Shriners Hospital holds children’s screening clinic in Owatonna

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OWATONNA — It’s not quite the Shrine Circus, but with a cheerful and light-hearted clown on board to help entertain the children attending the Shriners Hospitals for Children screening clinic on April 23, it could come awfully close.

The screening clinic is scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 23, at the Steele County Community Center located at the Steele County Fairgrounds.

Now in its 12th year, the screening clinic is intended for children under the age of 18 with a treatable orthopedic condition. The care is given at no cost to the child or their family, as the Shriners Hospitals for Children has actually been providing free care for children since 1922.

“We can help kids,” local Shriner co-chair Dave Mussman said. “We know that any time you have a child with a disability, it costs a lot of money. Even with insurance, if a child requires braces, insurance only pays for one set every three years. We have kids who need new or adjusted braces every three to six months, and we provide that.”

Each year, a doctor from the Shriners Hospitals for Children travels to Owatonna for the three-hour clinic. The screen will cover children with bone, muscle or joint problems including the following: arthrogryposis (stiff joints), cerebral palsy, clubfoot, hip conditions, osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bones), juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, limb deformities, limb length differences, neurological disorders, rickets, scar revisions, scoliosis, specialized plastic surgery, spina bifida/myelodysplasia, spine conditions, sports injuries.

As a parent and child arrives, a Shriner steps in to help with paperwork. Eventually, that Shriner becomes the child’s sponsor and is responsible for making sure anything the family needs — like transportation to and from an appointment — they get.

Since the clinic began in 1999, the Owatonna area Shriners have been able to put more than 140 children through their hospital to get proper treatment whether it be surgery, braces or prosthetics. Mussman said the biggest reward of the clinic is watching the progression of a child from the time they come into the clinic to after treatment.

“You see kids come in with their parents and there’s a disability, but then, you follow up on them and now, they’re running, they’re playing baseball, football,” Mussman said. “That’s why we started this.”

Although the Shriners take care of all the medical costs, and insurance is not required, parents are recommended to bring in any insurance information in case a procedure is needed that the Shriners Hospital can’t provide. Still, the Shriners will cover the deductible or co-pay to ensure the child receives the appropriate care.

To make an appointment for Saturday’s screening clinic, call Dave Mussman at 455-1562 or Dick Heidi at 456-2069. Walk-ins are welcome.

Rebecca Rodenborg can be reached at 444-2376.