(Sacramento) - Shriners Hospitals for Children® — Northern California has been ranked as a leader in pediatric orthopaedics by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012-2013 rankings of children's hospitals in the United States.
The Northern California Shriners Hospital is ranked 40th in pediatric orthopaedics in conjunction with the UC Davis Children’s Hospital. Being ranked in the magazine's annual survey is a distinction given to only 80 children's hospitals in the United States. The U.S. News rankings feature hospitals in each of 10 pediatric specialties -- cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology, neonatology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology, and urology.
"To be included in the elite group of outstanding children's hospitals is a reflection of the professionalism of our medical team and their enduring commitment to providing children with the finest care," says Margaret Bryan, hospital administrator of Shriners Hospitals for Children — Northern California.
"The rankings also are a reflection of the partnerships we have formed with UC Davis Health System. We have worked hard, and successfully, with UC Davis to form relationships that strengthen all our programs and, most important, enhance the quality of care available to children and families in our region," Bryan added.
The pediatric orthopaedic program noted in the U.S. News and World Reports is a joint program of Shriners Hospitals for Children and the UC Davis Children’s Hospital, both of which are located just minutes from downtown Sacramento in the heart of a growing medical community.
Shriners Hospitals for Children — Northern California is devoted to providing the highest quality of care to children with acquired and congenital disorders requiring specialized orthopaedic care. It is the only hospital in the Shriners heath care system that houses facilities for all treatment specialties as well as a scientific research program.
Statewide Leader in Pediatric Orthopaedics
According to data provided by California’s Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD), Shriners Hospitals for Children — Northern California is a top provider of pediatric orthopaedic care in California.
According to the 2010 OSHPD report (the most recent report available), the hospital, located in Sacramento, is the number one provider of upper extremity care in the state, with a comprehensive program that treats children with hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder malformations, brachial plexus birth palsy and other neuromuscular disorders including spinal cord injury and cerebral palsy. In addition, the hospital ranks number one in scoliosis care in Northern California and number three in the entire state. It is a top 10 provider of cerebral palsy care in California.
The orthopaedic care is delivered by an internationally recognized team of surgeons led by Michelle James, M.D., chief of orthopaedics at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Northern California and chief of pediatric orthopaedics in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the UC Davis Health System. Dr. James is a noted pediatric hand surgeon who serves on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons and is associate editor for the Journal of Hand Surgery and the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. She also is principal investigator on two multi-center clinical research studies of hand function in children and has published numerous papers in peer-reviewed journals. Most recently, Dr. James was named 2012-2013 President of the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society, an organization of more than 600 doctors devoted to promoting the professional growth and leadership of women in orthopaedic surgery. The mission is carried out in cooperation with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Jon R. Davids, M.D., assistant chief of orthopaedics, is noted for his work in treating children with cerebral palsy. His pioneering research using motion analysis to improve clinical decision-making outcomes in children with cerebral palsy, lower limb deficiencies and other orthopaedic disorders has been published widely in medical journals, including the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics, and Gait and Posture. Dr. Davids has presented his scientific findings worldwide at meetings of professional organizations throughout North America, South America, Europe, Australia and Asia. He is chairman of the publications committee for the Pediatric Society of North America and serves on the Advisory Board of both the Center for Motion Analysis Accreditation and the International Pediatric Orthopaedic Symposium.
The delivery of complex orthopaedic care is supported by a full spectrum of programs and services housed within the Shriners Hospital for Children — Northern California. For example, patients benefit from the sophisticated technology found in the movement analysis lab, one of only four of its kind in California, where a patient’s movement is measured with video documentation, 3-D motion analysis, and muscle-timing information. Likewise, the individual needs of each patient are addressed by the custom orthotic and prosthetic service provided at the hospital.
All care provided by Shriners Hospitals for Children — Northern California is enhanced by its integrated basic science and clinical research studies focused on tissue regeneration of skin, the nervous system and musculo-skeletal system. Scientific research takes place in the Institute of Pediatric Regenerative Medicine (IPRM). Located inside Shriners Hospitals for Children, the IPRM is a collaborative program of Shriners Hospitals for Children and the UC Davis School of Medicine and home to 11 principal investigators, 16 pre-doctoral fellows and 15 post-doctoral fellows working collaboratively to bring scientific discoveries from the bench to the bedside. Clinical and structured research studies in the areas of gait analysis and biomechanics are conducted in the hospital’s Motion Analysis Lab.
“Our team is very deserving of the recognition it has received by U.S. News and World Report. They will continue to do what they do best – make it possible for the most challenged children among us to benefit from the finest in specialized pediatric care,” says Bryan.
The full rankings and methodology are available at www.usnews.com/childrenshospitals.
Located in Sacramento, Shriners Hospitals for Children — Northern California provides specialized care to children with orthopaedic conditions, spinal cord injuries, cleft lip and palate, and burns. Donations support Shriners Hospitals for Children in its mission to transform the lives of children through treatment, teaching and research. Shriners Hospitals for Children is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and all donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. For more information, call 916-453-2000 or visit www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org.
UC Davis Children's Hospital is the Sacramento region's only comprehensive hospital for children, serving infants, children, adolescents and young adults with primary, subspecialty and critical-care services. It includes the Central Valley's only pediatric emergency department and level I pediatric trauma center, which offers the highest level of care for critically ill children. The 110-bed hospital includes a 49-bed, state-of-the-art neonatal intensive care unit and a 16-bed pediatric intensive care unit. With more than 120 physicians in 33 subspecialties, UC Davis Children's Hospital has more than 74,000 clinic and hospital visits and 13,000 emergency department visits each year. For more information, visit www.children.ucdavis.edu.