Patient Services
Shriners Children’s has 22 facilities dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to age 18 with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care if there is a reasonable possibility they can benefit from the specialized services available. All care and services are provided regardless of the patients’ ability to pay.
About us
The Naja Shrine Patient Services is an entity of the Naja Shriners organization, formed to support and coordinate the transportation for the care of patients at Shriners Care Centers. Patient Services is advised by a board of directors. The office for Patient Services is at the Naja Shrine Center. Patient Services depends on members of Naja Shrine who are called DADS (Drivers Are Dedicated Shriners) who, with their ladies, are the backbone of support of our over 500 active patients in Western South Dakota.
Transportation
The Naja Shrine Patient Services assists with the transportation and/or lodging expenses of the patient and one parent to and from a Shriners facility. Patients have the option of driving themselves or riding in one of our Naja Shrine Hospital Express vans. Our Shrine DADS volunteer their time to drive the patients in those vans. We also utilize air ambulances and commercial air travel when necessary. Because of the distance to the hospitals, we also provide lodging for our patients.
Funding
The Naja Shrine Patient Services is funded in several ways. Several benefactors have generously set up trusts to benefit the Naja Shrine Travel Fund. This fund was established through wills, bequeaths, donations, and money-raising projects. Even with these gifts, additional projects and fundraisers are necessary to meet each year’s operating expenses.
Eligibility
Children up to age 18 are eligible for care at our care centers, if, in the opinion of our physicians, there is a reasonable possibility they can benefit from the specialized services available. Acceptance is based solely on a child’s medical needs.
Care Specialties
Orthopedic Care
Shriners Children’s (formerly Shriners Hospitals for Children) has been a leader in pediatric orthopedic care since 1922, with the largest full-time staff of pediatric orthopaedic surgeons in the United States. They are dedicated to providing medical and rehabilitative services to children with congenital and acquired orthopedic conditions which are conditions involving bones, joints, and/or muscles.
Children in South Dakota receive their orthopaedic care at Shriners Children’s – Twin Cities in Woodbury, MN.
Burns
Shiners Children’s is a leader in pediatric burn care and has been dedicated to research and care since the 1960s. Patients receive care for burn injuries and related scarring, along with physical rehabilitation and emotional support.
Four of the Shriners Hospitals for Children specialize in burn care, and the Naja Shrine Patient Services sends patients to Children’s – Northern California for burn care and rehabilitation.
Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation
Shriners Childrens opened the nation’s first spinal cord injury rehabilitation centers for children in the 1980s. Patients receive a range of services to help recover from spinal cord injuries, and researchers are continuing to study and advance rehabilitation for spinal cord injuries.
The Naja Shrine Patient Services sends patients to Children’s – Chicago for care.
Cleft Lip and Palate
Patients may receive a variety of services for children with clefts of the lip or palate, including surgery, orthodontics, and hearing, speech and psychological therapies. The Naja Shrine Patient Services sends area patients to the Shriners Children’s – Chicago for care.
Outreach clinics
Staff from Shriners Children’s – Twin Cities travel to Rapid City to hold an Outreach Clinic for children at the Black Hills Orthopedic and Spine Center. Children up to the age of 18 that are having concerns with their bones, muscles, joints and/or other orthopaedic conditions can have new patient appointments at the time. Specialists that are leaders in their field and have advanced training and experience in caring for children, see new patients at the clinic to determine if they can benefit from the specialized services available at Shriners Healthcare. Appointments are also available for second opinions at these clinics. The medical staff also schedule appointments for our current Shriners Children’s patients.
2023 Clinic Dates:
January 24-25
April 25-26
July 25-26
Free Screening Clinic
Come and learn about Shriners Childrens and see if we can help your child. Appointments are Required.
Call Today!
fire prevention
In October, Patient Services works with the Rapid City Fire Department and local schools to help educate area children about fire prevention and safety. On average we hand out more than 3,300 Burn Awareness activity books to local children in grades K-2.
This year’s message – Hot Liquids Burn Like Fire!, aims to educate caregivers and children on the dangers of scald injuries and how to prevent them. Scalds are the leading cause of burn injury in children under the age of 5, and are most often caused by spills of hot food or drinks, or bathtub accidents.
This week also kicks off our year-round Be Burn Aware campaign, which focuses on preventing burn injuries in the home, where most preventable burn injuries occur. Our children’s activity books, information on basic home safety for adults, and tip sheets are available to download or order. The materials are designed to be a resource to firefighters, teachers, parents and others concerned with the safety and well-being of children.
Since the 1960s, Shriners Children’s has been a leader in burn care, research and education — and burn injury prevention is a key component in these efforts. Let’s work together to STOP burn injuries!
Please be safe…Be Burn Aware!
What is Scoliosis?
Our award-winning, internationally recognized physicians treat more than 10,000 children with scoliosis each year.
In the United States, 2% to 5% of children develop scoliosis, where the spine curves to make a C shape or S shape, rather than growing in a straight line. Over time, the curve can worsen, making it more noticeable and causing pain. In instances where the curve of the spine is more severe and is left untreated, it has the potential to impact the heart, lungs and other internal organs as they grow and become more crowded.
Diagnosing scoliosis in children is fairly straightforward. If an X-ray shows a spine curvature of 10 degrees or greater, the next step is to meet with a doctor who specializes in pediatric orthopedics for an examination.
Our philosophy is to consider all of the options for your child. This ranges from scoliosis-specific exercise therapy and Mehta casting, to the most advanced surgical treatments, such as the MAGEC System for guided growth of the spine, vertebral body tethering and spinal fusion. Together we’ll create a treatment plan that is the best fit for your child’s age, the severity of their condition, and the activities they love.
Early detection is important. Download our free App and check your child’s back in the privacy of your own home.
