Bronzeville Outpatient Center Celebrates 1-Year Anniversary

September 10, 2026 | 2 min. read

One year after opening its doors, Bronzeville Outpatient Center is helping bring a broad range of care and community resources closer to home for thousands of people on Chicago’s South Side.

In its first year, the facility:

• Completed more than 80,000 patient visits
• Held 30 community programs with more than 900 participants
• Created more than 100 local jobs
• Opened 7,500 square feet dedicated to community use

Additionally, the center's location and provider Net Promoter Scores reached 86.9% and 84.9%, respectively.

Kimbra Bell Balark, MD, FACP, medical director of Bronzeville Outpatient Center, is proud of the center’s impact on the community during its first year. “It has truly been an honor to lead such an amazing facility,” she says. “I am so excited about the numbers of patients we have impacted in this community and am looking forward to year two and beyond.”

Designed around the community

The center built on more than 20 years of collaboration with Bronzeville-area community organizations on efforts ranging from healthcare access and culturally responsive education to violence prevention, social services and workforce development. Northwestern Medicine has longstanding ties to area organizations such as Near North Health Services and Bright Star Community Outreach, as well as the Chicago HEAL Initiative.

Dinee Simpson, MD, FACS, chief health equity executive, says having this foundation is key to the clinic’s work. “How well we understand our patients and their individual circumstances really informs their outcomes,” she says.

Bronzeville Outpatient Center was developed with community input and designed to combine healthcare with spaces and resources that support broader wellness. More than 10% of the building is devoted to community-focused uses, including flexible spaces for meetings and education, and a demonstration kitchen. The five-story center also integrates patient parking and clinical services for convenient navigation.

About Bronzeville Outpatient Center

The 120,000-square-foot center was designed to bring world-class care and space for community health, education and engagement to people who live and work in Bronzeville and the surrounding communities.

Services include:

• Primary and specialty care
• Immediate care
• Cancer care
• Imaging and diagnostics
• Mental health services
• Physical therapy
• Pediatrics

​Learn more about Bronzeville Outpatient Center.