Lurie Children's becomes first Illinois hospital to receive special designation

CHICAGO - Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago received special recognition on Friday.

The National Organization for Rare Disorders named Lurie Children's a Rare Disease Center of Excellence, making it the first hospital in Illinois to receive the designation.

Lurie Children's joins 40 other U.S. academic medical centers selected to be part of a national network dedicated to diagnosing, treating, and researching all rare diseases.

The division head of genetics, genomics, and metabolism at Lurie Children's, Dr. Carlos Prada, said he’s excited about the hospital's new honor.

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"We know it takes more than medicine to care for children with rare diseases. With compassion and understanding, we help patients access advanced diagnostics and multidisciplinary expertise, as well as offer opportunities to receive the most cutting-edge treatments through participation in clinical trials. We have one of the largest clinical trial units in the country for genetic and rare diseases."

In a statement, NORD said each medical center was selected based on a rigorous application process that required each institution to provide evidence it staffs experts across multiple specialties to meet the needs of rare disease patients.

Each medical center also had to show it has made significant contributions to rare disease patient education, physician training, and research.