SHRINERS HOSPITAL - Alan Anderson
SHRINER'S HOSPITAL
Long time Shriner and member of our Club, Everett Thorne introduced Alan Anderson to talk about our local Shriners Hospital. Alan said that the Shriners are a service organization like Rotary. It was established to treat Children in orthopedics and then got involved with helping children with polio. Later, thanks in great part to Rotary, polio has diminished. Shriners Hospitals take on children with complex orthopedic conditions and burn care, along with spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate conditions.Shriners care is for ALL children who are accepted to be treated - regardless of nationality or race. Once a child is accepted, he/she is treated for free until adulthood.
Our local Shriners Hospital (located on Stockton Blvd) was established in 1997, moving from San Francisco. Shriners wanted a central location (to Northern California), close to a medical teaching facility (U.C.D.), and with a welcoming community. Shriners is a top tier facility, the best children's hospital, with the best and brightest in the community and not competing with others. The Sacramento Shriner Facility had taken care of between 200 and 400 kids and is now going up to the 600 kids. Not all stay at once, considering that some come and go depending on their need. The Shriners hospital is not a high volume facility but serves those in need well. The goals are 1. To make the kids better, 2. help them to be functional, 3. Produce good citizens. The Sacramento facility has 21,000 visits from patients each year and has a service area of Alaska to Mexico.
Shriners is 93 years old and for most of that time were fully funded by endowment funds. Lately, in addition, Shriners will bill insurance companies (if there is insurance), but never the patient. You may also have seen the wonderful and very poignant TV ads asking for monthly donations.
Shriners Hospitals for Children - Northern California
2425 Stockton Blvd
Sacramento, CA 95817
(916) 453-2000
After some very interesting questions from the audience, president pro tem, Vince Iosso, mentioned to Alan that, in honor of his presentation, a book, in his name, will be donated to the Carmichael Library.