08.30.23

Durbin Celebrates Lurie Children's Hospital's Mobile Health Unit Grand Opening

CHICAGO – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today participated in Lurie Children’s Hospital’s ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate their new Mobile Health Unit, which Durbin secured $600,000 for in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Omnibus Appropriations Bill. This Mobile Health Unit will deliver physicals, immunizations, well-child visits, asthma care, and other services at community sites, health centers, and Chicago Public Schools.

“Lurie Children’s is such a beacon forhope and healing, and a trusted source of care for our most precious loved ones,”said Durbin. “This Mobile Health Unit is a symbol of our unwavering dedication to ensuring that every child, no matter where they reside, can receive the care they need to thrive.”

“With a new, larger mobile health unit, we will be able to expand our reach and readily respond to the unique needs of more individuals in the communities we serve,” said Jacinta Staples, MSN, RN, Director of Community-Clinic Collaborations at the Patrick M. Magoon Institute for Healthy Communities at Lurie Children’s. “By working with our community partners to bring our clinical and public health expertise to various neighborhoods throughout Chicago, we maximize the positive impact that our medical center can have on the health and well-being of children, youth and families.”

In June, Durbin unveiled the four-year report of his Chicago HEAL Initiative. Launched in 2018 by Senator Durbin and 10 of the largest hospitals serving Chicago, the HEAL Initiative is a collaboration to address the root causes of gun violence through economic, health, and community projects in 18 of Chicago’s neighborhoods with the highest rates of violence, poverty, and health disparities. This Mobile Health Unit is an example of how Lurie Children’s is reaching into communities to deliver care to vulnerable patients.

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