Federal Funding To Expand Park Ridge Down Syndrome Center
PARK RIDGE, Ill. (STMW) - Gov. Pat Quinn announced Saturday that $1.3 million in "Illinois Jobs Now!" capital funding will be used to expand the Adult Down Syndrome Center at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.
Advocate's Adult Down Syndrome Center primarily serves people with Down syndrome that are 12 years of age or older, according to a Quinn release. The center, the only of its kind in the Midwest, serves about 4,500 patients each year.
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The project will double the size of the current facility and increase access to comprehensive care for Illinois residents with Down syndrome, the release said. The funding will help expand the number of exam rooms from four to seven and add a community room for education, support groups and meetings.
"As people with Down syndrome are living longer and healthier lives, the need for services is increasing in Illinois and throughout the country," Quinn said. "These capital funds help ensure that those with Down syndrome will get the care they need to live healthy and productive lives in Illinois."
The project is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2011 and will be completed later that year, the release said. It will need to go through the local zoning process and be reviewed by the city of Park Ridge before construction can begin.
Quinn made the announcement at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital's annual volunteer luncheon.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2010. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
