D CEO: Scottish Rite’s Frisco Facility is Open for Business

D CEO: Scottish Rite’s Frisco Facility is Open for Business

by | Oct 16, 2018 | Press Coverage, Research & Innovation

Read the original story on D CEO’s website here.

The Scottish Rite for Children Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center started accepting its first patients this week, and the entire building is a testament to movement and recovery.

Color-coded floors, bands of shifting color on the facade, colorful spiral staircases, and dynamic floor and wall art are designed to reflect movement and encourage children toward recovery. HKS designed the center and partnered with general contractor Beck in construction of the building.

Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children is building its second facility after 96 years in its Dallas location. Located at the corner of Lebanon Road and the Dallas North Tollway in Frisco, the facility will mirror the population boom in the northern suburbs and fit in well with other athletic facilities in the area such as The Star and FC Dallas. Conversations about the new center began in 2014, with construction breaking ground in 2016.

According to Scottish Rite, around 25 percent of their patient families live north of Dallas, and the ambulatory surgery facility will be an extension of the Dallas campus and will offer clinic visits and orthopedic day surgeries for children.

The five-story building offers views of Lake Lewisville from the upper floors, and will include 345,000 square feet of space, which includes one and a half floors of unused space so that the healthcare giver can grow with the area. If desired, the facility can be a full service hospital in the future.

Imaging will include MRI and three X-ray units with potential for a CT scan and additional MRI and X-rays. The second floor clinics are positioned around the imaging for convenience, and include a walk in clinic for fractures and centrally located admin space separated from patient rooms. There are two operating rooms with room for more, an infusion lab and space for other ancillary clinics. Surgeries will begin November, and families will be able to wait in apartment style family waiting rooms with furniture and sibling play areas.

The physical therapy gym is more reminiscent of a professional gym than a healthcare facility, and it will be accompanied by a Movement Science Lab built for sport-specific training and testing to focus on sports injury or general orthopedic rehabilitation.

The building also includes a conference center with smaller meeting rooms, a 150-seat auditorium, and courtyard that will serve community needs as well as academic gatherings. The adjacent U-11 soccer field can be used for group rehab sessions, injury prevention demonstrations and coaching clinics, and is accompanied by a playground with adaptive play equipment (which should be complete in December) and a half-mile walking and running trail that ties in to local trails.

Scottish Rite anticipates more than 22,000 clinical visits in year one for sports medicine, orthopedics and a fracture clinic, and 13,000 for physical therapy. Around 50 staff relocated from Scottish Rite’s Plan facility, while 30 relocated from the Dallas campus and 50 new staff were hired for the center.

“We are on the forefront of what is happening,” says Jeremy Howell, Vice President, North Campus at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.”We want to focus on the growing child.”

Scottish Rite continues the growth of Frisco’s sports medicine healthcare facilities, joining the Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research at The Star, which opened earlier this year.

Dallas Morning News: The Rite stuff for Frisco

Dallas Morning News: The Rite stuff for Frisco

by | Sep 18, 2018 | Press Coverage, Research & Innovation

View the original story on the Dallas Morning News website here.

FRISCO — In this boom-town that brands itself Sports City USA, a massive new hospital will aim to keep kids on the field.

Work crews have been putting the finishing touches on the new Scottish Rite for Children Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center along the Dallas North Tollway at Lebanon Road. The 345,000-square-foot facility, which officially opens Oct. 10, will specialize in injury prevention and orthopedic issues such as broken bones or torn knee ligaments. 

The hospital is the latest athletics-centric addition in Frisco, which is home to the Dallas Cowboys, FC Dallas, the Texas Legends basketball team and the Frisco RoughRiders baseball team, among others. And it will serve a market where youth sports are big; Men’s Journal in 2011 declared the city to be the nation’s Best Place to Raise an Athlete.

Jeremy Howell, vice president of the nonprofit Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, said the hospital is about more than sports: “We’re giving kids back their childhood.”

The hospital, announced in 2014, will join a market that now features the Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research at The Star, which opened less than a mile to the south a few months ago. Next year, the Texas Health Hospital Frisco will open a few miles to the north.

The facility will be the second pediatric hospital for the nonprofit Scottish Rite, which was founded in Dallas in 1921 to treat children with polio. Over the years, the hospital’s efforts broadened to treat a variety of orthopedic conditions, such as scoliosis, clubfoot and limb-length differences. 

Sports medicine is now the fastest growing sub-specialty for pediatric orthopedics. Part of that growth is due to the large number of children focusing on a single sport at an early age, resulting in overuse injuries.

The Scottish Rite’s Frisco campus — located along the tollway in what is known as the city’s North Platinum Corridor — will capitalize on that trend. But Howell said a second campus also makes sense now because about a quarter of Scottish Rite’s growing patient base lives north of Dallas.

Scottish Rite opened a temporary space in 2015 in Plano. It logged more than 18,000 patient visits in the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30. Those patients will move to the Frisco campus starting next month.

And the site has plenty of room for growth. Two operating rooms will be available starting next month. Four more can be equipped as needed. One floor will also remain mostly empty at the start.

The Frisco campus will have a state-of-the-art Movement Science Lab. Motion-capture cameras will analyze children as they run, jump, kick and throw. An outdoor soccer field, curved running track and artificial turf at the medical center will help test their limits.

The facility will offer day surgeries as well as physical therapy. A fracture clinic will accept walk-ins. The hospital will also have a rotation of clinics, including those for scoliosis and prosthetics. 

Research will continue to play a large role for the teaching hospital. The medical center includes conference center space with a 155-seat lecture hall for training. The space will also be available to community groups. 

“We’re always looking at new and better ways to take care of kids,” Howell said. 

HKS Architects designed the pediatric hospital for efficiency. Meetings with doctors and nurses helped ensure the layout was functional. The pediatric hospital assigned different colors to define uses: blue for surgery and green for sports therapy, for example.

“This campus is all about movement,” said Bernita Beikmann, executive vice president for HKS Architects. “It’s rainbow from top to bottom.” 

A Rainbow Dragon sculpture from artist Daniel Goldstein hangs from the ceiling in the entryway. And colored lights and panels can be found throughout. 

Spaces are designed with families in mind — more natural lighting, comfortable seating, outlets for mobile devices, coffee bars. The idea is to take the anxiety out of their visit, Howell said. 

“We don’t want it to feel, smell or look like a hospital,” he said.

A Collaborative Research Program Advances Care for Children Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy

A Collaborative Research Program Advances Care for Children Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy

by | Jul 19, 2018 | Research & Innovation

At Scottish Rite Hospital, our team is dedicated to providing individualized, expert care to each child. The hospital’s Neurology department is focused on providing treatment to orthopedic patients who have related neuromuscular diseases and neurological disorders. Over the years, the hospital has established specialized clinics for children with these complex conditions. Through the collaboration between our trained neurologists and orthopedic team, the patients are able to receive multidisciplinary care to address their specific needs. 

To continue advancing the care and treatment of our neurology patients, the department is committed to ongoing research. Each year, the hospital hosts a two-week research program for children diagnosed with hemiplegic (one side of the body) cerebral palsy. To participate in this research, children meet study inclusion criteria and go through an evaluation one week prior to being enrolled in the program. Constraint induced movement therapy (CIMT) is a form of treatment where the child’s stronger arm is put into a splint forcing them to use the affected arm for all daily activities. The two-week therapy program includes gross and fine motor activities that encourage independence with identified goals. Activities include crafts, making snacks and games. The program also includes the use of the Armeo®Spring Pediatric (an upper limb video game based robotic exoskeleton). As part of the research, our team evaluates the child before and immediately after completing the program as well as six months later. By analyzing the progress of these children, the data has shown an impact from the therapy including improvement in range of motion, function and use of the affected arm. 

Like many of the research projects that take place at the hospital, this program involves staff from multiple departments. Our Neurology team works closely with the hospital’s research occupational therapists, Angela Shierk, Ph.D., O.T.R. and Heather Roberts, Ph.D., O.T.R., to make this a success. Pediatric clinical nurse specialist Nancy Clegg, Ph.D., R.N., has been involved with this program over the years and can see the impact it has made. “The children we see in our clinics and those who participate in this program are in need of specialized care,” says Clegg. “Our neurologists, orthopedic surgeons and therapists are able to conduct robust research to bring more knowledge and better care back to the patients affected by cerebral palsy. The CIMT program is just one of the many research programs that allow us to collaborate and discover innovative treatment options to enhance overall care.” 

Scottish Rite Hospital Provides Multidisciplinary Care Through New NSP Clinic

Scottish Rite Hospital Provides Multidisciplinary Care Through New NSP Clinic

by | Jun 28, 2018 | Research & Innovation

At Scottish Rite Hospital, providing premier patient-centered care is at the forefront of our mission. Through the hospital’s six centers for excellence, our doctors and researchers collaborate to study the common to the complex of orthopedic conditions to find new and innovative ways to care for our patients. For 15 years, the Center for Excellence in Spine has evolved to be an essential component to the effectiveness of treating the hospital’s spine patients. 

Scoliosis presents in many shapes and forms. Our experts in the spine center collaborate to determine the best and most effective techniques to treating spinal disorders. Recently, the hospital created a clinic specifically for neuromuscular-syndromic scoliosis patients (NSP). This patient population consists of children diagnosed with neuromuscular (affects the muscles and nerves and can lead to scoliosis) and syndromic scoliosis (spine curve develops as part of a syndrome). Because of the complexity of this disorder, these children need to be cared for by multiple specialists. The patients and families come to the hospital for one, comprehensive appointment that includes specialists from multiple disciplines. Depending on the child’s needs, assessments available from various experts include:

Anesthesiology
Child Life
Dental
Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician
Dietary
Labs/Hematology
Medical Consult
Coordinators (for external appointments)
Neurology
Nursing staff
Occupational Therapy
Physical Therapy
Psychology
Pulmonology
Research
Social Services
Surgical planning
Urology
Staff orthopedic surgeon Amy L. McIntosh, M.D., has been the leader of this initiative and believes in the positive impact it can have on the patient and their families. “The clinic is patient and family centered,” says McIntosh. “It coordinates multiple services into one appointment with the hope of decreasing the burden on families. The clinic also emphasizes open communication between providers and the families with a goal of reducing post-operative complications and costs.”

As a component of the clinic, research is heavily involved to collect certain information on this patient population to evaluate the effectiveness of this approach to care. The study titled, “Rate in Infection in Non-Congenital and Non-Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study Following Implementation of Multimodal Prevention Protocol,” analyzes all patients diagnosed with neuromuscular and syndromic scoliosis who are undergoing surgery. The hospital’s team of clinical research coordinators collect clinical and radiographic data on patients who are willing to enroll with a goal of creating a standardized model to decrease infection rates.

Scottish Rite Hospital’s Center for Excellence in Spine continues to grow and be innovative to provide world-renowned care to scoliosis patients. It is initiatives like the NSP clinic that showcase the hospital’s commitment to collaboration and approach to multidisciplinary care to advance how the hospital treats this patient population.

Learn more about our Center for Excellence in Spine.

Integrated Team Approach to Patient Care Shows Positive Results

Integrated Team Approach to Patient Care Shows Positive Results

by | Apr 23, 2018 | Research & Innovation

At Scottish Rite Hospital, our experts are dedicated to caring for the whole child—mind, body, and spirit. The hospital includes six Centers for Excellence that each cultivate the mission of patient care, research, and education. Within those centers lies integrated services that allow our specialists to provide world-renowned care to every patient. 

The hospital’s psychology department is an essential component of the overall success of our patients before, during, and after treatment. As integrated members of the hospital’s health care team, our licensed psychologists work closely with our orthopedic staff to promote a healthy lifestyle for the child through clinical care, education, and ongoing research. 

Recently, an article from the hospital was published in the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics titled, “Perioperative Interdisciplinary Intervention Contributes to Improved Outcomes of Adolescents Treated with Hip Preservation Surgery.” It is a collaborative project including pediatric psychologists, researchers, and orthopedic surgeons. This study evaluated adolescent candidates for hip preservation surgery and the impact of perioperative interdisciplinary care on pre-operative and post-operative outcomes. Patients who undergo hip preservation surgery typically present with chronic pain lasting longer than six months, which has the potential to develop negative psychological effects on the adolescent. 

The team evaluated a total of 67 patients before and after undergoing hip preservation surgery. Our psychologists worked closely with this group of patients before surgery to provide education, counseling, and self-reported outcomes. In comparison to patients who did not receive psychological intervention prior to having surgery, those who did recorded:

  • Higher self-esteem and self-reliance
  • Less anxiety and depression
  • Decrease in school problems and social stress

In conclusion, the project revealed that pre-operative education and counseling for patients undergoing hip preservation surgery improved their overall physical and psychological function after surgery. Pediatric psychologist Heather Richard, Psy.D. is excited about the results of this research and what it means for the future of care. “This collaborative study shows the true impact education and counseling can have on a patient undergoing surgery,” says Richard. “Our psychology team is proud to be a part of an institution that understands the importance of this service and how it can positively influence the patient. We look forward to continuing our research to improve our care of the whole child.” 

Read more about the published article.

Genetics Team Attends International Meeting in China

Genetics Team Attends International Meeting in China

by | Apr 10, 2018 | Research & Innovation

Staff from Scottish Rite Hospital travel near and far to participate in medical conferences to share their most recent research and learn from other experts in the field. Last week, members from our genetics research team were in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, China to attend the International Consortium for Spinal Genetics, Development and Disease (ICSGDD) conference. The ICSGDD includes two groups who combined after last year’s inaugural international conference, “Genomic Approaches to Understanding and Treating Scoliosis.” The hospital led and largely organized this three-day, two-part meeting with the first half in Shenzhen hosted by the University of Hong Kong and the second half in Guangzhou hosted by Sun Yat Sen University Hospital.

The conference included faculty and presenters from across the world who have been selected to provide the latest innovations within scoliosis genetic research. Scottish Rite Hospital’s Director of Molecular Genetics Carol Wise, Ph.D. is one of three conference chairpersons. As a leader and co-founder of ICSGDD, she understands its significance and the impact it could have for patients diagnosed with scoliosis. “This group has made great strides over the past year to bring better treatment for complex forms of scoliosis,” says Wise. “The ICSGDD conference is unique because it brings together experts in scoliosis genetic research from different areas of the world. The diversity of the group cultivates collaboration and in-depth discussions to better understand these conditions.”

This international conference is one of many that the hospital is actively involved with each year. As a research and teaching institution, it is important for staff to learn from fellow medical professionals and share their expertise, both locally and internationally, to ultimately provide the best care possible to our patients.

Learn more about the hospital’s Sarah M. & Charles E. Seay Center for Musculoskeletal Research.