Pillar Health Brings Much-Needed Primary and Behavioral Health Services to Underserved Racine Neighborhoods
Pillar Health, will officially open as Racine’s first Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in the summer of 2025. The new site will be located inside Julian Thomas Elementary School in Racine’s Lincoln-King neighborhood, a historically underserved area with significant health disparities.
Pillar Health Racine will offer primary medical care and behavioral health counseling services, addressing critical gaps in healthcare access in neighborhoods with some of the region’s highest rates of poverty, chronic illness, and unmet mental health needs.
“This project represents a major milestone in expanding healthcare access in Racine,” said Dr. Mary Ouimet, CEO of Pillar Health. “We’ve heard directly from the community that they want accessible, trusted, and affordable care closer to home. That’s exactly what we’re bringing.”
The new site is strategically located within walking distance of the future Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, scheduled to open in 2026, where services will be relocated upon the opening of the center. Pillar Health Racine will provide a wide range of public services and programs for families. Integrating Pillar Health’s services at Julian Thomas Elementary aligns with the community school model supported by the City of Racine Public Health Department, United Way of Racine County, and the Racine Unified School District—ensuring students and their families can access essential health resources without leaving their neighborhood.
Local leaders have long voiced the need for a FQHC health center in Racine making this launch a turning point for the city. “Racine is the largest city in Wisconsin without a community health center,” said Mayor Cory Mason. “Pillar Health’s expansion will change that. It will increase access to affordable, high-quality care, reduce longstanding health disparities, and address the institutional barriers that have kept too many low-income and underserved residents from getting the care they need.”
Pillar Health is the community health brand developed by the Kenosha Community Health Center, Inc. to bring integrated primary healthcare services to communities in Southeastern Wisconsin with the greatest need. Pillar Health Racine projects to serve over 3,200 patients in the first year, with services growing to reach 5,000 annually within three years at these locations.
For more information about Pillar Health and updates on the Racine site launch, visit www.pillarhealthcare.org.
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