Rush Pediatric Primary Care Clinic to Open in North Riverside Community
Newswise — Rush University Medical Center has begun offering pediatric primary care services offsite for the first time, with the opening of Rush University Children’s Hospital North Riverside.
The clinic, located at 7222 W. Cermak Road, brings personalized care to meet the health needs of the community.
The clinic will focus on the chronic medical conditions that disproportionately affect Latino children, including asthma and childhood obesity. Partnership with community organizations will play an important role as well, to provide educational programs and other outreach services. Being both fluent in both English and Spanish, the aim of the health care providers and staff will be to make patients more comfortable.
Three physicians — Adriana Romero, DO; Xochil Galeano, MD; and Rashmi Narayan, MD — were recruited with the community in mind. They will care for pediatric patients with the following needs:
- Common childhood conditions, such as ear infections, strep throat, cold and flu;
- Care coordination and management for complex conditions, such as diabetes and obesity;
- School and sports physicals;
- Immunizations;
- Developmental delays;
- Social and behavioral challenges;
- Nutritional counseling.
The Rush health care providers will strive to partner with children and their families to establish healthy habits, care for common and complex conditions, and prevent more serious health conditions like obesity and diabetes.
The 2,500-square-foot clinic will have six exam rooms. The clinic will be open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the first hour of each day reserved for walk in patients; and has ample free parking. For more information about the clinic, call 708-660-5388.
The opening of this North Riverside neighborhood center is part of Rush’s long-term plans to offer more locations and easier access for people to see their Rush health care providers throughout the Chicago area.
“We are excited for the opening of the Rush Pediatric North Riverside Clinic. The clinic will specialize in the distinct health needs of children in the Latino community and is perfectly aligned with the Rush mission of providing the best health care for the diverse communities of North Riverside and the surrounding communities. The combination of cultural barriers and suspected genetic and environmental factors lead Latino children to suffer higher rates of illnesses than other populations of children. Diabetes, obesity, hypertension and high cholesterol impact Hispanic children uniquely and at a rate that is almost double compared to non-Hispanics,” said Anna Spagnoli, MD, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Rush University Medical Center.
The clinic will be the first of its kind in northern Illinois. It is strategically designed to address the barriers which challenge many Latino families. Additionally, it will provide the opportunity for Rush University Children’s Hospital to develop a state-of-the-art, nationally recognized program for comprehensive culturally sensitive care, public health education, cutting-edge research along with help to identify why Hispanic children are disproportionately affected by illnesses and to conveniently serve Hispanic families within their community.”
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