Advocate Health Care Launches $5.5M Fundraising Campaign

Park Ridge IL

30 March, 2021

10:59 AM

Description

On March 21, 2021, World Down Syndrome Day, Advocate Health Care Foundation launched a multi-year fundraising campaign to raise $5.5 million for Advocate Medical Group’s Adult Down Syndrome Center. This Center is one of the few primary care clinics in the world devoted to adolescents and adults with Down syndrome and remains unique in its interdisciplinary approach to patient care. Since its founding in 1992, the Center has grown from a twice-a-month clinic in a shared space to a stand-alone facility on the campus of Advocate Lutheran General Hospital with more than 7,000 annual patient visits. As the reputation of the Center has grown, so too has the demand for its services. “As the largest Down syndrome center for adolescents and adults in the United States, we believe we have an opportunity and obligation to help improve the understanding of health promotion for individuals with Down syndrome. This funding will provide us with the educational tools and staff time to help empower our patients and their families to actively participate in their own health promotion,” said Brian Chicoine, MD, Medical Director at the Advocate Medical Group Adult Down Syndrome Center. The funds raised will: Support the Center in three growth areas: patient care, education and researchMake it possible to add a psychologist to the team to help promote, assess and address mental health concerns of our patientsEnsure patients receive holistic and comprehensive careExpand services and resources Allow the Center to share its findings and educational resources with the global medical community as well as families and individuals with Down syndrome. Donors Linda and Mike Mussallem will be supporting this campaign by matching funds up to $2.75 million. The mission of the Adult Down Syndrome Center is important to both Linda and Mike as they each had brothers, Bob and George respectfully, with Down syndrome. For years, George was treated at the Adult Down Syndrome Center. The Mussallems want others to have the same experiences. Mike shared, “Throughout our visits with Dr. Chicoine and his team, we have witnessed firsthand the difference they are making. They have big brains and big hearts. We want families and practitioners from all over the world to have access to the latest information and research to help them support individuals with Down syndrome. We have been fortunate and are now in a position to give back to something we care about deeply.” Linda added, “We aspire to enhance the lives of families and their children with Down syndrome to the fullest extent possible.” For more information about the Adult Down Syndrome Center or to make a donation to the campaign click here.