Hospitals | cacoces Chhoilelren For More Than 80 Years, Helping Children Lead Better Lives they’ve their philanthropy to tions, there are still a few facts about the hospitals that the expanded range of services provided by Hospitals. As Hospitals look toward the next century, they do so prepared to continue their special brandof care for children in need. The rules for all the Hospitals are simple: Any child can be admitted to a Hospital if, in the opinion of surgeons, the child can be helped andif the child is under 18 years of age. Hospitals are open to all children without regard to race, religion or relationship to a Shriner. To date, Hospitals have treated more than 770,000 children with orthopaedic and burn problems and provide care absolutely free of charge. Hospitals have been called the “World’s Greatest Philanthropy,” and have become known as the heart and soulof the Shrine. For more information on ’ network of 22 hospitals that provide medical care and services totally free of charge to children with orthopaedic problems, (NAPSA)—Though been helping children for genera- Hospitals for Children, to reflect may surprise you. Hospitals for Children is an international hospital system with 19 orthopaedic hospitals, three burn hospitals and one hospital providing orthopaedic, burn and spinal cord injury care, located throughout North America. Since its founding, the Shrine supported charitable activities and in the early 1900s decided to establish its own official philanthropy. in 1919 voted to establish a “ Hospital for Crippled Children” to treat orthopaedic injuries, diseases and birth defects in children. It was decided, after months of research and debate, that there should be a network of hospitals. The first opened in Shreveport, La., in 1922. During the 1950s, Shrine leaders, looking for other ways they could help the children of North America, became aware of the lack of medical expertise in burn care. Each year, thousandsofchil- that will continue to revolutionize the treatment of severely burned children. Hospitals have been actively engaged inclinical research from the beginning but in the early 1960s, the Shrine began earmarking funds for basic and clinical research. Since then, Hospitals have been at the vanguard of orthopaedic and burn research. In the early 1980s, the Shrine severe burns. In the mid-1960s, the Shrine opened three Hospitals specializing in burn care. Each has the three-fold mission of helping children, conducting burn research and training medical personnelin the treatment of burns. The Hospitals are pioneers in burn treatment. They are actively involved in the development of innovative techniques children: by opening the nation’s first spinal cord injury centers expressly for children. At the three spinal cord injury units in the Philadelphia, Chicago and Sacramento Hospitals, young people with spinal cord injuries can find not only the specialized medical care needed for rehabilitation but hope, inspiration and strength. In 1996, Shrine Representatives voted to change the name of dren are disfigured or killed by pioneers in some of the most advanced techniquesfor treating orthopaedic problems and burns. discovered yet another way to help burns and spinal cord injuries, write to International Headquarters, Public Relations Dept., 2900 Rocky Point Dr., Tampa, FL 33607 or visit the Web site at www.shrinershq.org. Treatment is provided to children under age 18 without regard to race, religion or relationship to a Shriner. If you know a child that can help, call 1-800-2375055 in the United States or 1- 800-361-7256 in Canada.
