Almost Home Kids to Establish New Facility and Transitional Care Program in Peoria

Children’s Hospital of Illinois has signed an affiliation agreement with Almost Home Kids (AHK) an affiliate of Lurie Children’s Hospital to establish a new Almost Home Kids facility and transitional care program in Peoria that will help serve the needs of children with medical complexities and their families.

Children’s Hospital of Illinois, based in Peoria, is the third largest pediatric hospital in Illinois, and is part of OSF HealthCare, an integrated health system owned and operated by The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis.

Children’s Hospital of Illinois will own and operate the new AHK facility and receive on-going services from AHK. The AHK Peoria will be the third facility of its kind in the nation, and will serve as a future prototype for AHK sites. The AHK Naperville has been in operations since 1999 and the AHK Chicago opened in 2012.

OSF HealthCare has identified a site for the facility and has a Letter of Intent to purchase the 15-acre site in place, pending completion of due diligence. The target date to have the AHK Peoria facility open is April 2018.

“This affiliation is an important step towards our goal of providing all children the right care in the right place at the right time,” said Kelly Nierstedt, President, Children’s Hospital of Illinois. “We have referred children to AHK for years, but the distance families have to travel to take advantage of the Chicagoland facilities combined with an increasing population of such children illustrates the need for an Almost Home Kids in Peoria. The number of children with medical complexities is growing at 6% annually and accounts for 40% of Medicaid spending on children. It’s simply the right thing to do for these children and their families.”

“This formal affiliation will help build a foundation in Illinois for transitioning more children with medical complexities successfully home and provide much needed respite care to families in the central part of the state. Together, we will have a united voice in advocating for this population,” said Debbie Grisko, President and Executive Director, Almost Home Kids.