Congressman Burton secures an additional $2 million in federal funds to enhance clinical care and research for autism at Riley
Burton will make announcement and receive recognition from hospital officials during press conference hosted at Riley

EVENT:         
Riley Hospital for Children will host a press conference where Congressman Dan Burton will announce $2.2 million in federal funds he helped secure for the Christian Sarkine Autism Treatment Center at Riley Hospital for Children.

DATE:                       
Wednesday, January 9

TIME:            
1:30 p.m. (The press conference will be followed by a tour)

LOCATION:
Christian Sarkine Autism Treatment Center
Riley Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic
702 Barnhill Drive, Suite 4300
Indianapolis, IN 46202

SPEAKERS:  
• Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN-5th)
• Ora Pescovitz. M.D.- President and CEO of Riley Hospital for Children
• Daniel F. Evans, Jr.- President and CEO of Clarian Health
• Chris McDougle, M.D.- Medical Director and lead researcher for the Christian Sarkine Autism Treatment Center at Riley Hospital for Children

DETAILS:                 
On Wednesday, January 9, Indiana Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN-5th) will attend a press conference at Riley Hospital for Children to announce his securing of over $2 million in federally appropriated funds to the hospital’s Christian Sarkine Autism Treatment Center. Officials from the Center, Riley Hospital for Children, and Clarian Health will be on hand to recognize Congressman Burton for his continued service, support, and advocacy for all individuals and families affected by an Autism Spectrum. Burton’s current securing of $2.193 million of appropriated federal funds- coming partially from the U.S. Department of Defense and partially from the Omnibus Spending Bill- will go primarily towards expanding and enhancing the Center’s clinical care and research efforts- thereby enabling the treatment of more children.

Congressman Dan Burton has long been an advocate for research into the causes and treatments of autism and helped make possible the opening of Riley’s state-of-the-art facility in January 2003 by securing nearly $2 million in federal appropriations for the Christian Sarkine Autism Treatment Center. The Center was named after Christian Sarkine, the grandson of Congressman Dan Burton who undergoes treatment for autism. 

The Christian Sarkine Autism Treatment Center at Riley Hospital is the only pediatric academic and research program on autism in the state, and is one of the largest autism centers in the United States.  The Center is committed to helping children and adults with autism and related disorders to achieve their potential and to participate as fully as possible in family, school, and community life.

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life.  About 1.5 million Americans, children and adults, are thought to have autism today. A recent study reports that about one in 150 American children has autism- a fact which shows both how common autism is and why funding is desperately needed for autism research and services. There is currently no known cure for autism; however, better understanding of the disorder has led to the development of better coping mechanisms and strategies for the various manifestations of the disability. 

About Riley Hospital for Children:
As Indiana’s first and only comprehensive hospital dedicated exclusively to the care of children, Riley Hospital for Children, a part of Clarian Health, has provided compassionate care, support and comfort to children and their families for 80 years. Each year Riley serves over 160,000 inpatients and outpatients from across Indiana, the nation and the world. Riley Hospital’s partnership with Clarian Health and its strong affiliation with the Indiana University School of Medicine make it the only comprehensive clinical resource for Indiana’s children and the premiere source for health related information for their parents. From simple care associated with the health and wellness of children and less complex specialty care to the most critically-ill and medically complex cases, Riley Hospital for Children is the leader for pediatric care in the state and the region.  In 2004, Clarian became Indiana’s first magnet hospital system. Clarian Health Partners, Inc. operates the Methodist Hospital, Indiana University Hospital and Riley Hospital campuses as a single hospital under Indiana law.

For further details, contact:
Gene Ford
Senior Public Relations Specialist
Clarian Health
317.962.4576

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