Shriners Hospitals for Children: Frequently Asked Questions

With 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children in the United States and Canada, the Shriners help many children get the healthcare they need. My son was recently a patient at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Minneapolis, and these are the common questions I've had to answer regarding the care at Shriners Hospital.

Shriners Hospitals for Children: Who can get help?

Any child under the age of 18 with medical problems due to burns, spinal cord injury, orthopaedic conditions, or cleft lip or palate are eligible to receive care at the Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Shriners Hospitals for Children: What does it cost?

The medical care received at Shriners Hospitals for Children is absolutely free, regardless of the financial situation of the family. Consultations, casts, braces, surgeries, etc. are all covered by the Shriners.

Shriners Hospitals for Children: What about travel expenses?

Transportation to and from the Shriners Hospitals for Children is also covered by the Shriners. A Shrine Temple will sponsor a child and pay that child's way to the Shriners Hospital nearest them.

In my case, our sponsoring Shrine Temple offered me a choice of transportation. If I was able to drive to the Shriners Hospital, they would reimburse me a stipend per mile. Since I live 424 miles away from the nearest Shriners Hospital, I chose to take the train, and the Shriners bought my tickets for me and made all my travel arrangements.

My cab fare to get from the train station to the Shriners Hospital was also reimbursed by my sponsoring Shrine Temple.

Shriners Hospitals for Children: What if we have to stay the night?

The sponsoring Shrine Temple will also cover those costs. Depending on each location, there may be lodging right there at the Shriners Hospital for Children.

Shriners Hospitals for Children: How do we get a Shriners temple to sponsor us?

There is a toll-free number on the Shriners Hospitals for Children's website to call to refer a patient to Shriners Hospital. You can also fill out an application for care at the Shriners Hospital website. My son was deemed eligible at an orthopaedic evaluation sponsored by the local Shriners fraternity.

Shriners Hospitals for Children: Where are the hospitals located?

Shriners Hospitals offering orthopaedic care are located in Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles, California; Spokane, Washington; Erie, Pennsylvania; Sacramento, California; Springfield, Massachusetts; Greenville, South Carolina; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; St. Louis, Missouri; Honolulu, Hawaii; Portland, Oregon; Tampa, Florida; Houston, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Lexington, Kentucky; Shreveport, Louisiana; Montreal, Canada; and Mexico City, Mexico.

Shriners Burn Care Centers are in Boston, Massachusetts; Cincinnati, Ohio; Galveston, Texas; and Sacramento, California.

Chicago, Sacramento, and Philadelphia Shriners Hospitals also specialize in spinal cord injury rehabilitation. For cleft lip and palate repair, head to Chicago or Galveston.

Shriners Hospitals for Children: Were you happy with the care you received?

Absolutely I was happy with the care my son received at Shriners Hospital for Children in Minneapolis, Minnesota. My son's orthopaedic specialist was very thorough and answered all my questions honestly. All the staff, from Admissions to X-Ray to Orthopaedics to Casting treated us with respect, understanding, and care.

Source:

"Shriners Hospitals for Children", ShrinersHQ.org