Crusader Community Health is a non-profit community health center that provides primary medical, dental, and behavioral health care for more than 61,000 people in northern Illinois.
We’re committed to making high-quality health care accessible to everyone. Our providers and support staff are both knowledgeable and compassionate, making sure everyone who walks through our doors feels comfortable and cared for.
Serve the Rock River Valley with quality primary health care for all people in need.
Eliminate disparities in health care while building a collaborative system that champions the needs of the underserved, regardless of their ability to pay.
Crusader Community Health is known for providing high-quality care to anyone in need. Because of our employees’ outstanding professionalism and commitment to our patients, our community continues to choose and support Crusader – and that has allowed us to grow and serve more than 61,000 patients.
I am grateful to our dedicated employees for providing incredible care to our patients. Their commitment, skill and compassion are consistently acknowledged when we survey our patients and employees. I am delighted to share some of our recent results.
I am proud to serve on this team, which has once again earned accreditation for Ambulatory Hea lth Care and certification as a Primary Care Medical Home from The Joint Commission for complying with the highest national standards for safety and quality to best serve our patients.
I’m looking forward to continued growth, both in our reach and role in improving our community’s health.
Samuel G. Miller
President & CEO
Crusader Community Health
Sister Catherine Francis established the first well-baby clinic in 1966 at St. Elizabeth’s social center in Rockford, in partnership with the Visiting Nurses Association. The clinic operated one day each month for just two hours.
In a few years, the need for preventative pediatric primary care grew. That’s where Crusader began. A professional board was established in 1969, and it was chartered as a nonprofit in 1970.
Crusader is a Health Center Program grantee under 42 U.S.C. 254b, and a deemed Public Health Service employee under 42 U.S.C. 233(g)-(n).
Crusader receives HHS funding and has Federal PHS deemed status with respect to certain health or health related claims, including medical malpractice claims, for itself and its covered individuals.
The first official clinic opened its doors on July 9, 1972. The clinic began operations at 1200 W. State St., the former Muldoon High School Convent. The convent was owned by the Rockford Diocese and previously used by the Dominican Sisters who taught at Muldoon High School next door. When the high school closed, Father David Beauvais negotiated the sale of the property that housed the convent and former high school for $1.
By June 1973, the clinic had grown to include five paid employees: two full-time doctors, a nurse, dental hygienist, and a part-time dentist. Supplementing those paid staff were several volunteers: eight doctors, six nurses, two social workers and six dental assistants. Records show the patient count in early 1973 was about 450. That number tripled before the end of 1973 to about 1,400.
About the Founders: Dr. John McHugh was the first volunteer provider with Crusader, who later founded the clinic and served on the board of directors.
Barbara Roman and Joe Terranova also served on the board of directors in several capacities . They are credited with seeing Crusader become a stable entity.
In 1974, John Frana became the first clinic administrator, a position he held for 23 years until 1997.
The Foundation formed in 1985 to provide financial support for the clinic. To date, the Foundation has provided capital and programmatic support worth millions in capital campaigns and large-scale projects.
Healthcare for the Homeless program started in 1988, which is now known as Community Connections. The program assists patients in finding community support and resources, in addition to access to primary health care.
