Children and teens may attend attend a free medical screening Saturday in Willows put on by the Western Sacramento Valley Shrine Club.
The ninth annual clinic runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Glenn Medical Center, 1133 W. Sycamore St.
Clinic Chair Gary Hansen said the event is open to any child under 18 who needs screening for a number of problems treated by Shriner’s children’s hospitals. They include scoliosis, neuromuscular disorders, hand and back problems, leg length discrepancies, rickets, congenital hip problems,
juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and orthopaedic problems associated with cerebral palsy.
Hansen said Tuesday last year’s Glenn County clinic referred 18 children for treatment to the Shriner’s Hospital in Sacramento – one of the largest referrals its had in nine years.
On average, 13 to 14 children or teens are sent each spring, and about 117 youth have been treated from this area during the last decade, he said.
The Western Sacramento Valley Shrine Club is allied with the Ben Ali Shrine Temple in Sacramento, Hansen said, and the temple’ affiliated clubs run from Stockton to the Oregon border. The local club has members in Glenn, Colusa, Tehama and Sutter counties.
As for local referrals, Hansen said. “We do pretty well for a small area. We tell the school nurses about our resources and they refer students to us.”
Doctors also refer patients and families may do self-referrals, he said, at clinics such as this one.
Saturday’s screening will have physicians doing the examinations and bilingual translators will be on hand to assist those who are English learners, Hansen said.
The clinic is open to all Glenn and Colusa County residents, he said, so people are welcome to attend from any city in these counties.
Children and teens referred to the Shriner’s hospital for treatment are treated for free, Hansen added, there are no income guidelines. It simply depends on if the condition is something they treat.
Free transportation to the Sacramento hospital for appointments is available as well since the Shriner’s have vans in Sacramento driven by volunteers who will pick families up in Orland, Colusa, Willows or whereever they live, he said.
KNOW AND GO
What: Medical screening
Who: Children under 18
When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Glenn Medical Center, 1133 W. Sycamore St., Willows
Sponsor: Western Sacramento Valley Shriner’s Club
Information: 934-4734 or 800-237-5055.
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