A person’s relationship with their local pharmacy is one that should not be taking lightly. When it comes to you or your family’s health, you need to know that you are getting the best care. So, when the pharmacy you rely on closes for good, there is no easy decision on what to do next. NorthShore Health Centers are there to make that leap much easier.
NorthShore Health Centers is a local nonprofit, dedicated to providing quality, affordable healthcare to everyone in Lake and Porter Counties. They have locations across the Region, offering healthcare, dental care, eye care and more. NorthShore sees everyone including commercial insurance, Medicaid, Medicare and patients with no insurance offering income-based sliding-scale payment plans. One of their growing services is their pharmacy, which participates in the government’s 340B program that helps their patients receive discounts on their prescriptions.
“Normally our prices are 10 to 90 percent cheaper than competing pharmacies,” said NorthShore Pharmacy Director Mike Zimpfer. “And what’s great is at our Lake Station and Portage locations, we’re right here on-site. A patient can see the doctor and, within 10 or 15 minutes, pick up their prescription in the same building. Then, they’re set to go home.”
NorthShore’s mission is to provide “medical home” and access to the highest quality healthcare to anyone, regardless of their ability to pay. By establishing health centers where patients can see their family doctor, get x-rays or ultrasounds, pick up their prescriptions and access many other essential services at the same location is one way NorthShore is able to achieve their goal of improving the overall health of the communities in Northwest Indiana.
“It’s super convenient for our patients,” said Zimpfer. “It’s like a one-stop medical home, where they can see their family practitioner, pediatrician, OB/GYN or whatever and whoever else they need all in one place.”
NorthShore Health Centers are committed to the community, and continue to expand their services across Lake and Porter Counties. They started as a teen clinic inside Portage High School and have since expanded to 9 total health and dental centers across the Region. NorthShore is currently working to open a new location in Portage which will allow for additional providers and services in Porter County including pediatrics, dental, optometry, mammography and even a drive-thru pharmacy.
“We’ve been here for 20 years now, and we just keep expanding,” said Zimpfer. “We’re not going anywhere. We plan on getting larger and larger to help the community out more and more!”
NorthShore’s staff is dedicated to providing the best care possible, from top to bottom. Everyone at the clinics and pharmacies are just as much a part of the community as their patients, and they understand just how important it is to always have access to the best medicine and healthcare available.
“We love working with the patients, especially those under-insured or with very low-income,” said Zimpfer. “It gives you a sense of pride that you can help these patients get the medicine they need at lower prices.”
To learn more about NorthShore Health Centers and their in-house pharmacies, visit northshorehealth.org.
