UNC Health has expanded its Down Syndrome Clinic to now offer services to patients from infancy through adulthood in Chapel Hill. The UNC Down Syndrome Clinic was funded through a $100,000 grant from the nonprofit North Carolina Down Syndrome Alliance.
“It’s one of the only clinics where a mother is the medical director and also provides care to patients,” said Dr. Kate Westmoreland, the founder of the clinic, who also has a daughter with Down syndrome. “So, I have a unique perspective of understanding what it’s like to be a mom of a child with Down syndrome and to advocate for children with Down syndrome.”
The clinic will offer a range of services including comprehensive medical exams, vision and hearing screenings as well as physical, occupational, and speech therapy, developmental assessments, and nutrition counseling. It also offers support services for families.
“We will get that special care we need to be healthy,” said Melanie Tutka, a patient at the clinic who has down syndrome.
According to a release, this is one of only a handful of Down syndrome clinics across the country that offer care over a lifespan, treating both children and adults with down syndrome. The UNC Down Syndrome Clinic held a grand opening event Monday. It officially opens on Friday, which is World Down Syndrome Day.
