March 12, 2008

Carle Foundation Hospital announces $6.25 million project to benefit children with hearing loss

March 12, 2008

Carle Foundation Hospital today announced plans to build a $6.25 million facility for two programs devoted to helping children with hearing loss. The new building will house Carle Foundation's Expanding Children's Hearing Opportunities (ECHO) program which includes the St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf at Carle (SJIC).

"For the first time, these two programs will be housed together under the same roof," said James C. Leonard, M.D., president and chief executive officer of The Carle Foundation. "ECHO and SJIC have been located in numerous locations throughout Carle since 1987, and every time, they have outgrown their environment. This alone is a testament to the success of these two programs and the need for this new facility."

The two-story facility, to be located near the corner of Park and Busey streets on the hospital's main campus in Urbana, will double the school's current square footage,  providing 7,900 square feet on the second floor for an Auditory Oral Learning Center. The first floor will feature 7,535 square feet for the Expanding Children's Hearing Opportunities Center. Construction of the new building will begin in July and is expected to open in August 2009.

Michael Novak, M.D., an Otolaryngologist with Carle Clinic Association and a national leader in cochlear implants, began the ECHO program in 1987. Since then, he has surgically placed cochlear implants in 210 children. Hundreds more have been fitted with hearing aids. In 1997, Dr. Novak, ECHO staff members and parents of his patients established SJIC to help the children with hearing loss learn to develop spoken language through listening. More than 50 children from more than 30 cities throughout Illinois have attended the school.

"Together, these two programs are poised to be the model of care for children with hearing loss in the Midwest," Dr. Leonard said. "The ECHO Building project aligns well with our vision to be a world-class innovator providing exceptional patient care."

The new building will allow the Learning Center to continue to enroll new students and to offer services to children through second grade, adding first and second grade classes.

The Learning Center's proposed expansion plan would increase the number of classrooms from four to nine and more than double the enrollment, from 23 students to 54 students.

"Charitable donations have always helped fund our two programs," noted Dr. Novak. "So, I'm pleased charitable dollars will play a key role in the funding of our permanent home."

According to Robert Driver, vice president of The Carle Development Foundation, about half of the total project cost-or $3 million-will come from donations. At the time of the project announcement, more than $1.3 million had already been raised.

The ECHO Building is one of seven priority initiatives featured in Carle Foundation's New Heights campaign. This planned six-year, comprehensive fundraising campaign has raised nearly $24 million of its $25 million goal. Other funding for the construction project will come from The Carle Foundation.