About The Ingalls Development Foundation

The Ingalls Development Foundation (IDF) is committed to transforming health, wellness, and opportunity in the Chicago Southland. As the philanthropic arm of UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital, we connect donors with initiatives that improve health equity, expand access to care, and strengthen the region’s social and economic fabric.

A Community Anchor Hospital

UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial is a cornerstone of health, education, economic development, and social well-being in the Southland. Key commitments include:

Local hiring and workforce development through programs like EDGE
Supporting economic growth as a major regional employer
Addressing social factors affecting health, like housing and food access
Leading emergency preparedness and expanding behavioral health services

Learn more about Anchor Hospital Community Development.

Foundation Initiatives & Programs

Advanced cancer care with advanced treatment and clinical trials close to home
Emergency Medicine serving 40,000+ patients annually, with 2025 facility upgrades
Healthy Baby Network supporting prenatal and maternal care for thousands of families
Food is Medicine providing nutritious food to oncology patients
Free Integrative Wellness therapies including massage and reiki
Expanding mental health and counseling services
Scholarships and internships opening healthcare career paths
Community classes, events and partnerships promoting regional health
Facility modernization and new technology supported by donors

Our History

For nearly 100 years, Ingalls Memorial Hospital served the community as an independent institution before joining forces with the University of Chicago Medicine in 2016. Today, your generous support helps elevate the quality of care on our Harvey, IL campus and across a growing network of outpatient centers in Calumet City, Flossmoor, Tinley Park, Orland Park, and Crestwood. Together, we’re building one of Chicagoland’s most innovative healthcare models—blending the strengths of community-based medicine with the power of an academic medical center.

A Legacy of Community Commitment

Our story begins with our first donor, industrialist Frederick Ingalls, born in 1855 in Waukegan, IL. After graduating from Northwestern and marrying Jeannette Hess of Naperville, Frederick became president of the Buda Company, which moved to Harvey in 1890. The Ingalls family soon became active civic leaders devoted to improving life in the region.

In the 1920s, recognizing the urgent need for local healthcare, Jeannette and Frederick Ingalls rallied Harvey business leaders to help fund and build a hospital. Thanks to their vision and generosity, Ingalls Memorial Hospital opened in 1923, providing care to the community’s growing workforce and their families.

After Jeannette’s passing, their daughter Jean Ingalls Havens took over leadership of the hospital until 1946 and served on the Board of Trustees until 1969. Jean once said, “The hospital was mother’s idea… My father and I knew that she would have wanted us to carry on.”

Honoring the Ingalls Legacy

Though no direct descendants remain, the family’s impact continues through charitable trusts and the Ingalls Legacy Society, which recognizes donors who support the hospital through estate gifts—ensuring the health of the Chicago Southland remains at the heart of our mission.