The orthopedic Shriners Hospitals are dedicated to providing specialized medical and rehabilitative services to children with congenital deformities, problems resulting from orthopedic injuries, and diseases of the muscleskeletal system. The most commonly treated disorders include club foot, limb deficiencies and discrepancies, scoliosis (curvature of the spine), hand and back problems, ontogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease) and growth problems. The orthopedic hospitals in Chicago, Philadelphia and Sacramento also provide spinal cord injury rehabilitation.

Opened in the mid-1960s, the burn Shriners Hospitals in Galveston, Boston, Cincinnati and Sacramento have been leaders in burn research and treatment for more than 30 years. Not only has this research been beneficial over the years to Shriners' pediatric patients, but also has had far-reaching affects on burn treatment techniques world wide.

• For 2002, the overall budget for all Shriners Hospitals totals $597 million
• The operating budget totals $526 million, including $24 million allocated for research
• The capital expenditures budget totals $71 million

• Approximately 92 percent of the 2002 Shriners Hospitals operating budget will be used directly for patient care and research at the hospitals

In their first 80 years of operation, the 22 hospitals compiled the following statistics:

• Shriners Hospitals have treated approximately 675,000 children
• Shriners Hospitals have spent approximately $5.5 billion operating their 22 hospitals and approximately $1.17 billion on construction and renovation for the hospitals.

In 80 years, there have been:

• 670,039 operations performed
• 8,426,054 X-rays taken
• 1,072,158 braces and prostheses applied
• 6,282,416 outpatient and outreach clinic visits
• 14,622,660 physical therapy treatments provided

In 2001, there were:

• 34,383 new applications approved
• 192,604 active patients (year-end 2001)
• 27,021 hospital admissions
  • 22,774 admissions for orthopedic care
  • 4,178 admissions for burn care
• 268,957 outpatient & outreach clinic visits
• 23,290 operations
• 370,539 X-rays and radiology exams
• 60,350 braces and prostheses applied
• 642,356 physical therapy treatments given

• The average length of stay for orthopedic patients is 5.7 days
• The average length of stay for burn patients is 6.3 days

Throughout their 80 years, Shriners Hospitals have not been just hospitals, but places of healing and caring, where patients and their families find hope - hope for a better and more productive life ahead.

September 12, 2002

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