Underserved Area (MUA) and Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) criteria across significant portions of its service area. The 2017 merger with Human Resources Development Institute, Inc. (HRDI), a behavioral health provider founded in 1974, brought mental health, substance use disorder, youth and family services, and HIV/AIDS programming under the Friend Health umbrella.

Revenue mechanics combine fee-for-service billing through Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial payers (per-visit billing cadence) with federal grant funding under the FQHC program and a hybrid sliding-fee schedule based on income verification. Distribution is anchored in a community-led go-to-market model with walk-ins accepted, extended and weekend hours at select sites (e.g., Cottage Grove Mon/Wed until 8pm and Saturday mornings), and grassroots outreach through the Friend Health Community Hub platform (health awareness campaigns, events, and the Back of the Yards grand opening). Strategic partnerships include UI Health (collocated operations), the University of Chicago Medical Center (OB deliveries), the Chicago Medical-Legal Partnership for Children (free legal services for patients), and HHS/HRSA (federal funding and regulatory framework). Executive leadership comprises CEO Wendy Thompson (joined 2016, MBA/BA Economics from University of Chicago, prior tenures at Chicago Public Schools, Aon, and Goldman Sachs), CMO, CCO Eric Campbell (joined 2021), Chief Clinical Operations Officer Tracey Robison (RN with dual master's degrees), CFO Raheel Shahzad (CPA and Attorney at Law), and Chief Transformation Officer Arshele Stevens.

Name

Friend Health

Legal name

Friend Family Health Center, Inc.

Website

https://friendfhc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Friend Health is a private nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center operating six Chicago South Side clinics, delivering integrated primary, dental, behavioral, and pharmacy care to medically underserved populations on a sliding-fee and Medicaid/Medicare basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Health Services

NAICS

Ambulatory Health Care Services (621), Other Outpatient Care Centers (62149), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Health Care and Social Assistance (62)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Health Centers (FQHCs & Look-Alikes) (HLAFAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

School-Based Health Centers (HLAFAGAG), Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) & Public Behavioral Health Providers (HLAFACAI), Community & Public Health Dentistry Clinics (FQHC/School-Based/Nonprofit) (HLABAAAF)

Keywords

• Community health center
• Primary care services
• Behavioral health care
• Dental health services
• Federally qualified health center

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Patient Services Revenue: Fee-for-service revenue from providing medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services to patients covered by Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial insurance plans.
2. Federal Grant Funding (HHS/HRSA): HHS funding received as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Federal Public Health Service (PHS) deemed status with respect to certain health or health-related claims, including medical malpractice claims.
3. Sliding Fee Discount Program: Discounted services for patients based on household size and annual income. Provides care regardless of ability to pay.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Friend Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that delivers a comprehensive range of primary and preventive healthcare services, including adult medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN, dentistry, behavioral health, substance use disorder treatment, and pharmacy services. Operating from five Chicago locations (with a sixth large-scale site opening in November 2025), the center serves medically underserved populations and accepts all patients regardless of ability to pay, offering a sliding fee discount program and free insurance enrollment assistance.

Product overview

Friend Health is a community health center network offering a comprehensive, integrated healthcare delivery platform. The organization operates as a unified healthcare ecosystem comprising core medical services (primary care, pediatrics, OB/GYN, infectious disease, dentistry), behavioral health (mental health, substance use disorder), pharmacy services, and specialty programs (asthma clinic, laboratory, care coordination). Additional modules include insurance enrollment assistance, nutrition counseling, legal aid partnerships, telehealth capabilities, and MyChart patient portal. The portfolio is built around five Chicago locations serving medically underserved areas, unified by a mission to provide whole-person care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medical Services Comprehensive primary care including immediate care, wellness and prevention, pediatrics, adult medicine, OB/GYN, infectious disease, and dentistry services for patients across Chicago's South Side.
• Behavioral Health Services Mental health therapy, substance use disorder treatment, family counseling, and domestic violence support provided by Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors, and Psychiatrists.
• Dental Services Evidence-based preventative and additional dental services offered at Western and Pulaski locations in Chicago.
• Pharmacy Local independent retail pharmacy providing compounding, specialized services, Rx counseling, and Medication Therapy Management at multiple Chicago locations, also serving assisted living facilities, home health agencies, and home-bound individuals.
• MyChart Patient Portal Secure online tool enabling patients to view test results, message care team, request prescription refills, schedule appointments, and access medical history from phone or computer 24/7.
• Telehealth Healthcare visits conducted by phone or video chat, allowing patients to see providers remotely when scheduled as telehealth visits.
• Sliding Fee Discount Program Discount program with eligibility based on household size and annual income, providing affordable healthcare to uninsured and underinsured patients regardless of ability to pay.
• Insurance Enrollment Assistance Free in-person assistance with health insurance enrollment in Medicaid or Marketplace plans through the Affordable Care Act with Certified Application Counselors.
• Asthma Clinic Specialized clinic ensuring quality asthma care and improving asthma outcomes for children through coordinated intervention to control asthma in high-risk populations.
• Back of the Yards Clinic Comprehensive healthcare services and community programs delivered through Friend Health's newest and largest 15,000-square-foot facility serving the Back of the Yards neighborhood, collocated with UI Health.

Quantifiable outcome

• Expanded from existing footprint to 15,000 sq ft facility in Back of the Yards - largest expansion in organization's history
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• UI HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPulaski II location is collocated with UI Health at 5525 S. Pulaski Road, enabling integrated care delivery and seamless referrals for specialized medical services. This partnership represents a significant expansion of healthcare access for the Back of the Yards community.
• Chicago Medical-Legal Partnership for Children (CMLPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree legal services partnership providing assistance with public health benefit issues, medical coverage, housing issues, special education issues, and family law assistance including domestic violence and guardianship. Attorneys available by appointment only with provider referral.
• Human Resources Development Institute, Inc. (HRDI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHRDI merged into Friend Health in December 2017. Founded in 1974 by Dr. C. Vincent Bakeman and Mrs. Doris M. Lomas, HRDI is a leading provider of behavioral health services addressing alcohol and substance abuse, mental health, youth and family services, community health, case management, HIV/AIDS, and gambling addiction.
• University of Chicago Medical CentersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFriend Health providers deliver babies at University of Chicago Medical Center, maintaining academic medical center partnership for specialized obstetrical care.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Erie Family Health Centers: Chicago-area FQHC operating 13+ locations serving primarily low-income, Medicaid-insured populations across the city and suburbs. Erie is the most direct head-to-head competitor to Friend Health in the Chicago FQHC market with comparable multi-site, integrated medical/dental/behavioral service lines.
• Lawndale Christian Health Center: Chicago FQHC serving the West Side with multiple clinic sites offering primary care, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services. Operates in an adjacent South/West Side footprint to Friend Health with a comparable community-led, sliding-fee business model.
• Esperanza Health Centers: Federally Qualified Health Center on Chicago's Southwest and Northwest Sides offering primary care, behavioral health, dental, and pharmacy services to predominantly Spanish-speaking and underserved populations. Closely comparable in service mix, FQHC funding model, and South Side community focus.
• Howard Brown Health: Chicago-based FQHC with multiple clinic locations offering primary care, behavioral health, and specialty services to underserved communities. Comparable multi-site, FQHC-funded community health model serving similar patient populations in the same metro area.
• Mile Square Health Center: UI Health-affiliated FQHC network with multiple Chicago locations providing primary, dental, and behavioral health care. Notably, Mile Square is the FQHC arm of UI Health, Friend Health's own collocation partner — making it both a partner and a comparable peer in the Chicago FQHC landscape.
• Heartland Health Centers: Chicago-area FQHC operating multiple clinic sites serving low-income and uninsured populations on the North Side and surrounding suburbs. Comparable FQHC funding model and integrated care delivery platform, with overlapping Medicaid patient base.
• Access Community Health Network: Chicago-area FQHC network with a large multi-site footprint providing primary care, behavioral health, and care coordination. Highly comparable in scale, FQHC status, and mission-driven community health delivery across the Chicago metro.
• PCC Community Wellness Center: Chicago-area FQHC operating multiple clinic locations in Austin, Oak Park, and surrounding communities with primary care, behavioral health, and dental services. Direct comparable on FQHC funding, integrated service lines, and underserved-patient focus.
• Near North Health Service Corporation: Chicago FQHC with multiple locations serving low-income communities, providing primary care, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services. Comparable in mission, FQHC status, and integrated care delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• Rush University Medical Center: Major academic medical system in Chicago operating primary care and specialty services across the West Side and broader metro. A broader incumbent that increasingly competes with FQHCs for Medicaid patients through community-based clinic expansion.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Friend Health