Newswise — Shriners Hospitals for Children-Chicago and the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System (UI Health) have signed an affiliation agreement to enhance their existing partnership and provide expanded pediatric specialty medical services to their patients.

The Chicago Shriners Hospital serves children throughout the Midwest from birth to age 18 with specialized orthopaedic care, rehabilitation, and cleft lip and palate repair. UI Health, a public health system based on Chicago’s West Side, includes the 495-bed UI Hospital, the 101-bed Children’s Hospital University Illinois, an outpatient care center and 13 federally qualified Mile Square Health Centers located throughout Chicago.

This partnership is a result of Shriners Hospital’s efforts to collaborate with leading academic medical centers to help reach more children, leveraging the clinical expertise of each organization.

“Both Shriners Hospitals for Children-Chicago and UI Health are experts in their fields,” says Bill Kuehn, board chairman, Shriners Hospitals for Children-Chicago. “The affiliation will allow our organizations to complement each other’s services. Our mission remains to provide the best possible care to our patients and their families.”

“We are very excited by the clinical and educational opportunities presented by the new partnership with Shriners Hospital,” said Jerry Bauman, interim vice president for health affairs, University of Illinois. “The affiliation is very much in alignment with our own mission, which is to provide exceptional care to all patients and to reduce health disparities by removing barriers to care.”

“Our collaboration will help provide exceptional clinical care to more children in the Chicago area, as well as expand training opportunities for our residents and medical students,” said Dr. Dimitri Azar, dean of the UIC College of Medicine.

Shriners Hospital has been a training site for UI Health’s orthopaedic residents and other trainees.

Today’s announcement reflects a trend in the healthcare industry. By affiliating with a larger health system, the Chicago Shriners Hospital will expand its scope and reach of people served.

About University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences SystemThe University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System is a public academic medical center committed to providing the highest quality care for all patients and to reducing health disparities. Located in the Illinois Medical District on Chicago’s West Side, UI Health is a leader in patient care, research and education, and serves as the primary teaching facility for the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, the largest medical school in the U.S. The system includes 7 health sciences colleges, a 495-bed hospital, the 101-bed Children’s Hospital University of Illinois, an outpatient care center and 13 federally qualified Mile Square Health Centers located throughout Chicago.

About Shriners Hospitals for ChildrenShriners Hospitals for Children is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research and outstanding medical education. Our 22 facilities, located in the United States, Canada and Mexico, provide advanced care for children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate.

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