Additional Services

NorthShore is not a free clinic, however, we take all forms of insurance including Medicaid, HIP, Medicare, and private/commercial insurance plans. NorthShore also offers a sliding-scale or discounted self-pay option based on income for those with no medical insurance or high insurance deductibles.

Based on yearly household income, patients who qualify can pay from a minimum of $25 (0% on the sliding scale) up to $65 (100% on the sliding scale) for an office visit. This sliding-scale does not cover lab and other outside fees, however, as those prices are set by third-party providers.

Yes, we see everyone! No patient will be denied medical care regardless of age, sex, race, religion, or ability to pay for service. Our payment options include: Private or Commercial Insurance, Medicaid, HIP, Medicare, and a discounted self-pay option for the uninsured or underinsured.

NorthShore Health Centers’ vision is for all who seek our services, regardless of sex, age, income, social or cultural standing, or health condition, to have access to quality health services in a setting that promotes continuous, comprehensive health care. First, NorthShore wants to be
recognized as the best quality health care facility in the community, and secondly to be among the top-ranked community health centers in the country.

Our facilities employ board certified general practitioners, obstetricians, midwives, pediatricians, nurse practitioners, prenatal care coordinators, and community in reach and outreach workers. Behavioral Health Consultants work with our Primary Care Providers to ensure that emotional
and behavioral issues are addressed as well as physical ones. We address your entire health and wellbeing and service is provided regardless of ability to pay.

Our entire organization from the governing board to the individual staff members participate in a
systematic effort to improve the quality of health care and other services provided at NorthShore. The efforts to achieve quality are collaborative in nature and focus on assessing and improving our operating efficiency and outcomes for all departments.

Based on location, NorthShore offers Family Practice, Pediatrics, Women’s Health, Vision, Dental, Mental Health, Podiatry, Pharmacy and Chiropractic.

Patients are seen on both a scheduled and walk-in basis. After-hours services for urgent needs are also available at many of our locations including Saturdays at our Portage, Lake Station and Hammond clinics. Patients can either schedule an appointment online or call us at (219) 763-8112.

We have NorthShore locations throughout Porter, Lake, La Porte and Jasper Counties. We are located in Portage, Chesterton, Demotte, LaPorte, Gary, East Chicago, Crown Point, Merrillville, Hammond, and Lake Station.

In order to obtain a copy of your medical records or the medical records of your minor children, you can come to any of the NorthShore Health Center clinics and complete an ‘Authorization to Release Medical Information.’ Please also bring a photo ID of yourself as it will be requested to verify your identity prior to the release of the medical records.

Although federal guidelines allow a healthcare provider up to 30 days to process a request for medical records, we make every effort to fulfill releases within 1-2 business days. As a courtesy to our patients we do not charge a fee for copies of a patient’s own medical records or that of their minor children.

If you would like someone other than yourself to be able to pick up your medical records (or the records of your minor child), you must complete a ‘Disclosure of Protected Health Information’ form. These forms can be obtained from any of our clinics and they are valid for up to one year after the form has been completed.

If you’d like your medical records transferred from your previous provider, you must contact them and request to have your medical records released and sent to NorthShore.

Lab results can take up to 5-7 business days.

No. Walk-ins are welcome, however, NorthShore cannot control your wait time if you choose not to set an appointment.

NorthShore Pharmacies are 340b non-profit In-house pharmacies. If you want to take advantage of the special 340b pricing, you are required to see one of our NorthShore providers and only those prescriptions can be filled at NorthShore pharmacies with 340b medications. Exceptions are given if you have a referral from one of our providers to see an outside provider.

If a NorthShore provider sends you to an outside provider such as a specialist ( e.g. Dermatologist), a referral is generated within our EMR which allows our pharmacies to fill prescriptions from your specialist for 1 year, at which time your referral must be renewed by our provider.

Yes, your provider can send your prescription to the pharmacy of your choice. Keep in mind that not all medications are available with 340b pricing so it is a good idea to ask the provider or NorthShore pharmacy if your medications are available 340b, especially if it is an expensive or hard to find medication.

It can take up to 15 minutes for the pharmacy to actually receive the Rx from the doctor/provider as it needs to be routed from the physician’s computer system to the pharmacy’s computer system. Once the pharmacy receives the Rx, it is usually processed within 5-10 minutes as long as they have not received a high volume at one time.

The Pharmacist is not able quote an exact price until the Rx is actually run through the computer system. However, NorthShore does participate in the government’s 340B program which allows NorthShore patients prescription medication at a discount.

A telehealth appointment allows you to discuss your medical concerns with your medical provider over the phone or video conference without visiting the clinic in person.

A telehealth visit can be used to evaluate most mild to moderate illnesses, including concerns about infection with COVID-19. A telehealth visit is also often appropriate to manage ongoing health conditions like asthma, diabetes, and depression.

Currently all of our psychiatry, behavioral health and substance abuse counseling appointments are being done via telehealth. Call (219) 763-8112 to find out if you qualify for a telehealth appointment.

Scheduling a telehealth appointment is the same as scheduling a regular in-clinic appointment. Call us at (219)763-8112 and let the scheduling staff know that you would like to make a telehealth appointment.

Your provider will call you at your scheduled appointment time. When scheduling your appointment, be sure to give the scheduling staff the best phone number for your provider to call. Please make sure you are waiting by your phone up to 30 minutes before and after your scheduled appointment since provider may be ready earlier or later due to unexpected complications with other patient visits.