Peoria, Illinois
The health care industry is big and booming in Peoria, and is a major part of Peoria’s economy. Some have suggested that it accounts for 25% or more of the Peoria economy due to the surrounding St. Francis Medical Center, Methodist Medical Center, and Proctor Hospital. On top of the three major hospitals, the Children’s Hospital of Illinois, the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, and the Midwest Affiliate of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are all located in Peoria. All hospitals are located near downtown Peoria, except for Proctor Hospital.
As with most large population centers, Peoria, 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. In addition, the United Cerebral Palsy of Illinois website provides a wealth of information on health care, disabilities, and prevention of certain disabilities. Individual doctors in Peoria can be found and evaluated with UCompare Health Care, a free online database service. You can also refer to the Illinois Hospital Directory for contact and medical information.
Peoria, Illinois is the county seat of Peoria County and the largest city on the Illinois River. According to U.S. Census data, Peoria rose from Illinois’ fifth largest city to the sixth (from the 2000 population of 112,936 to the 2006 estimated population of 113,107). Peoria was named for earlier inhabitants, the Native American Peoria tribe.
Peoria is famous for representing the average American city due to its demographics and the perceived mainstream Midwestern American culture. On the old Vaudeville circuit, it was said that if an act succeeded in Peoria, it would work anywhere. The question, “Will it play in Peoria?” has now become a metaphor for whether something appeals to the American mainstream public.
Downtown Peoria is a panoramic landscape of corporate, governmental, conventional, educational, and medical facilities. The varied entertainment showcase boasts the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, dinosaur exhibits, and classic theater at the Peoria Civic Center. The Peoria Chiefs grace O’Brien Field and the riverfront is a gathering of the arts, dining and entertainment. The downtown area includes high-rise residential developments such as condominiums, apartments, and riverfront lofts. Some were office buildings and warehouses that have been converted for residential use.
The City of Peoria is home to the Peoria Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse. Built in 1938 of limestone and granite, the three-story, 118,000-square-foot Peoria Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse was designed in the Art Moderne style, a streamlined look popular from the late 1920s through the mid-1940s. Public areas feature terrazzo floors, marble-clad walls, and decoratively painted ceilings. The U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois is the major tenant.
Peoria is world headquarters for Caterpillar Inc., one of the 30 companies composing the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The USDA’s National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, formerly called the USDA Northern Regional Research Lab, is in Peoria. This lab is where mass-production of penicillin was developed.
Renaissance Park is a research park established in May 2003 as the Peoria Medical and Technology District. It consists of nine residential neighborhoods, Bradley University, the medical district, Caterpillar World Headquarters, and the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research. The Peoria NEXT Innovation Center opened in August 2007 and provides both dry and wet labs as well as conference and office space for emerging start-up companies. Over $1 billion in research is conducted in Peoria annually.
