By
Christine Imbs
Mention the Shriners and in all likelihood the circus comes
to mind. But take a visit to the Shriners Hospital for Children
in Frontenac and you’ll begin to see them in a whole new light.
“We’ve been a well-kept secret and I guess it’s our fault,”
says John O’Shaughnessy, hospital administrator. “Our impact
is huge and most people driving up and down Lindbergh don’t
have a clue.”
Shriners Hospitals for Children is a network of 22 pediatric
hospitals in the U.S., Canada and Mexico providing specialized
care for orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries
and cleft lip and palate. The St. Louis hospital is one of 18
hospitals within the system specializing in orthopedic care,
treating injuries and problems of the bones, joints and muscles,
as well as complicated conditions such as brittle bone disease,
spina bifida and cerebral palsy. And they do it free of charge.
“Since 1924, we’ve had over 90,000 kids come through this hospital.
And every month we probably get 200 new applications for admission,”
says O’Shaughnessy. “We don’t take government money and we don’t
take insurance. And because we don’t take insurance, our patients
are not discharged as a patient until such time that we deem
our level of care is over for them. And that may go from birth
to age 18.”
With this kind of commitment you’d think admission to Shriners
Hospital would be difficult. But whether or not a child is accepted
is based solely on two criteria—that they are under age 18 and
there is a reasonable possibility the child's condition can
be helped by the specialized care provided by the hospital.
“If you meet these criteria, we’ll take you,” says Chief of
Staff Dr. Perry Schoenecker. “So if you were to call us and
tell us your daughter broke her elbow years ago and is having
a problem with it, you get an appointment. No doctor referral
is necessary. Of course, you have to get here. But the Shriners
have an extensive transport system. They literally go out and
drive families here from a six or seven mile radius if transportation
is a problem. That’s hard to beat.”
What’s also hard to beat is the care the patients and their
families receive. Not only is treatment at the facility free,
but there is free parking, meals and on-campus housing for those
coming from a long distance. If a family needs gas money to
get home, the Shriners can help with that. They have even on
occasion flown a patient in for treatment. In short, they do
whatever it takes.
“We’ve had a history of being a place where extreme cases can
be cared for,” Schoenecker adds. “So we make this a very nurturing
place for people with problems. It’s an all-encompassing approach
in that there’s a lot of social support for families when they
come. So they tend to be comfortable and feel they are very
well cared for. And they are.”
Having originated on the campus of Washington University School
of Medicine and having its core medical base there, it’s no
surprise that these kids get extraordinary care.
“We’re better than the state-of-the-art,” says Barry Todd, chairman
of the board of Governors. “We’re pioneering new procedures
for hips, spines and a whole host of other things. We constantly
have doctors from all over the world here observing surgeries,
because this is a teaching institution. One of our physicians
is internationally renowned for research in metabolic bone diseases
and another is one of the preeminent spine surgeons in the country.
So it’s just the highest quality of care.”
Soon, that quality of care will become even greater as the Shriners
Hospital moves from its current home in Frontenac back to the
Washington University campus.
“Our national group wants to greatly expand this hospital’s
role in research,” says O’Shaughnessy. “Of course we do a considerable
amount now, but it’s fairly focused in metabolic research. The
general feeling is that by moving near the academic teaching
research campuses, it will be a fabulous opportunity for us.
We’ll have access to all their laboratories, specialists and
other programs.”
The Shriners are planning a free-standing building identifiable
to the public in hopes of raising awareness of the Shriners
Hospitals for Children. It will also provide a newer and more
efficient environment for the professional staff.
“The economics of the medical practice has changed. Asking the
physicians to make another stop at another location is not as
practical as it once was,” explains O’Shaughnessy. “Also, this
building was built back in 1963 so it’s getting a bit tired.
But whatever we lack physically in this building, the staff
tends to be the compensating balance and makes up for it with
a little bit of extra personal attention. We just need to make
sure that when we move, the love goes with it.”
