DOTHAN, Ala. (WDNews) — According to an official press release, the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house Monday, Feb. 2, to celebrate the opening of its new Dothan office.
The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the new location inside Health Center South Medical Tower at 2826 Ross Clark Circle, Suite 201. The office will house Children’s Rehabilitation Service clinics and offices for the state’s Early Intervention program.
Officials said the expanded space will allow ADRS to grow services in Houston County and surrounding Wiregrass communities, making programs for children with disabilities and developmental delays more accessible to local families.
Dr. Marnix E. Heersink, physician and founder of Eye Center South and Health Center South, said the move will benefit both families and the medical campus.
“The Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services brings an important and deeply meaningful layer of care to our campus,” Heersink said. “ADRS plays a critical role in supporting children and families across our region, and their presence strengthens the collaborative spirit of our campus and our shared commitment to accessible, high-quality care.”
ADRS Commissioner Jane Elizabeth Burdeshaw said the new office increases the agency’s ability to meet growing needs in the Wiregrass.
“Increasing the capacity of ADRS, the lead state agency serving Alabamians with disabilities, will better meet the growing need for services in Houston County and the Wiregrass,” Burdeshaw said. “Our children’s programs often fill educational and healthcare gaps for services that are not readily available for families of children with special healthcare needs or developmental delays.”
Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba said he welcomes the expansion of services in the city.
“We’re so pleased to have Children’s Rehabilitative Service along with the state’s Early Intervention program here in Dothan,” Saliba said. “Their presence and support provide immeasurable assistance to those families in the Dothan area that really require their services.”
CRS District Supervisor Candace Mitchell said the new location will significantly improve the program’s capabilities.
“The new Dothan CRS Office at Health Center South property consists of a variety of clinical and evaluation spaces, specifically designed to meet the needs of children and youth with special health care needs in the Wiregrass,” Mitchell said. “In addition, having adequate space facilitates opportunities for growth for the Dothan CRS office and team in the future.”
A reception and tours of the new office will follow the ceremony.
Children’s Rehabilitation Service serves children and youth from birth to age 21 with special health care needs and individuals with hemophilia of any age. Alabama’s Early Intervention System serves children from birth to age 3 with developmental delays or qualifying medical diagnoses by coordinating services statewide.
CRS and Early Intervention are divisions of the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services.
