National Down Syndrome Society partners with UC Health’s Timothy Freeman, MD, Center for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Formerly the UC Health Transition Care Clinic, the Timothy Freeman, MD, Center for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities was created by the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and UC Health as an interdisciplinary primary care clinic specifically for the care of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The center is named in honor of Timothy Freeman, MD, long-time UC Health physician and assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine whose life’s work was dedicated to patients and care available at the former clinic. Dr. Freeman passed away earlier this year.

“We know that only about 3% of adults with Down syndrome currently have access to specialty care,” says NDSS President and CEO Kandi Pickard. “The work done by the center is helping to fill a desperate need for adults with Down syndrome and other disabilities. With this partnership, we are supporting patients and families today, and driving toward a model of care that can expand this much-needed work to additional communities in the future.”

At the center, patients can receive primary care services, as well as behavioral health care including psychiatry, physical medicine and rehabilitation, healthcare transition planning, and supportive therapies. Situated within UC Health, Greater Cincinnati’s only adult academic health system, the center connects patients to specialty services throughout the broader health system and prioritizes training future physicians to care for adults with IDD in their communities.

As more individuals with IDD age out of the pediatric care setting, there is a growing need for a medical home and expert clinical teams equipped to meet their unique and often complex needs.

“Dr. Timothy Freeman was a lifelong advocate for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and The Timothy Freeman, MD, Center for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities was created earlier this year to fulfill his vision for an interdisciplinary center that supports community needs,” says Rick Hinds, UC Health interim president and CEO and executive vice president and CFO. “The Center serves as a reflection of Dr. Freeman’s life’s work and dedication to his patients. We are so grateful to the National Down Syndrome Society for this generous donation that will help ensure that the center’s mission and Dr. Freeman’s vision endures within our community.”

Lauren Wang, MD, the center’s medical director and a UC assistant professor of family and community medicine, says there is great demand for the kind of care the clinic provides.

“There are many adults with IDD who would benefit from an interdisciplinary model within an academic health center. We’re thrilled by this opportunity to grow our model in support of our patients and share this work nationally,” she says. “In partnership with NDSS, we can expand our model and assist other academic health systems to develop specialized centers for adults with IDD in their communities.”

Learn more about the Timothy Freeman, MD, Center for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities at freemancenter.org or uchealth.com.

Featured image at top: Megan D. Sullivan, executive director of business and adminstration, chief of operations and finance, UC; Margot Rhondeau, senior director, health & wellness, NDSS; Lauren Wang, MD, Freeman Center medical director.  Photo/Colleen Kelley for the UC Foundation.