CHICAGO — Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center has broken ground on a new $39 million, 52,560-square-foot facility at the corner of Wellington and Mildred avenues. The building, expected to open in early 2021, will house key programs focused on pediatric development and outpatient behavioral health, including a newly launched tele-mentoring autism program, the first of its kind in Illinois.
The Pediatric Developmental Center and the Behavioral Health Services Community Center are being relocated into the new modernized facility designed specifically for the patients and communities the programs serve.
“This building is a part of our strategic vision and ongoing commitment to bring world-class care to our community,” says Susan Nordstrom Lopez, president of Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. “In today’s fast-paced world, convenience and accessibility are key to helping our communities live well. Every aspect of this building is brought to life with patients and families in mind.”
Advocate Illinois Masonic’s Pediatric Developmental Center is one Chicagoland’s largest and most comprehensive outpatient diagnostic and treatment centers for children with special needs. Among its many offerings, the center is home to a comprehensive treatment program for autism and other developmental and behavioral disorders. Recently, the center launched Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Autism, a peer-to-peer tele-mentoring program designed to connect primary care physicians to a network of pediatric developmental specialists who consult on pediatric cases and provide education on autism. The ECHO Autism program is the first of its kind in Illinois.
“We are proud to offer these innovative services to children, families and providers throughout the Chicagoland area, and the new facility will greatly enhance our ability to do so,” says Karen Fried, PsyD, BCBA-D, director of the Pediatric Developmental Center.
The Behavioral Health Services Community Center offers a range of comprehensive outpatient behavioral health services for children and adults, including individual and group care related to wellness, coping, connection and life skills, and psychiatry. Beyond its outpatient services, the center also offers support through its innovative Medically Integrated Crisis Community Support and Helping Hands programs, each designed to deliver more significant support to the most vulnerable patients with poor social determinants of health, including housing and food insecurity.
“The building design was very intentional in bringing a calming environment to our patients and families, with natural lighting, green spaces and privacy. It also enables even more provider collaboration through open work and learning spaces,” says Elizabeth Rutha, PsyD, director of the Behavioral Health Services Community Center.