A $35 million philanthropic gift will fund a new health institute at Northwestern Medicine, creating at least 20 jobs and expanding care for uninsured and underinsured patients across Chicago and northern Illinois.

Northwestern Medicine, which operates Evanston Hospital and describes itself as the third-largest private employer in Illinois with more than 38,000 workers, announced the grant from Schreiber Philanthropy on Tuesday, June 17. The money will establish the John and Kathy Schreiber Community Health Institute.

The grant will fund 12 community health workers, five nurse navigators, and three social workers, according to Dr. Dinee Simpson, Northwestern's chief health equity executive. Those workers will help uninsured patients find regular care at federally qualified health centers and connect them with resources for food insecurity and transportation.

Northwestern also plans to increase capacity by about 50% at its two transitional care clinics, which serve patients with complex medical needs who lack adequate insurance. The clinics will add services for addiction and substance use disorders.

"We see a lot of patients through the emergency department who don't have a medical home," Simpson told the Chicago Tribune.

Ann Hall, vice president of administration at Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, will oversee the new institute. She said the grant will strengthen community health efforts across Chicago and northern Illinois.

The gift builds on about $50 million in total Schreiber family donations to Northwestern Medicine over more than 30 years, according to the Chicago Tribune. John Schreiber, a Chicago native and Loyola University graduate, retired in 2015 as co-founder of Blackstone Real Estate Advisors.

Northwestern Medicine has not announced a launch date for the institute or specified how many of the new positions will be based at its Evanston campus versus its Chicago locations.