Guam patients

Shriners’ doctors pick young Guam patients
Star-Bulletin staff:

About 30 children on Guam have been added to the waiting list for surgery at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Honolulu after an evaluation by two of Shriners' pediatric orthopedic surgeons.

Drs. Ellen Raney, chief of staff, and Craig Ono, assistant chief of staff, recently examined 500 children with orthopedic problems in a biannual outreach clinic.

Besides those needing surgery, more than 30 children will be fitted for orthopedic back and leg braces on Guam by a Shriners orthopedic specialist, the hospital reported in a news release.

On the recent visit, Raney said, "We noticed a significant increase in the number of children with severe needs and serious orthopedic problems.

"Although we are not sure what factors contribute to this increase, we get the feeling that we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg."

Shriners Hospital in Honolulu conducts clinics on the neighbor islands and throughout the Pacific, which gives children under age 18 an opportunity to receive free orthopedic, spinal-cord injury and post-burn care, regardless of financial resources or relationship to a Shriner.

About 80 percent of patients are from Hawaii and the others from the Pacific Rim, found mostly through outreach clinics. The Shriners Fraternity covers transportation costs for patients and their families to and from the hospital in Honolulu.

Shriners' Honolulu hospital also treats Hawaii and Pacific Rim children for post-burn injuries. In recognition of Burn Awareness Week this week , Shriners Hospitals are kicking off a yearlong campaign to prevent gasoline burn injuries.