Lake County Shrine Club held its annual medical screening clinic for children on Saturday, Oct. 6, at Redbud Hospital in Clearlake. Dr. Marie Crail saw nine children, five of whom received referrals to the Shriners Children”s Hospital in Sacramento for free medical care. The other four were referred to local physicians.
Shriner clinics provide eligible children with orthopedic, spinal or burn deformities access to free medical treatment at the Shriners Children”s Hospitals. Children age birth to younger than 18 can be considered for sponsorship.
The Shriners accept referrals for patients all year. The clinic is held to screen those referrals unless immediate medical attention is needed. In such a case, the child immediately receives a sponsor and is taken to the children”s hospital in Sacramento.
“Each patient is assigned a Shriner sponsor,” explained George Ryder, screening clinic chairman, “and it”s up to the Shriner to make sure the patient gets to their appointments.”
Shriners hospitals were among the first children”s specialty orthopedic hospitals in North America and their pioneering efforts earned them an international reputation. Through the years, with the discovery of the polio vaccine and other medical breakthroughs, orthopedic medicine has changed and become more complex. The Shriners hospitals have concentrated their efforts on specialized orthopedic care and research.
The 22 Shriners hospitals ? 20 in the United States and one each in Canada and Mexico ? provide expert orthopedic and burn care to children absolutely free of charge. All children up their 18th birthday may be eligible for treatment at a Shriners hospital. Children are treated regardless of race, religion or relationship to a Shriner.
Shriners hospitals are funded by contributions, bequests, income from the Shriners hospital endowment fund, each Shriners” annual hospital assessment and designated charitable fund-raising events.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com.
