Colt wants to walk without his right foot turning in at a 45- to 60-degree angle.
And he and his mother, Kelli, don’t want it to get to the point where it’s causing him to fall.
Colt, age 10, has an in-toeing gait caused by femoral anteversion. That means the upper part of his femur (thigh bone) rotates inward, causing his right foot and toes to turn inward.
The condition isn’t causing him pain yet. But his right foot turns in more after long walks and during a day of chores on his family farm near Greenup, about 50 miles south of Champaign.
“We would prefer not to have surgery,” Kelli said.
His prospects of full recovery look promising, thanks to Colt’s dedication to his at-home physical therapy, his mother’s diligence and a collaboration between Shriners Children’s and Carle Health.
Shriners Children’s-Carle Health collaboration is in full swing
Earlier this year, Shriners Children’s St. Louis and Chicago began a collaboration with Carle Health in which Shriners doctors and nurses come four times a year to Carle Outpatient Services at The Fields in Champaign to provide pediatric orthopedic care for new and existing patients.
Shriners Children’s is a network of non-profit children’s hospitals providing specialized pediatric orthopedic care regardless of insurance coverage or if a family can pay.
Shriners Children’s and Carle Health are bringing specialized pediatric orthopedic care close to home for families in central Illinois. Medical services for existing and new pediatric orthopedic patients include those with growing pains, gait abnormalities, cerebral palsy, limb deformities, limb length differences and scoliosis.
The quarterly clinics began in March and allow clinicians to see 12 to 16 patients in one day, or 64 a year. Care includes consultations for patients referred to a specialist, check-ups and follow-up visits after surgery.
Tessa Odle, Carle Health director of Regional Services and the Carle Direct Transfer Center, said, “I think this collaboration is fantastic because of the impact on patients and families. Shriners Children’s offers specialized care that is not available in our area, and their patients often have situations that make travel challenging. To alleviate any stress for any family is a win!”
Colt is among the patients benefiting from the collaboration
Among these patients is Colt.
His parents began noticing his in-toeing gait about two years ago. Last year, they received a referral to Shriners Children’s St. Louis, which is 125 miles west of their home. A specialist examined Colt, took X-rays and chose a wait-and-see approach. Sometimes, this condition can correct itself without a brace or surgery.
On Aug. 27, he had a follow-up exam with Allison Palisch, pediatric nurse practitioner with Shriners Children’s St. Louis. Because Colt’s condition hasn’t worsened in the past year, he isn’t tripping and isn’t in pain, Palisch recommended at-home physical therapy and follow-up in a year.
“It’s looking a little bit better than it did last year,” Palisch said. “I will give you a physical therapy script to strengthen the muscles around your hips. Let’s try this home exercise program and I’ll see you in a year.
“If the femoral anteversion begins to cause tripping or pain, we could talk about surgery,” she said. But the goal is the hip strengthening will help Colt to walk with a normal gait even when he’s tired.
Colt and his mother were not only relieved that he should be able to avoid surgery, they also appreciated driving one hour to Champaign rather than 2 ½ hours to St. Louis.
“It’s closer and more convenient,” Colt said.
Shriners, Carle Health clinicians and volunteers applaud collaboration
“I think this is a great resource,” Palisch said of the Shriners Children’s clinic at Carle Health. “Having this type of partnership helps us to provide care for our patients close to home. There shouldn’t be any barriers to care. If we can come to where the patients need us, it’s in line with our mission and can make the patient experience better.”
Terri Cappello, MD, a Shriners Children’s Chicago pediatric orthopedic surgeon, said during the May 28 clinic, “This is a perfect opportunity to offer specialized orthopedic care for new and existing Shriners’ patients in this area. I just saw an established patient who’d been traveling to Chicago, and they were grateful for the follow-up here. The other patient was new, and their mother appreciated seeing an orthopedic surgeon here.”
Shriners Children’s team members from the hospitals in Chicago and St. Louis will staff the clinic.
Three members of the Ansar Shriners, a fraternal organization that raises money in central Illinois for Shriners Children’s Hospital, were in the waiting room at the clinic. They transport children to and from appointments. Typically, they’d be driving central Illinois patients to Chicago and St. Louis.
“Ansar Shriners offer transportation of the kids to and from St. Louis and Chicago to take that burden off patients,” Tony Moore of Jacksonville, the Ansar Shriners potentate, said. “My oldest son was treated by Shriners from age 5 through 21. I wanted to give back because they helped my son.”
Stan Friese of Urbana, an Ansar Shriners member, drives a patient from Urbana to St. Louis for treatments every two to three weeks. “He’s 11 years old and has been a Shriners child since he was three months old.”
“This clinic (at Carle Health) will do a lot of good,” Friese said.
“It saves people driving to Chicago or St. Louis, so they won’t have to take the whole day off work,” Moore said. “It’s a win for everybody.”
“For the new patients, it’s ideal,” Dave Copenbarger of Taylorville, an Ansar Shriner, said. “We trust Carle.”
Odle said, “I have the pleasure of being present on clinic days and enjoy meeting the patients and hearing their gratitude for having an option to receive the specialized orthopedic care that Shriners Children’s provides close to home. The providers who come from Shriners Children’s are very friendly and their passion for patients is evident in their interactions with patients and their families.
“There are numerous Carle Health leaders and staff who have worked to operationalize new processes and brought creative ideas and solutions to the table,” Odle said. “I am excited to see the number of patients grow.”
And he and his mother, Kelli, don’t want it to get to the point where it’s causing him to fall.
Colt, age 10, has an in-toeing gait caused by femoral anteversion. That means the upper part of his femur (thigh bone) rotates inward, causing his right foot and toes to turn inward.
The condition isn’t causing him pain yet. But his right foot turns in more after long walks and during a day of chores on his family farm near Greenup, about 50 miles south of Champaign.
“We would prefer not to have surgery,” Kelli said.
His prospects of full recovery look promising, thanks to Colt’s dedication to his at-home physical therapy, his mother’s diligence and a collaboration between Shriners Children’s and Carle Health.
Shriners Children’s-Carle Health collaboration is in full swing
Earlier this year, Shriners Children’s St. Louis and Chicago began a collaboration with Carle Health in which Shriners doctors and nurses come four times a year to Carle Outpatient Services at The Fields in Champaign to provide pediatric orthopedic care for new and existing patients.
Shriners Children’s is a network of non-profit children’s hospitals providing specialized pediatric orthopedic care regardless of insurance coverage or if a family can pay.
Shriners Children’s and Carle Health are bringing specialized pediatric orthopedic care close to home for families in central Illinois. Medical services for existing and new pediatric orthopedic patients include those with growing pains, gait abnormalities, cerebral palsy, limb deformities, limb length differences and scoliosis.
The quarterly clinics began in March and allow clinicians to see 12 to 16 patients in one day, or 64 a year. Care includes consultations for patients referred to a specialist, check-ups and follow-up visits after surgery.
Tessa Odle, Carle Health director of Regional Services and the Carle Direct Transfer Center, said, “I think this collaboration is fantastic because of the impact on patients and families. Shriners Children’s offers specialized care that is not available in our area, and their patients often have situations that make travel challenging. To alleviate any stress for any family is a win!”
Colt is among the patients benefiting from the collaboration
Among these patients is Colt.
His parents began noticing his in-toeing gait about two years ago. Last year, they received a referral to Shriners Children’s St. Louis, which is 125 miles west of their home. A specialist examined Colt, took X-rays and chose a wait-and-see approach. Sometimes, this condition can correct itself without a brace or surgery.
On Aug. 27, he had a follow-up exam with Allison Palisch, pediatric nurse practitioner with Shriners Children’s St. Louis. Because Colt’s condition hasn’t worsened in the past year, he isn’t tripping and isn’t in pain, Palisch recommended at-home physical therapy and follow-up in a year.
“It’s looking a little bit better than it did last year,” Palisch said. “I will give you a physical therapy script to strengthen the muscles around your hips. Let’s try this home exercise program and I’ll see you in a year.
“If the femoral anteversion begins to cause tripping or pain, we could talk about surgery,” she said. But the goal is the hip strengthening will help Colt to walk with a normal gait even when he’s tired.
Colt and his mother were not only relieved that he should be able to avoid surgery, they also appreciated driving one hour to Champaign rather than 2 ½ hours to St. Louis.
“It’s closer and more convenient,” Colt said.
Shriners, Carle Health clinicians and volunteers applaud collaboration
“I think this is a great resource,” Palisch said of the Shriners Children’s clinic at Carle Health. “Having this type of partnership helps us to provide care for our patients close to home. There shouldn’t be any barriers to care. If we can come to where the patients need us, it’s in line with our mission and can make the patient experience better.”
Terri Cappello, MD, a Shriners Children’s Chicago pediatric orthopedic surgeon, said during the May 28 clinic, “This is a perfect opportunity to offer specialized orthopedic care for new and existing Shriners’ patients in this area. I just saw an established patient who’d been traveling to Chicago, and they were grateful for the follow-up here. The other patient was new, and their mother appreciated seeing an orthopedic surgeon here.”
Shriners Children’s team members from the hospitals in Chicago and St. Louis will staff the clinic.
Three members of the Ansar Shriners, a fraternal organization that raises money in central Illinois for Shriners Children’s Hospital, were in the waiting room at the clinic. They transport children to and from appointments. Typically, they’d be driving central Illinois patients to Chicago and St. Louis.
“Ansar Shriners offer transportation of the kids to and from St. Louis and Chicago to take that burden off patients,” Tony Moore of Jacksonville, the Ansar Shriners potentate, said. “My oldest son was treated by Shriners from age 5 through 21. I wanted to give back because they helped my son.”
Stan Friese of Urbana, an Ansar Shriners member, drives a patient from Urbana to St. Louis for treatments every two to three weeks. “He’s 11 years old and has been a Shriners child since he was three months old.”
“This clinic (at Carle Health) will do a lot of good,” Friese said.
“It saves people driving to Chicago or St. Louis, so they won’t have to take the whole day off work,” Moore said. “It’s a win for everybody.”
“For the new patients, it’s ideal,” Dave Copenbarger of Taylorville, an Ansar Shriner, said. “We trust Carle.”
Odle said, “I have the pleasure of being present on clinic days and enjoy meeting the patients and hearing their gratitude for having an option to receive the specialized orthopedic care that Shriners Children’s provides close to home. The providers who come from Shriners Children’s are very friendly and their passion for patients is evident in their interactions with patients and their families.
“There are numerous Carle Health leaders and staff who have worked to operationalize new processes and brought creative ideas and solutions to the table,” Odle said. “I am excited to see the number of patients grow.”
Categories: Redefining Healthcare
Tags: children, orthopedics, outpatient, pediatrics, Shriners