Illinois Poison Center

Name

Illinois Poison Center

Legal name

MCHC-Chicago Hospital Council d/b/a Illinois Poison Center

Website

https://illinoispoisoncenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Public and Private Grants: IPC receives funding from government and private grants as a non-profit health service organization operating as a Regional Poison Control Center pursuant to the Illinois Poison Control System Act.
2. Individual Contributions and Donations: As a non-profit organization, IPC accepts individual donations. Donations can be mailed to MCHC CHC, 29581 Network Place, Chicago, IL 60673-1293. More than one-third of IPC operating expenses comes from private funding sources.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Illinois Poison Center provides free, confidential 24/7 poison treatment advice to Illinois residents via a toll-free helpline, handling approximately 75,000 cases each year and resolving 92% of them over the phone without an emergency department visit. Designated as Illinois's Regional Poison Control Center under the Illinois Poison Control System Act, it also supports healthcare professionals with toxicology consultation and conducts poison prevention education for the public.

Product overview

The Illinois Poison Center operates as a nonprofit health service offering a unified portfolio of poison prevention and treatment services. At its core is the free, confidential 24/7 Poison Center Helpline (1-800-222-1222), staffed by trained pharmacists, nurses, and poison information specialists, supported by physician medical toxicologists from the Toxikon Consortium. Complementing the helpline is the online Poison Prevention Education Course — a seven-lesson interactive program available in English and Spanish — which unlocks access to the Poison Prevention Education Resource Center (PPER C) for free downloadable and orderable materials (stickers, magnets, posters, activity sheets). The 'My Child Ate...' reference library provides caregivers with quick guidance on common accidental ingestions. Healthcare professionals receive specialized toxicology consultation, antidote stocking guidance, and continuing education credit (CEC) approved for nurses, childcare providers, and paramedics. Additional offerings include the Stop and Ask First child education program, a Video Library with audio jingles, the Volunteer Satellite Education Network of hospital partners statewide, and Complimentary Safety Packets for Illinois residents. All services are provided free of charge to the public as a public health initiative under the Illinois Health and Hospital Association.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 24/7 Poison Helpline

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of poisoning cases from the public are resolved over the phone, eliminating the need for referral to a healthcare facility
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and regional.

• Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPC is part of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA). The organization operates under MCHC-Chicago Hospital Council d/b/a Illinois Poison Center. IHA provides administrative support, utilizes Cvent for event registration, and helps process continuing education credits. IPC's Privacy Officer and Legal Affairs are handled through IHA.
• Toxikon Consortium (Cook County Health and UI Health)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical educational partnership between IPC, Cook County Health and Hospital System, and UI Health. Provides 24/7 medical toxicology consult services for IPC. Offers training to emergency medicine residents, medical students, pharmacy students, and residents through rotations and education programs. Faculty and fellows engage in clinical and bench research.
• Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of ChicagomajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChicago-area Volunteer Satellite Education Partner since 2001. Amy Hill, MS serves as Director of Safe Kids Chicago and Illinois, Injury Free Coalition for Kids of Chicago. Provides poison prevention education integration into hospital programs and community outreach.
• Advocate Children's HospitalmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChicago-area Volunteer Satellite Education Partner. Myisha L. Franklin coordinates Injury Prevention/Community Outreach for Oak Lawn and Park Ridge locations. Integrates poison prevention education into hospital programs and services.
• FHNregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNorthern Illinois Volunteer Satellite Education Partner serving Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside, and Winnebago counties. Kaitlyn McNutt coordinates community services for the region.
• Carle Foundation Hospital (Urbana)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCentral Illinois Volunteer Satellite Education Partner serving 16 counties including Champaign, Clark, Coles, Cumberland, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Ford, and others. Mindy Watson RN coordinates pediatric emergency department education programs.
• OSF Healthcare Saint Francis Medical Center and Children's Hospital of Illinois (Peoria)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCentral Illinois Volunteer Satellite Education Partner serving Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford counties. Cassandra Collins and Julie Kasap coordinate pediatric pharmacy education and poison prevention outreach programs.
• America's Poison CentersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization representing poison centers. IPC monitors and provides surveillance for public health outbreaks involving food, illicit drugs, and infectious diseases such as H1N1, Ebola, and Coronavirus. Information is shared with state and local health departments for public health responses.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• PoisonHelp.org: National online resource portal operated under America's Poison Centers that provides web-based poison information. Comparable as a consumer-facing poison information resource though lacks IPC's 24/7 live helpline and Illinois-specific content.
• CDC National Center for Environmental Health: Federal public health agency that partners with poison centers for surveillance and outbreak response. Comparable as a public health stakeholder but operates at federal rather than regional level.

Direct peers

• California Poison Control System: Statewide poison center network serving California residents via a 24/7 helpline with public education and healthcare professional consultation services. Highly comparable to IPC in service delivery and scale.
• Pittsburgh Poison Center: Regional poison center serving western Pennsylvania with 24/7 helpline staffed by toxicology specialists. Comparable regional delivery model and clinical specialty focus.
• Upstate New York Poison Center: Regional poison control center providing 24/7 telephonic toxicology consultation across upstate New York. Operates under the same national poison center framework as IPC with similar clinical staffing model.
• Maryland Poison Center: Regional poison center serving Maryland with 24/7 helpline services, public education, and healthcare professional consultation. Directly comparable regional operating model.
• Cincinnati Drug and Poison Information Center: One of the oldest regional poison control centers in the U.S., serving Ohio and surrounding areas with a 24/7 helpline staffed by toxicology specialists. Direct comparable to IPC in service model, scope, and operating structure.
• Florida Poison Information Center - Jacksonville: One of three Florida Poison Information Centers providing 24/7 telephonic toxicology consultation, public education, and healthcare professional support. Directly comparable in service model.
• New Jersey Poison Information and Education System: Statewide poison center based at Rutgers University providing 24/7 telephonic toxicology consultation and public education to New Jersey residents. Closely analogous operating model to IPC.

Broad incumbents

• America's Poison Centers: National trade association representing all U.S. poison centers and accrediting centers like IPC. Comparable as IPC's national umbrella and partner for surveillance, but does not directly deliver consumer-facing helpline services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ilpoisoncenter
• YouTubeyoutube.com/ilpoisoncenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/illinoispoisoncenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illinois-hospital-association-poison-control

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Illinois Poison Center