Phoenix Children’s Hospital will announce the opening of Arizona’s first and only Down Syndrome Clinic at a press conference that will be held at the hospital between noon and 1 pm on Thursday, March 21. Patients, families and physicians will be available for interviews. A light lunch will be served.
Last year, 160 babies were born in Arizona with Down syndrome and more than 900 children with Down syndrome have been treated at Phoenix Children’s Hospital during one 5-year period. The new clinic will provide services in a clinic present on site three times a month, half day clinics. Specialties include: Developmental pediatrics, Genetics, PT, OT, Speech and a clinical coordinator.
Because of the complexity of the syndrome, other specialties could also be involved in the child’s care. Some of the virtual team members will include: Cardiology, Hem/Onc, GI/Nutrition, Dental, Psychology, Ophthalmology, ENT, Surgery, Neurosurgery, Sleep Lab, Pulmonology, Immunology/Allergy, Neurology, Endocrinology and Psychiatry.
“The goal of the clinic is to provide multi-disciplinary evaluations and interventions for children with Down Syndrome from birth to 18 years within one center, so families spend less time pursuing services through multiple agencies and professionals; we want to become a one-stop-shop for families in Arizona,” said Dr. Robin Blitz, MD, FAAP, Director, Developmental Pediatrics, Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
