MU Children's Hospital has opened a new rehabilitation center for kids.
The $1 million, 8,300 square-foot Children's Hospital Therapy Center will provide expanded pediatric physical, occupational and speech therapy services and includes one of the only therapeutic rehabilitation playgrounds in the United States. It is located across the street from MU Women's and Children's Hospital at 525 Keene St., Suite 101, in Columbia.
"There is a great need for pediatric rehabilitation services in central Missouri, with many families currently having to travel to St. Louis or Kansas City for treatment," said Timothy Fete, M.D., medical director of Children's Hospital, chair of the MU School of Medicine's Department of Child Health and Children's Miracle Network Professor in Pediatrics. "Our goal for this new center is to provide rehabilitation treatment to more kids in central Missouri. In the first year, we expect to expand our patient appointments by approximately 50 percent - to 400 patient appointments per week."
The 2,000 square-foot outdoor playground cost approximately $270,000 and was funded by donors including the annual MPix Coaches for Kids golf tournament and the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Radiothon. Funding also came from the Frank W. and Emily Leonard Trust, the Matthew Carlisle Turner Fund, and the Mark T. Andrews Memorial Fund.
Reviewed 2013-10-17