Eskenazi Health Establishes Fehribach Center

This morning's event is set for 10:00 a.m. at the Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital in Indianapolis.

Eskenazi Health in Indianapolis will expand its efforts to increase employment for students with physical disabilities by establishing the Gregory S. Fehribach Center. The announcement coincides with the 29th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

The program expansion and formation of the center comes after a 2017 Lilly Endowment Inc. grant of $1.5 million. Fehribach is an attorney who works throughout the state and country to help make accessible environments for individuals with physical disabilities. 

"Today the unemployment rate for students with physical disabilities is significantly higher than their able-bodied counterparts," Fehribach said. "This center provides employment and social experiences that complement the internship, thus providing a well-rounded internship opportunity for college students.”

Eskenazi Health has offered 116 internships to students with disabilities since 2013, including 44 so far this year. Interns are recruited from Indiana colleges prior to an application process, in which students are required to submit transcripts, writing samples and references. The interns have worked at several companies, including Eskenazi Health, Eli Lilly and Company, Center for Youth and Adults with Conditions of Childhood at Riley Children’s Hospital and the Lumina Foundation. Students receive hourly wages, transportation help and nearby housing free of charge.