Dr. Rebecca Rodriguez has been named Medical Director of Westside Family Health Center (WFHC).
“I am pleased to make this appointment,” said Debra A. Farmer, WFHC’s President/Chief Executive Officer. “Dr. Rodriguez exemplifies and personifies the caring, compassion and commitment that has been Westside Family Health Center’s tradition for 41 years.”
A graduate of the University of Illinois and the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Dr. Rodriguez’s post-graduate training was at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
She is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. Dr. Rodriguez is committed to community health and the needs of the underserved. Prior to coming to Westside Family Health Center, she served as an attending physician at Erie Family Health Center in Chicago.
In addition, she has served as a volunteer physician in Lima, Peru, and during earthquake relief efforts in Haiti in 2010. In her spare time she enjoys dance, running and international travel.
“Growing up in a low-income community in Chicago’s South side, I witnessed firsthand, the detrimental effects of the lack of access to health care among my family members and neighbors,” Dr. Rodriguez said. “The outcome, in many cases, was chronic illnesses left undiagnosed and/or untreated, and serious adverse health effects. As I aged, I gained an understanding of barriers including language, lack of financial resources or health education, different cultural beliefs, and prior negative experiences with heath care professionals.”
As Medical Director, Dr. Rodriguez is an integral member of WFHC’s senior management team, She oversees the clinical/medical operations of the clinical programs (Reproductive Health Services, Family Practice, Prenatal and Pediatrics).
“I am extremely excited to continue to foster an already supportive and collegial work environment among a cohesive staff all dedicated to a unified mission,” she said. “I look forward to the opportunity to aid in the growth and expansion of services at WFHC. I envision a bright future ahead for Westside Family Health Center and the community we serve.”
About Westside Family Health Center: Westside Family Health Center, founded in 1974, is a non-profit community health center providing a wide range of low-cost health care services. WFHC serves more than 9,900 low-income and uninsured women, men and children, regardless of one’s ability to pay. To learn more about WFHC, visit www.wfhcenter.org.
