In advance of Children’s Memorial Hospital’s move to the Streeterville neighborhood, DePaul University’s Lincoln Park Community Research Initiative will examine and celebrate the hospital’s long history and many contributions to the Lincoln Park community at its annual spring program.  The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. April 24 at the DePaul University Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave., Room 120.  ABC 7 Chicago entertainment reporter Janet Davies will moderate a discussion about Children’s legacy.

In June, Children’s will relocate to a new facility at 225 E. Chicago Ave. in Chicago and be renamed the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.  Despite the  name and address change, Children’s will leave a lasting impression on the Lincoln Park community and continue to be a leader in caring for the medical needs of children. “Children’s contribution to Lincoln Park will endure long after it has moved its operations to Streeterville,” said Fran Casey, director of community affairs at DePaul. “DePaul has a rich history of partnering with Children’s on projects designed to enhance the Lincoln Park community,  so it’s with great pleasure that DePaul’s Lincoln Park Community Research Initiative celebrates Children’s legacy in Lincoln Park and its groundbreaking contributions to pediatric medicine.”

     
 Moderator Davies  joined ABC 7 Chicago as a feature and entertainment reporter in August 1984. In addition to her feature segments, which appear on the ABC 7 Chicago News at 4 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday, Davies is the host and executive producer of 190 North, an Emmy award winning Chicago-based entertainment and lifestyle program. Davies also has had a long affiliation with Children’s. Panelists will include:

Sarah Baine—president of the Children’s Memorial Founders’ Board.

Susan Hayes Gordon—chief government and community relations officer for Children’s Memorial Hospital.

Stanford T. Shulman, M.D.—chief, division of  infectious diseases at Children’s Memorial and the Virginia H. Rogers Professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Northwestern University’s Fienberg School of Medicine.

Maggie Williamson—a DePaul University graduate who has been a longtime Children’s patient.  She will give a patient’s perspective.

“DePaul University and Children’s Memorial Hospital are proud to be part of the Lincoln Park community,” said Hayes Gordon, chief of government and community relations at Children’s. “This history of partnering for the good of the community is fundamental to the legacy we hope to leave in Lincoln Park.”

The event is free but reservations are required. To reserve a space, call 312-362-8100 or

register online at www.lpcri.eventbrite.com.  For more information about the program visit http://cgia.depaul.edu.

About Children’s Memorial Hospital

Children’s Memorial Hospital has been a staple in the Lincoln Park community for 130 years.  Founded in 1882  by Julia Foster Porter, Children’s began as an eight-bed cottage in the Lincoln Park community.  Children’s is the first hospital in Chicago dedicated solely to the care of children, and the hospital opened its doors at a time when the field of pediatric medicine did not even exist.

The original site of Children’s Memorial Hospital was  a three-story, 20-bed  building at the corner of Fullerton and Orchard.  Over the years, Children’s  has grown in size and reputation and it will continue its legacy of  setting the standard for providing top quality, acute care to children in its new Chicago location at 225 E. Chicago Ave.

About the Lincoln Park Community Research Initiative

The Lincoln Park Community Research Initiative was founded during DePaul’s 1998 Centennial observance to celebrate and examine the diverse cultural and political issues  of  the Lincoln Park community and help foster interest in the shared history of Lincoln Park and DePaul.  It is a joint effort  of Lincoln Park community organizations and DePaul University to collect documents and artifacts on the history of the Lincoln Park community. Working in collaboration, organizations participating in the initiative work to strengthen the Lincoln Park archive by adding records of neighborhood groups  and their members. The initiative also develops and supports research, publications and exhibits on Lincoln Park, especially through programs and small grants.