Vital Bridges clients will soon have access to a range of new services. The 23-year-old AIDS service agency will merge with Heartland Alliance July 1.
Vital Bridges announced the merger June 1.
"Joining Heartland will help us to do this even more successfully, as they have a large, professional medical and behavioral health staff," Debbie Hinde, president and CEO of Vital Bridges, said in a statement. "Both organizations are committed to developing and implementing a chronic care model that integrates health care and the social services."
Vital Bridges will keep its Edgewater office, but the agency will become a division of Heartland Health Outreach and be renamed "Vital Bridges Center on Chronic Care." According to the statement, Vital Bridges will maintain all of their services, and staff will remain the same.
Vital Bridges is the largest provider of food and nutrition services in Chicago. The agency serves more than 2,000 clients annually, according to its website. Heartland Alliance provides medical care to patients with HIV/AIDS, among other services.
"We're excited about the opportunities this brings about for the City of Chicago," said Karen Batia, the Executive Director of Heartland Health Outreach. " [ Clients ] can go to one place and get those services. It means those organizations can do what they're really excellent at together."
According to the statement, the boards of directors of both organizations voted to approve the merger late last month.
While AIDS services organizations have suffered in the poor economy, Batia said the merger was more "strategic" than financial.
"It should make the quality of services improve," Batia said, adding that the Vital Bridges Center on Chronic Care will now be a one-stop care destination for many living with HIV.
However, Batia also said that the merger could make Vital Bridges a more attractive grantee because it will serve clients in a more holistically.