Aurora, Illinois
Aurora, Illinois has a large base of hospitals, doctors, and health care organizations. Health Grades lists all of the hospitals in Illinois with ratings for specific procedures. The United Cerebral Palsy of Illinois website provides a wealth of information on health care, disabilities, and prevention of certain disabilities. Individual doctors in Aurora can be found and evaluated with a free online database service: UCompare Health Care. You can also refer to the Illinois Hospital Directory for contact and medical information.
The Rush-Copley Medical Center on Ogden Avenue in Aurora is outfitted for emergencies. Competent in many areas of medicine, Rush-Copley strives to be a step ahead in emergency care. With the approval in January 2010 of their Freestanding Emergency Center, they have done just that.
The Provena Mercy Medical Center is a 356-bed facility and has served Aurora’s residents for almost a century. Provena Health’s Catholic mission is to provide services to patients who are in need of high-quality health care, regardless of their ability to pay.
Aurora, Illinois is the second largest city in IL, with a population of 170,617 (U.S. Census 2006 est.). Aurora’s population has seen a 19% increase since 2000. Separated from the city of Chicago by a few dozen miles, Aurora is considered part of the Chicago suburbs even though it is a major city in its own right. In Kane County, Aurora covers a landmass of 38 square miles.
Aurora’s nickname, the “City of Lights,” was earned back in 1908, as it was one of the first American cities to establish an all-electric street lighting system in 1881.
Aurora was settled in 1834 on the banks of both sides of the Fox River, and made “official” with the opening of the first post office in 1837. Both east and west sides of Aurora incorporated in 1957 as a unified city, although squabbles ensued as to which side of the Fox River should have things like the first fire department and other public buildings. A few ended up on an island in the middle of the river in appeasement. Both sides of Aurora still maintain a healthy rivalry, which is enacted through yearly high school football and basketball games.
Aurora, IL has an economy based on manufacturing. Aurora benefits from its proximity to Interstate 88 and the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor.
The Aurora Public Library system provides residents with three well-stocked library locations, a full-sized outreach bookmobile program, and access to selected subscription-based resources. Databases include full-text newspaper and magazine articles for research on topics ranging from business and health to legal issues and forum postings. Most of these databases are accessible from home using library membership credentials, while some are designated for in-library use only.
Public education in the Aurora area is handled by the Kane County government and the local administration is divided between school districts 129 and 131, serving the west and east sides of the city, respectively. These two districts serve a population growing in size and diversity, which is drawing students from distinctly different urban, suburban, and rural areas.
