Healing with heart: What 100 Fisher Houses means to Veteran and military families

The sharing of any non-VA information does not constitute an endorsement of products and services on the part of VA. Veterans should verify the information with the organization offering.

In the midst of a medical crisis, your mind can race in a million directions: Is my loved one going to be okay? How long will recovery take? How do I take care of the kids and manage trips to the hospital? What will my employer say?

There is so much to worry about, but thanks to the Fisher House Program, military and Veteran families have one less thing to think about: where to stay.

Since 1990, Fisher Houses have provided a comfortable home away from home—at no cost—for military and Veteran families whose loved ones are receiving medical care at military and VA medical centers.

In July, the 100th Fisher House was dedicated at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago, Illinois. Lovell FHCC is the nation’s only fully integrated Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility, making this the first Fisher House built specifically to support both military and Veteran families.

Regardless of location, all Fisher Houses can serve both communities, as long as their loved one is receiving care at the associated medical center.

When J.P. Lane was injured in an IED blast in 2011, doctors scrambled to keep him alive despite 26 major injuries, including the amputation of both his legs and a brain injury. He underwent numerous surgeries, seriously considered suicide and went through a divorce. But he found community during his long recovery at the Joint Base San Antonio Army Fisher House where he was able to stay with his parents and other family members.

“There were moments that I remember not wanting to wake up and get out of bed,” Lane said of his time in the Fisher House. “It was a relaxing place to get away from the world. When I had my days that I did not want to go anywhere, I just wanted to relax and just keep to myself and have my moments and my peace, just alone. That was the place to be. I stayed there and had my space and was able to just relax, pretty much recover, mentally and physically.”  

The new Fisher House in North Chicago features 16 suites and is expected to save military and Veteran families up to $1.3 million each year in lodging and transportation costs. More importantly, it will make it possible for patients to receive care they may not have been able to access previously, simply because there was no place for their families to stay nearby.

The Fisher House network now spans 73 locations across the country, with additional homes in Germany and the United Kingdom. One more is under construction in Little Rock, Arkansas, and is expected to be completed this fall. New houses are also planned for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Montrose, New York; Phoenix, Arizona; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

“In North Chicago, where both military and Veteran families come for care, we’ve built a home that reflects the community’s strength and compassion,” said Kenneth Fisher, Chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation. “The 100th Fisher House is not just a number—it’s a symbol of our national promise to stand by those who serve, past and present.”

Fisher Houses typically include 7 to 20 accessible suites, a spacious kitchen, large communal living, dining and family rooms, a laundry room and a shared patio. Once completed, each home is gifted to the medical center it supports as part of a public-private partnership between Fisher House Foundation, the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

To find a Fisher House or learn how to get involved, visit FisherHouse.org.