Do you have a passion for helping children who are suffering? Have you wanted to reach out to children who have sustained burns? Shriners Children’s (formerly Shriners Burn Center for Children) is making great strides in pediatric care and burn treatment.
Shriners Children’s is a wonderful charity if you want to help children who have endured the impact of burn injuries.
Learn all about the Shriners’ medical center and how you can get involved so that you can make a difference in the lives of those who need it most.
You can have a huge impact by getting involved with Shriners’ hospitals!
Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. -Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)
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What is Shriners Children’s Hospital?
A Shriner is a Master Mason who has then become a Shriner. All Shriners are Masons. Shriners is a fraternity of the Masons.
Shriners Children’s was formerly known as Shriners Hospitals for Children. The name has been shortened to more definitively define who they are and what they care about.
Shriners Children’s has one main goal – to change and improve the lives of the children they are working with. Educating physicians and providing quality care help achieve this goal.
The burn centers take special care to provide specialized treatment to each case. Not all burns are life-threatening, but the emotional and financial aftermath impacts each family involved.
How Did Shriners Children’s Start?
The Shriners Children’s network comprises 22 non-profit medical facilities. The first hospital opened in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1920. W. Freeland Kendrick saw a growing need for orthopedic care during the polio epidemic.
In 1962, the first pediatric burn hospital opened in Galveston, Texas.
Shriners Children’s has continued to grow. The hospitals expanded in 1978 to include treatment of spinal cord injuries.
By 1998, the hospital was treating 236,000 children as outpatients annually. That year, 25,000 children were admitted to Shriners’ hospitals, and 22,000 surgeries were performed. Each year more than 250 orthopedic residents receive training. The hospitals further train more than 150 surgical residents.
The 22-hospital network includes four burn centers and three spinal cord injury rehabilitation centers.
How Does Shriners Children’s Help?
The Shriners Burn Centers specialize in acute and rehabilitative pediatric burn care. They strive to maintain their status as pioneers in treatment and research.
The hospital believes in a four-fold approach to burn care in pediatrics. These ideals allow the specialized staff to treat the entire child and not just the injury.
The hospital strives to provide the emotional support, and the physical support needed to heal. They believe in doing everything possible to give children normal lives.
At Shriners, they work to improve technique and treatment so that burns can heal and look as normal as possible. This is done while developing a plan to get the patient back to a normal life with minimal disruption.
The pioneering work includes critical care, wound care, scar management, and reconstructive surgeries. A patient and his or her family can find everything they need in one location.
Therapies, life services, prosthetics, and school support are provided at the burn centers.
Shriners Children’s is committed to treating children regardless of a family’s ability to pay. There are many financing options available. Patients are accepted regardless of income or insurance status.
What Treatments Are Offered at Shriners Children’s Hospitals?
Shriners Children’s also offers treatments for skin conditions similar to burns. Skin conditions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and other conditions are treated with the same standards as pediatric burns.
The treatments for burn and wound care apply to an acute burn in the same way as they would a largely burned skin surface. These treatments range from burn reconstruction to plastic surgery.
A comprehensive treatment plan is created for each patient. You can learn more about burn injuries, preventing burns, and emergency burn care through the Shriners Children’s website.
O LORD my God, I cried to You for help, and You have healed me. -Psalm 30:2 (ESV)
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What Are the Locations for Shriners Children’s Burn Centers?
Shriners Children’s currently offers burn centers at many locations. Four specific locations are accredited as verified pediatric burn centers. This accreditation is given by the American Burn Association (ABA) and the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
The chief of staff at each Shriners Children’s Burn Center is a previous president of the ABA. The ABA and Shriners work closely together. They have a long history that shows the dedication of support to the long-term care of burn patients.
Shriners Children’s Boston
Shriners Children’s Boston is located in the heart of Boston. While there were plans for closure, this location will remain open. It is the only accredited burn center in the area. They remain dedicated to providing healthcare in the New England area.
Other treatments that are offered range from Apert Syndrome and cleft conditions to traumatic wounds.
The hospital is driven by a desire to make the lives of children more beautiful and blessed!
Shriners Children’s North California
Shriners Children’s North California is located near downtown Sacramento. The hospital received the Press Ganey Award for the third year in a row in 2020. This award gauges the patient experience. It also considers how patients and their families view the care and service at the hospital.
The hospital also treats conditions such as chest wall malformations and spinal cord injuries.
The Sacramento location is driven to be a place where hope and healing meet.
Shriners Children’s Ohio
Shriners Children’s Ohio is located in the city of Dayton. The pediatric burn center was previously located in Cincinnati.
The Ohio location offers care for many conditions such as chronic or difficult-to-heal wounds and pigmentation disorders.
Shriners Children’s Texas
Shriners Children’s Texas is located on the campus of the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. In 1966, this location was the first pediatric burn institute by Shriners.
The hospital received two national rankings in the 2021-22 Best Children’s Hospital Rankings.
The Galveston location boldly states a mission to provide the most amazing care anywhere.
How Can You Get Involved with Shriners Children’s?
Shriners Children’s is a wonderful charity to get involved with. Their mission of providing excellent care to all patients means that help is welcome in various ways.
Never forget the power of word of mouth! You can share this post with family and friends. Help spread the word about the amazing work Shriners Children’s is doing.
Because of the giving of those who get involved, more than one million children have been treated!
Pray
As with all charities, you can start by praying for Shriners Children’s and the burn survivors. Look at this complete guide for beginners if you are unsure how to pray. You might want to download the Prayer Journal to help you keep track!
Donate
The most common way to aid Shriners Children’s mission is to donate monetary or non-monetary gifts.
The Love to Rescue site makes donating easy and efficient! There are options for a once-off, monthly recurring, or planned giving through a will, trust, or life insurance. You can even donate your vehicle to the hospital!
Be sure to check if your company is on the matching donor’s gift list. Some companies volunteer to match any donation their employees make.
All donations are tax-deductible, and you will receive a receipt.
Fundraise
Another great way to get involved is to start a fundraising campaign on their behalf.
You can start a fundraising page online or host your own event. The process is very easy!
Shop for Love
You also have the option to visit the online shop and get something back while you give! Shop for Love offers a variety of books, DVDs, and pins that you can purchase. A portion of each purchase is donated to patient care, research, and education.
Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. -Psalm 112:5 (NIV)
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Conclusion
If you have a passion for aiding burned children through excellent medical care, then Shriners Children’s needs you!
You should now have great reasons why you should get involved and the many ways that you can. This hospital is treating more than just burns!
Whether you want to donate your life insurance or host an exciting community event, there is sure to be the perfect option for you!
Have you or a loved one experienced the exceptional care offered at one of the Shriners Children’s locations? Would you share your story with us? Leave a comment!
You can help spread the word and raise funds for Shriners Children’s by sharing this post on social media!
Do you know of another charity that you feel should get recognition? Tell us all about them and why we should feature them!
Before you go, get a FREE Volunteer Log or one of the awesome other freebies in the Shop!
Alternatively, you can attend one of the Walk for Love events hosted across the nation each year. Lace up your shoes and help take the first steps to a child’s recovery today!
