Letter from the President: A Legacy of Incredible Magnitude

Letter from the President: A Legacy of Incredible Magnitude

by | Aug 12, 2021 | General News

This update from President/CEO Robert L. Walker was previously published in Rite Up, 2021 – Issue 2. 

One hundred years ago, the Texas Masons and W. B. Carrell, M.D., created a place like no other. The Scottish Rite for Children’s mission has never wavered, and throughout the years, each staff member, volunteer, trustee, friend, and donor has focused on how we can improve the lives of the children we serve locally and around the world.

A milestone year, like our centennial, brings countless moments of celebration and joy, as well as a time for reflection and appreciation for where we have been. We can only imagine the obstacles facing a new hospital founded in the early 1920s in the midst of a polio epidemic. Orthopedics was in its infancy, and polio brought unprecedented challenges, experimental treatments, and feelings of fear and panic into the community. Just as COVID-19 has greatly impacted our lives, polio caused devastating and momentous changes a century earlier.

Thinking about our recent experiences and considering what our predecessors must have gone through, I’m filled with pride, realizing our triumphs. Led by the medical staff and clinical teams, patients continued to receive care in spite of the pandemic. Everyone did what was necessary to create a safe environment for all patients and staff.

Throughout the years, we have been reminded of all the tireless care given, adversities overcome, and accomplishments achieved — it is a legacy of incredible magnitude. More than 325,000 children have experienced the life-changing care of Scottish Rite for Children. Our experts continue to lead the way with exceptional treatments, world-class education, and groundbreaking research, impacting children around the world.

Although our centennial year is different from what we originally planned, it is clear that our one-of-a-kind institution has a commitment that has endured the test of time and will continue to do so. We are all proud of our achievements and grateful to contribute to that unshakable mission for another 100 years.

Find out more about the Boundless Centennial Campaign.

FOX 4: Here’s to You – The Sewing Ladies

FOX 4: Here’s to You – The Sewing Ladies

by | Mar 1, 2021 | General News, Press Coverage

The Sewing Ladies, a group of volunteers at Scottish Rite for Children, have been a staple at the hospital since its earliest years. Originally, the group consisted mostly of wives of the hospital’s doctors. Now, the volunteers come from all different backgrounds but have one thing in common – they love to sew.
 
Between them, The Sewing Ladies have more than 800 years of sewing experience, and they put that experience to good use. Prior to the pandemic, during an average year, they would sew more than 400 bed sheets and more than 500 hospital gowns for the hospital’s young patients. Once the pandemic started, their efforts shifted to sewing masks for our patients in Dallas and Frisco. Since May, they have made over 9,000 masks! 

Clarice tinsley posted a photo of the sewing ladies at scottish rite for children taken before the pandemic | Clarice Tinsley March 1 at 3:52 PM · ••• HERE'S TO YOU: A photo of The Sewing Ladies at Scottish Rite for Children taken before the pandemic. In the past year they've made 9,000+ masks. Pre-pandemic they'd sew 400 bed sheets & 500 hospital gowns. Show me great volunteers send social distance photos to Clarice.Tinsley@FOX.com SCOTTISH RITE HOSPITAL CHOCHEID) TE TTISH R SPITAL FOR C Vike Air MY MOM KS

Wellness in Youth Sports: Tips for Parents and Coaches of Young Athletes

Wellness in Youth Sports: Tips for Parents and Coaches of Young Athletes

by | Feb 18, 2021 | General News, Sports Medicine

In a medical education series, Jane S. Chung, M.D., and Taylor Morrison, M.S., R.D., CSSD, L.D., informed pediatric health care providers about the role of wellness in recovery and injury prevention. Health care providers are not the only ones to influence young athletes and their choices to prepare for and recover from sports. Tips for Parents and Coaches
  • Teach your athlete to listen to his or her body. Hunger, pain and fatigue are signs that the body is not prepared to tolerate training.
  • Encourage proper fueling for the activity. Consider the duration and intensity of the activity and give specific suggestions to meet appropriate pre-event nutrition needs.
  • Support proper hydration throughout the day, not just around activity.
  • Use positive language when talking about food and sport-specific bodyweight goals.
  • Speak up when performance declines. Talk to the athlete about sleep, eating habits and stress management so you can act quickly when you are concerned.
  • Listen without judgment.
More Tips for Coaches
  • Choose appropriate training load, intensity and duration. The physical and psychosocial demands of training need to be enough for growth and improvement, but not so much that it causes injuries or illness.
  • Integrate recovery into your schedule of training. Cross training and in-season rest days can support better performance and reduce time on the bench.
  • Learn, model and actively teach athletes positive coping skills to manage stress.
Learn more about training load, recovery and young athlete wellness in the summary of Chung and Morrison’s latest lecture.
The Human Side of Health Care

The Human Side of Health Care

by | Oct 19, 2020 | General News, Press Coverage

Over the past few months, members from our team have been invited as guests on The Human Side of Health Care – a weekly radio program hosted by the DFW Hospital Council that broadcasts on KRLD 1080 AM. 

Below are the topics discussed.

The Human Side of Health Care
Former Administrative Director of the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia & Learning Disorders – Gladys Kolenovsky
This segment provides details about Scottish Rite for Children’s Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia & Learning Disorders – the history of the program, defining dyslexia and sharing the impact Scottish Rite’s team has had on children diagnosed with this condition over the years. 
Listen to the full episode.

The Human Side of Health Care
Director of Therapeutic Recreation – Dana Dempsey 
This segment gives an overview of Scottish Rite for Children’s Therapeutic Recreation department – how this team impacts our patient population by helping children with a disability or chronic medical condition to learn the skills they need to be involved in leisure activities and recreation. 
Listen to the full episode.

The Human Side of Health Care
Director of Patient Experience – Ashleigh Kinney 
In this segment, Scottish Rite for Children’s Director of Patient Experience Ashleigh Kinney, explains the importance of unconditional positive regard and how it is implemented throughout the organization.
Listen to the full episode.

Megan E. Johnson, M.D., Joins Scottish Rite for Children’s Surgical Team

Megan E. Johnson, M.D., Joins Scottish Rite for Children’s Surgical Team

by | Sep 24, 2020 | General News

(DALLAS – September 24, 2020) – Megan E. Johnson, M.D.,has joined the pediatric orthopedic surgical staff at Scottish Rite for Children. Johnson completed her fellowship at Scottish Rite for Children in 2015 and will see general pediatric orthopedic surgery patients, with a focus on spine, primarily at the Dallas facility. 

“We feel very fortunate to be able to recruit Dr. Johnson from Vanderbilt as we know she is a superstar who will be a great addition to our team and to the organization,” says Scottish Rite Chief of Staff Daniel J. Sucato, M.D., M.S. “She is someone I would call “talent-plus” as she has all of the hard skills of being a great clinician and surgeon along with the soft skills of being a great individual who will enrich the lives of the children and families we are privileged to treat and will continue to help us deliver the greatest care to our patients.”  

Before completing Scottish Rite for Children’s Dorothy & Bryant Edwards Fellowship in Orthopedics and Scoliosis in 2015, Johnson attended medical school at Vanderbilt University, where she earned her Doctor of Medicine. She completed her orthopedic surgical residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.  Johnson previously served as an assistant professor of orthopedics at Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital of Vanderbilt. 

“I am so excited and grateful to have the opportunity to come back to Scottish Rite and practice orthopedic surgery,” says Johnson. “Scottish Rite is an internationally recognized leader in pediatric orthopedics, and I love that the organization is full of people who share my passion for helping children.”

“Dr. Johnson’s expertise ensures that Scottish Rite continues to be committed to providing exceptional and innovative care to all who enter our doors,” says President/CEO Robert L. Walker. “We are excited to have her back on our team.”

Johnson is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in Orthopedic Surgery. She is an Assistant Professor at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Department of Orthopedic Surgery, a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the Ruth Jackson Orthopedic Society, as well as a candidate member of the Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America (POSNA) and the Scoliosis Research Society.