Neel French, MD, SC

COVID VACCINE INFO UPDATE

4/12/2021

As of 4/12/2021, Illinois residents over the age of 16 outside of Chicago are now eligible for COVID vaccination. Chicago opens up to all residents over age 16 on 4/19/2021 . The following is an updated summary of how to sign up:

City of Chicago

Although hospitals and pharmacies in Chicago are vaccinating nonresidents, Chicago’s public health department with Mayor Lori Lightfoot are limiting access to city-run mass vaccination sites primarily to residents.

Chicago State University: City residents who live in certain ZIP codes can get vaccination appointments at the South Side college campus (Emil & Patricia A. Jones Convocation Center, 9501 S. King Drive). Run by Howard Brown Health and CORE, the site is only open to people who live in 60617, 60619, 60620, 60621, 60628, 60633, 60636, 60643, 60649, 60655 and 60827. Appointments are required; register here or call 312-746-4835. The Johnson & Johnson single dose vaccine is being administered at CSU.
Wrigley Field: Inside the Gallagher Way Conference Center next to the ballpark, Advocate Aurora is running a mass vaccination site open only to city residents. Appointments are required; register via Zocdoc.com/vaccine or call 312-746-4835. The Pfizer vaccine is being administered and will require a second dose appointment at this site.
United Center: Chicago residents who are 65 and older or who live in certain ZIP codes are being prioritized for appointments at this federally-run site on the West Side. Appointments are required: Chicago residents can schedule via Zocdoc.com/vaccine; to book by phone, call 312-746-4835 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, or 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. Some appointments are available for Cook County residents, and those can be booked by calling 833-308-1988 between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Saturdays.
Union members: The Chicago Federation of Labor is partnering with the city to vaccinate more than 1,000 union members a day. All members of unions under the CFL umbrella qualify, even if you live outside the city, and can schedule appointments online.

Chicago region

Cook County operates a handful of smaller vaccination sites designed to target certain populations. According to the governor’s office, on April 12 these sites will open to all Illinois residents 16 and older. Register online or call 833-308-1988 (7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday) for an appointment:

Arlington Heights: Arlington Heights Health Center (3250 N. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights)
Blue Island: Blue Island Health Center (12757 S. Western Ave., Blue Island)
Cicero: Morton East School Base Clinic (2423 S. Austin Blvd., Cicero)
Ford Heights: Cottage Grove Health Center (1645 Cottage Grove Ave., Ford Heights)
North Riverside: North Riverside Health Center (1800 S. Harlem Ave., North Riverside)
Robbins: Robbins Health Center (13450 S. Kedzie Ave., Robbins)

These five state-run mass vaccination sites, located in Cook County, are currently open to any eligible Illinois resident. Register online or call 833-308-1988 (7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday) for an appointment:

Des Plaines: Former K-Mart (1155 E. Oakton St., Des Plaines)
Forest Park: Former HOBO (7600 Roosevelt Road, Forest Park)
River Grove: Triton College (2000 Fifth Ave., River Grove)
South Holland: South Suburban College (15800 State St., South Holland)
Tinley Park: Tinley Park Convention Center (18451 Convention Center Drive, Tinley Park)

DeKalb County: Register online.

DeKalb: NIU Convocation Center (1525 W. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb)

DuPage County: Register online.

Wheaton: DuPage County Fairgrounds, Building 1 (2015 Manchester Road, Wheaton)

Kane County: Register online or call 855-452-6382.

Aurora: Former Carson’s (970 N. Lake St., Aurora)
Batavia: Former Sam’s Club (501 N. Randall Road, Batavia)

Lake County: Register online.

Grayslake: Lake County Fairgrounds (1060 E. Peterson Road, Grayslake)
Waukegan: Community Based Testing Center (102 W. Water St., Waukegan)

Downstate

Governor J.B. Pritzker’s office has created a web-based tool to search for vaccination locations near you. However, the tool doesn’t provide eligibility requirements.

All vaccine-eligible Illinois residents can use the Illinois Department of Health’s online registration website to book an appointment at one of these state-run mass vaccination sites. In the list below, we’ve included links to individual health department websites in counties that have already moved to vaccinating all adults; scheduling directly through them may be your fastest route.

Belleville: Belle-Clair Fairgrounds (200 S. Belt E #2650, Belleville). Appointments must be made through the St. Clair County Health Department; schedule online or call 618-825-4447.
Bloomington: Grossinger Motors Arena (101 S. Madison St., Bloomington)
Carbondale: Banterra Center (Southern Illinois University, Carbondale)
Carbondale: Carbondale Civic Center (200 S. Illinois Ave., Carbondale)
Collinsville: The Gateway Convention Center (1 Gateway Drive, Collinsville). Schedule an appointment online or call 618-650-8445.
Danville: Danville Community College (2000 E. Main St., Danville)
Danville: Vermilion Regional Airport (22633 N. Bowman Avenue, Danville)
Joliet: Former Toys ‘R’ Us (3128 Voyager Lane, Joliet)
Morris: Shabbona Middle School (725 School St., Morris)
Milan: Camden Centre (2701 First St. E., Milan)
Quincy: Oakley Lindsey Center (300 Civic Center Plaza, Quincy)
Rockford: In Rockford, an old K-Mart in Winnebago County has been recast as a vaccination site. Schedule an appointment online (click on “Step 1: Register For COVID-19 Vaccine”) or call 815-720-4000.
Springfield: The Illinois State Fairgrounds (Orr Building, Springfield). Book an appointment for this location through the Sangamon County Health Department or by calling 217-210-8801.
Woodstock: Former K-Mart (1900 N. Richmond Ave., Woodstock)

Pharmacies

Pharmacies within national or regional drug and grocery stores will let you search for open appointments at all participating locations, and many eligible Chicagoans report having luck finding open slots this way. Each pharmacy has its own requirements for proof of identity, so read your appointment instructions carefully. Required identification may include a work or state ID, proof of employment, consent forms, confirmation emails and/or your insurance information.

Hospitals, clinics and private-practice physicians

Since vaccines are in limited supply, many hospitals and smaller health-care facilities — including Northwestern Memorial Hospital, UChicago Medicine, AMITA Health and Oak Street Health — are notifying eligible patients directly and do not offer a sign-up process.

Although most hospitals are only vaccinating patients right now, a few have opened their supply to the public. For example, Rush University Medical Center will vaccinate people outside of its patient population who meet these criteria; go online to schedule a vaccination at Rush or call 888-352-7874.

There are many more hospitals offering vaccination statewide. Search for locations in your city.

Finally, urgent care clinics — such as Physicians Immediate Care — also have limited vaccine supplies

(try them at 12 midnight).

Chicago’s COVID-19 vaccine website: www.chicago.gov/covidvax This website is for health care providers as well as the general public. It will be updated frequently as new information about COVID19 vaccines becomes available.

If you have been a patient of the AMITA Health Care Network (HMO's etc), then you may be offered the vaccine at SOME point from AMITA: https://www.amitahealth.org/covid-19/.

new info 2/15/2021, YOU MAY RECEIVE THIS TEXT: AMITA Health is eager to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to you. Illinois has moved to Phase 1B of the vaccine roll-out plan that will focus on residents aged 65 and older & frontline essential workers. COVID-19 vaccine supply is very limited at this time. In accordance with public health guidelines AMITA Health will be contacting you directly when it’s your turn via InQuicker -- our online scheduling partner-- with instructions on how to book your appointment. Please check back regularly for vaccine updates AMITAhealth.org/vaccine. To stop receiving messages, reply ‘STOP’.

THESE are the latest vaccine plans for certain patients who have been treated at AMITA:

While we are working diligently to expand vaccination opportunities across our health system, it is important to note the quantity of vaccine we receive is determined by the Chicago Department of Public Health and the Illinois Department of Health. To meet the overwhelming demand for vaccines, we have confirmed six core hospital-based mass vaccination sites and three AMITA Health Medical Group (AHMG) mass vaccination clinics:

Metro Chicago

AMITA Health Resurrection Medical Center Chicago
AMITA Health Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center Chicago

Northwest

AMITA Health Alexian Brothers Medical Center Elk Grove Village
AMITA Health Saint Alexius Medical Center Hoffman Estates

South

AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center La Grange
AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center Joliet

AHMG

North Riverside
Respiratory Center, Mount Prospect
Bartlett

Additionally, AMITA Health Medical Group will be supporting the health system’s vaccination efforts with practice based vaccine clinics at:

Barrington
Westchester
Lincolnwood
Park West Family Physicians Chicago.

GETTING A COVID VACCINE IS STILL DIFFICULT AND PATIENCE IS REQUIRED.

WE HAVE NO OTHER INFORMATION AT THIS TIME REGARDING COVID VACCINES. . PLEASE DO NOT CALL OUR OFFICE TO INQUIRE ABOUT COVID VACCINES AT THIS TIME. THANKS!!!!

DR FRENCH IS A PRIVATE PHYSICIAN, HOWEVER SOME OF HIS ACCEPTED INSURANCE PLANS ARE CONTRACTED THROUGH Amita Health Clinically Integrated Plan (AH CIN).

The site number for HMO IL, Blue Advantage HMO, and Blue Precision HMO is site #494-AMITA ST JOE CHI and the site number for Blue Cross Medicare Advantage HMO is #741-AMITA ST JOE CHI.

Humana HMO (site#694) is also coordinated by AH CIN.

CALL 888-747-2264 TO SELECT DR. FRENCH AS YOUR PCP FOR HMO IL,

BLUE ADVANTAGE HMO, BLUE PRECISION HMO , HUMANA HMO,

AND BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE HMO

MARKETPLACE HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS 2021

WE TAKE: Blue Choice Preferred PPO, Blue Precision HMO (site #494 AMITA ST JOE CHI); French MUST be your PCP); Cigna Connect AND Bright (FRENCH must be your PCP)

WE DO NOT TAKE Ambetter from Illinicare; Blue Care Direct; Blue Focus Care

MAINSTREAM HEALTHCARE PLANS

ACCEPTED: Blue Choice PPO (BCS); Blue Cross PPO; Aetna, United, UMR, Meritain, Humana, Cigna, PHCS, Smart Health (Amita PPO), Medicare, Blue Cross Medicare Advantage and Humana Medicare; Blue Cross Community and Meridian are THE ONLY Medicaid plans that are accepted.

Traditional Medicaid may be your secondary IF your have Medicare as Primary Plan.

NOT ACCEPTED: Cigna Local Plus, Cigna Plus, AARP Medicare Complete, County Care, Illinicare

COVID-19 PANDEMIC ISSUES

WE HAVE DIAGNOSED ABOUT 200 PATIENTS IN OUR PRACTICE WITH COVID-19 ILLNESS SINCE MARCH 2020. AVOID DISCRETIONARY TRAVEL AND IN-PERSON GATHERINGS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. WEAR MASKS!!! NEWER GUIDELINES PERMIT IN PERSON GATHERING WITHOUT MASKS ONLY IF EVERYONE THERE HAS BEEN VACCINATED!!!!

WE ARE SCHEDULING IN-PERSON VISITS, BUT WE MUST SPACE THEM APART AND CLEAN OUR EXAM ROOMS BETWEEN EACH VISIT; WE REQUIRE THAT ALL PATIENTS WEAR A FACE COVERING IF ENTERING OUR OFFICE; WE ARE SCHEDULING TELEMEDICINE VISITS VIA FACETIME, SKYPE. OR ZOOM ONLY IF NECESSARY AS THESE PLATFORMS HAVE SEVERAL LIMITATIONS. YOU MAY E-MAIL DR FRENCH TO REQUEST A TELEMED VISIT OR RX REFILLS: neel@neelfrenchmd.com

STAY SHELTERED IN PLACE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE/PHYSICALLY DISTANCE AND WEAR A FACE COVERING IN PUBLIC PLACES/ WASH HANDS OFTEN/WIPE DOWN SURFACES/DON'T TOUCH YOUR FACE IF YOU HAVE COVID-RELATED SYMPTOMS LIKE FEVER OVER 100, COUGH, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, SORE THROAT, CHANGES IN TASTE OR SMELL, CALL THE OFFICE TO BE TRIAGED.

I WISH ALL MY PATIENTS AND STAFF GOOD HEALTH DURING THIS PANDEMIC!!!

Neel French, M.D.

Hours/Directions/ Parking

Monday: 9:00AM-5:30PM

Tuesday: 10:00AM-7:30PM

Wednesday: 9:00AM-5:30PM

Thursday: 9:00AM-5:30PM

2-3 Fridays per month: 8:00AM-4:30PM

2 Saturdays per month: 8:00AM-12PM

*Valet park $10 (9-5 M-TH;9-1F)
*Park Chicago (only $3/hour)
*Side street parking WEST of Clark Street is NON-ZONED during daytime.
*Broadway #36 or Clark #22 bus to front door (Deming)

Neel French, M.D., S.C.

2551 N Clark St, Suite 303, Chicago, IL 60614, US

(773) 857-2650; Fax (773)857-2645

Hours

See Above Please

2551 N. Clark Street, Suite 303, Chicago, IL 60614