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St. Luke's Hospital To Open The Albert Pujols Wellness Center for Adults with Down Syndrome

Cardinals baseball player and center namesake Albert Pujols designated an award from the Major League Baseball Players Trust to help open the clinic - the first of its kind in Missouri.

CHESTERFIELD, MO, August 26, 2009 - St. Luke's Hospital announces plans to open an adult Down syndrome center in November 2009. It will be the first center of its kind in Missouri.

The Albert Pujols Wellness Center for Adults with Down Syndrome will be located directly across from St. Luke's Hospital in the Mr. & Mrs. Theodore P. Desloge, Jr. Outpatient Center. Through the clinic, a multidisciplinary team of specialists will address the unique needs of adults with Down syndrome.

"Community feedback helped St. Luke's identify a growing need for wellness services for adults with Down syndrome as they transition from pediatric care," said Gary Olson, St. Luke's Hospital president and chief executive officer. "We are grateful for the support of Albert Pujols in helping us provide services that will improve the quality of life for adults with Down syndrome and their families."

Cardinals baseball player Albert Pujols designated a $70,000 award from the Major League Baseball Players Trust to help open the non-profit center. Pujols is the founder and co-chairperson of the Pujols Family Foundation, which is dedicated to the love, care and development of people with Down syndrome and their families as well as providing assistance to impoverished children and orphans in the Dominican Republic.

"Opening a center like this is something my wife and I had talked about since we started the Pujols Family Foundation, and to now have the opportunity to do so is truly a blessing," said Albert Pujols. "The staff at St. Luke's is one of the best, and we have no doubt this center is going to change a lot of lives."

The new center will offer convenient access to comprehensive wellness resources, including personalized nutrition services, exercise therapy, safety instruction and relationship-building counseling. The center staff will also serve as navigators to help families identify the appropriate resources needed for transition to adulthood and for ongoing wellness. For more information about the center, please call 314-576-2300.

About St. Luke's Hospital:
St. Luke's Hospital, located in Chesterfield, Missouri, is a premier, regional healthcare provider specializing in individualized care. The 493-bed, not-for-profit hospital offers more than 60 specialty areas including cardiovascular care and surgery, cancer care, neurosurgery and neurology, orthopedics, maternity and other women's health, general medicine, outpatient services, pediatrics and comprehensive surgical services.

St. Luke's was the only Missouri hospital recognized in 2007, 2008 and 2009 as a HealthGrades America's 50 Best Hospital ^TM , ranking among the top one percent in the nation based on superior clinical quality. St. Luke's is also the only Missouri hospital to receive the HealthGrades 2009/2010 Women's Health Excellence Award for providing quality healthcare to women.

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