Little City Readies Grand Opening of 'Health & Wellness Center' Providing Dedicated Medical and Oral Healthcare to Individuals with Autism and other Disabilities

Thanks to Northwest Community Hospital's (NCH) dental team and oral healthcare professionals from the community, Little City Foundation (LCF) will receive comprehensive information for treatment planning and service delivery for hundreds of the Chicago area's most vulnerable children and adults

PALATINE, IL, March 31, /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Little City Foundation last week welcomed the Northwest Community Hospital Dental Team, led by Dr. Ahmed El-Maghraby, and volunteers that included licensed dentists, hygienists, and students from Harper College Oral Hygiene Program and UIC College of Dentistry, to conduct a dental assessment and to launch a desensitization program for Little City residents and participants.

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Based on a therapeutic community approach and committed to providing a higher quality of life to individuals with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities, Little City will open its "Health & Wellness Center" on May 10, providing primary medical and oral care for hundreds on its 56-acre campus.

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Dr. Ahmed El-Maghraby, dental clinic director at Northwest Community Hospital, conducts a checkup of Mike Lyon during the dental assessment; more than 200 residents of Little City were examined in a two-day period

"Without immediate access to medical and dental care, the illness worsens and the costs accumulate," commented Executive Director Shawn E. Jeffers.  "You can borrow time and money, but you cannot borrow health.  Our Health & Wellness Center will provide more immediate access to preventative and primary healthcare greatly reducing the chance for prolonged illness and pain for our residents and clients, while at the same time saving a tremendous amount of cost wasted on conditions that could have been prevented."

Thanks to a shared vision with community partners such as Alvin H. Baum Family Fund (three-year funding pledge for an advanced practice nurse) and Omron Foundation Inc., at the request of Omron Electronic Components LLC (for a significant corporate donation), Little City will provide dedicated healthcare to this drastically underserved population.

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Dr. Angela Willox examines Little City resident Harold Jefferies during the dental assessment under the guidance of Northwest Community Hospital

Northwest Community Hospital will also contribute part-time support of a dentist, other members of its oral healthcare team and furnishings to the Little City Health & Wellness Center.

To support individuals with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities, visit www.littlecity.org/support.

For complete information, visit www.littlecity.org or contact Lisa Reyes at [email protected] or 847-221-7825.

About the Health & Wellness Center

Based on a therapeutic community approach, Little City Foundation will introduce its first-ever Health & Wellness Center, initiating a holistic approach to wellness on Little City's 56-acre, Palatine campus.  The Health & Wellness Center will provide primary medical and oral healthcare to hundreds of individuals with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities throughout the Chicago area.  A dedicated advanced practice nurse, part-time dentist and complete nursing staff will provide specialized health care in addition to nutrition and related training (cooking classes, nutrition classes, etc.), recreation activities that will focus on fitness and fun, medical oversight to look at key medical and fitness indicators (weight, body mass index, blood pressure, etc) and monitoring of improvements.  The Health & Wellness Center supports Little City's Strategic Plan and overall approach to a high quality of life for the individuals it serves. 

About Little City Foundation

For more than 50 years, Little City Foundation has developed innovative and personalized programs to fully assist and empower children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Little City offers a variety of residential options for children and adults, as well as vocational and employment opportunities.  Programs and services include a special needs foster care and adoption program; in-home support to families raising a child with developmental disabilities; a full complement of recreational activities, including Special Olympics competition; a Resale Shop that provides employment for people with disabilities; and an award-winning Center for the Arts program that features visual, performance, media and fabric arts.  The organization has a 56-acre campus in Palatine and offices in Chicago.  Visit www.littlecity.org.

SOURCE Little City Foundation