Chicago Area Pediatrics to Join Lurie Children's

Effective August 31, 2021, Chicago Area Pediatrics, an independent pediatric primary care practice based in Evanston, Illinois, will become part of Lurie Children’s Primary Care, a comprehensive primary care practice of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.  

“Lurie Children’s is dedicated to provide children and adolescents with the right care in the right place at the right time to maximize access, quality and efficiency,” said Matthew M. Davis, MD, MAPP, Founders’ Board Centennial Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Executive Vice-President and Chief, Community Health Transformation in the Patrick M. Magoon Institute for Healthy Communities. “To achieve these goals, it is important for youth to have an easily accessible, highly capable medical home. Bringing Chicago Area Pediatrics, a successful and well-respected pediatric practice, under our medical center umbrella will help us continue to develop a regional healthcare network solely focused on children.” 

Lurie Children’s and Chicago Area Pediatrics have been closely aligned for decades. “Our patients trust our practice, and they trust Lurie Children’s. We believe that together we will both be stronger and that this partnership will allow us to continue to provide high-quality care to our patients,” said Valerie Kimball, MD, Medical Director, Chicago Area Pediatrics. 

Chicago Area Pediatrics physicians and staff will become part of Lurie Children’s and will continue to practice at their current location in Evanston. To honor Chicago Area Pediatrics’ history and partnership with Lurie Children’s, the practice’s new name will be Lurie Children’s Primary Care–Chicago Area Pediatrics. 

As the healthcare environment continues to shift toward population health management, Lurie Children’s has expanded its partnership with many pediatric healthcare providers by creating a Clinically Integrated Network (CIN) between the hospital specialists and community-based physicians; increasing access to its electronic health record for community practices; opening Immediate Care sites in Lincoln Park and Northbrook to serve non-emergency patients after standard office hours; and providing care coordination services for children with medically complex conditions.   

“Healthcare reform, the complex impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s health, and evolving models of healthcare are causing rapid change in pediatrics. This formal partnership between Chicago Area Pediatrics and Lurie Children’s will help us collaborate on all aspects of pediatric healthcare to improve quality and outcomes for all children and adolescents we serve,” said Davis. 

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is consistently ranked the top children’s hospital in Illinois and among the top in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.  It receives patient transfers from almost all Illinois hospitals that serve children. In 2016, Town & Country Pediatrics, now Lurie Children’s Primary Care- Town & Country Pediatrics, became the first privately-owned pediatric practice to become part of Lurie Children’s medical center. 

For more than 90 years Chicago Area Pediatrics, founded by Alfred Traisman, MD, has provided compassionate care to children. Its physicians are board certified by the American Academy of Pediatrics and are appointed as faculty at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Chicago Area Pediatrics is one of the most established practices in Chicagoland, offering the accessibility and ease of a small-town doctor’s office. Conveniently located at the crossroads of Chicago, Evanston, Lincolnwood and Skokie, they care for children from all around the City of Chicago and the North Shore.