Stantec’s design of a transitional care home for children with complex medical conditions recently came to life with the opening of Almost Home Kids at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois in Peoria, Illinois. Almost Home Kids helps children with complicated medical needs transition safely from the hospital into their home and educates families on how to care for their children in a comfortable, supportive environment.
Based on an operational model designed with best practices and lessons learned from two existing Almost Home Kids sites affiliated with the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Almost Home Kids and Stantec embarked on the development of a prototype building for partner organizations looking to adopt and implement this first-of-its-kind transitional care model within their communities.
Almost Home Kids in Peoria, IL. Photo credit: Ballogg Photography
OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois, the third largest pediatric hospital in Illinois, partnered with Almost Home Kids to realize the first implementation of this national prototype. This partnership engaged Stantec to assist in the design, medical planning, and interiors for the new 22,000-square-foot space. Throughout the design and site adaptation process, Stantec teamed up with a panel of Almost Home Kids clinicians and families to ensure that the feeling of coming home was embodied throughout every aspect of the house.
“This is much more than just a project for us,” said Rebel Roberts, principal designer at Stantec. “It’s a positive healing space and a comforting home where families feel relieved and welcome. We hope this prototype continues to get adopted and we see more Almost Home Kids facilities throughout the country, because they truly are remarkable.”
Replicating the comforting home-like setting of all AHK facilities, children at Almost Home Kids at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois receive 24-hour medical and nursing support from skilled pediatric nurses. Almost Home Kids educates families on how to provide the best care for their children by training them to confidently operate and maintain their child’s home medical equipment, prepare medications and treatments, and maximize government support systems such as home modification and/or obtaining home nursing hours.
For Stantec, health is at the center of who we are and what we do. Made up of 3,500 building professionals in 200 locations, our health sector design team members live and work locally, accessing colleagues who are working around the globe for fresh and informed input. Our teams are supported by our company-wide proprietary health research, experience in lean design, and expertise in alternative delivery systems.
About Stantec
Communities are fundamental. Whether around the corner or across the globe, they provide a foundation, a sense of place and of belonging. That’s why at Stantec, we always design with community in mind. We care about the communities we serve—because they’re our communities too. This allows us to assess what’s needed and connect our expertise, to appreciate nuances and envision what’s never been considered, to bring together diverse perspectives so we can collaborate toward a shared success. We’re designers, engineers, scientists, and project managers, innovating together at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships. Balancing these priorities results in projects that advance the quality of life in communities across the globe. Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN. Visit us at stantec.com or find us on social media.
About Almost Home Kids
Almost Home Kids (AHK) is a short-term community-based health care facility for children with medical complexities. They are licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health under the Alternative Health Care Delivery Act. AHK provides transitional care in a home-like setting to children with complicated health needs, training for their families and respite care. AHK has three 12-bed locations: 7S721 Route 53, Naperville, IL 60540, 211 E. Grand Avenue, 6th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611 and 5200 N Hamilton Drive, Peoria, IL 61614. For general information on Almost Home Kids please contact Judith McLean, Director of Marketing & Communications at 312-399-0013 or jmclean@almosthomekids.org. If you are interested in learning more about AHK’s expansion plans, or would like to talk about bringing Almost Home Kids to your area, please contact Denise Nora, Director of Business Development & Strategy at 312.318.2239 or dnora@AlmostHomeKids.org
