General Hospital Information.

Shriners Hospitals for Children is a network of 18 orthopaedic hospitals, three burn hospitals, and one hospital that provides orthopaedic, burn and spinal cord injury care, where children up to their 18th birthday receive excellent medical care absolutely free of charge.

(Click here to see a listing of our Hospitals)

The Shrine supported various charities almost from its inception. In 1920, however, the organization voted to adopt its own official philanthropy, dedicated to providing free orthopaedic medical care to children in need, and the first Shriners Hospital was built in Shreveport, La., in 1922. The Shrine's philanthropy eventually expanded to 22 "Centers of Excellence."     There is never a charge to the patient, parent or any third party for any service or medical treatment received at the hospitals, and no U.S. government funding of any kind is sought or accepted for any medical care or services provided at Shriners Hospitals.

What is the Relationship Between the Shrine and Shriners Hospitals?

In a unique interdependent relationship, the Shrine and Shriners Hospitals are separate but inseparable. The Shrine of North America supports Shriners Hospitals in many ways.

Shrine Temples and Clubs often help arrange and pay for transportation for children and parents to the hospitals, and thousands of Shriners spend many hours of their own time driving families to the hospitals and entertaining the patients. In addition, The Shrine helps support the hospitals financially: each Shriner pays an annual $5 hospital assessment, and Temples and Clubs hold many fundraisers, some of which benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children.

The fraternity and the philanthropy, however, are legally and financially separate - the fraternity is incorporated in the state of Iowa, and the philanthropy is incorporated in the state of Colorado. The funds of the two entities are kept entirely separate and are audited by independent auditors on an individual basis. In addition, Shrine Temples are I incorporated as chapters of the fraternity and are audited individually.

How are Shriners Hospitals Funded?

Since 1922, when the first Shriners Hospital was built, more than $5 billion has been spent building and operating Shriners Hospitals for Children. In 2005 alone, the operating budget for the hospitals is approximately $580 million, including $28 million allocated for research, and the construction budget is about $45 million, for a total of $625 million.

Where Does the Money Come From?
Shriners Hospitals are supported primarily by income from the Shriners Hospitals for Children endowment Fund, which is maintained through donations and bequests from both Shriners and non-Shriners. Additional income represents each Shriner's annual hospital assessment and fund-raising events sponsored by Shrine Temples, Clubs and Units.

What is Family Centered Care ?

Recognizing that the family plays a vital role in a child's ability to overcome an illness or injury, Shriners Hospitals developed the family-centered care concept, to help the family provide the support and involvement the child requires. 

This concept stresses the while medicine might heal the child's body, tending to the child' sense of well being is equally important to his recovery. Family-centered care involves the family in all aspects of the child's care and recovery. The parents are taught how to care for the child at home. Where possible, room is provided for at least one parent to remain with the child throughout the hospital stay, and brothers and sisters are encouraged to visit the child. Specially trained personnel help the family accept the child's illness or injury, deal with the feelings of guilt an frustration that often arise in such situations, and counsel the family concerning the special needs of the child and other family members.

The purpose of all Shriners Hospitals is to help children lead fuller, more productive lives. By promoting the importance of the family and helping it become stronger support system for the child, Shriners Hospitals can accomplish their purpose more effectively.

Why is research so important in Shriners Hospitals?

Shriners Hospitals for Children have been involved in research since the 1920s, but in the early 1960s The Shrine aggressively entered the structured research field and began earmarking funds for projects. 

Since that time, Shriners Hospitals have been at the vanguard of research, achieving significant progress in orthopaedic and burn treatment. Through 2005, over a quarter of a billion dollars has been spent for research efforts.

One of the better-known achievements of Shriners Hospitals research is the cultured skin developed by the Boston Hospital in connection with the Harvard Medical School. Researchers developed a method of "growing" skin from a tiny sample of a burn patients own skin. In a celebrated 1983 case, this breakthrough enabled the burns hospitals to save the lives of two boys who were burned over 97 percent of their body surface, marking the first time a cultured organ had ever been used in a life-saving situation, as well as the first time any human being was known to survive such a severe injury!

The Shrine believes that the hope for children with orthopaedic and burn problems in the future lies in research today. Shriners Hospitals for Children work to make that hope a reality.

Orthopaedics

Nineteen of the 22 Shriners Hospitals treat children with problems of the bones, joints or muscles. Located throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, these hospitals offer expert, state-of-the-art medical care to children with orthopaedic deformities diseases or injuries, such as clubfoot, scoliosis and the orthopaedic problems caused by cerebral palsy.

Severe Burns

Each of Shriners four burn hospitals has a three-fold purpose;

1. Treating children with severe burn injuries
2. Conducting burn research
3. Training medical personnel in the treatment of
     burn injuries Spinal Cord Injuries