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Description

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Orthopaedic Hospital has come a long way from 1911 when a young orthopaedic surgeon named Dr Charles Leroy Lowman first envisioned a new kind of hospital a place where children with disabilities could receive the finest orthopaedic treatment regardless of their ability to pay In 1919 Dr Lowman established a clinic for crippled children and moved into the reconditioned stables and carriage house on the present grounds of Orthopaedic Hospital and in 1922 the newly constructed Orthopaedic Hospital was dedicated

More than two million patient visits later the insight and dedication of Dr Lowman and subsequent generations of visionary orthopaedic leaders have forever changed countless lives Today Orthopaedic Hospital has become the largest childrens orthopaedic program in the United States and an internationally recognized and innovative leader in orthopaedic treatment

The organization has embarked on the greatest period of growth in its history to meet the communitys burgeoning orthopaedic needs while continuing to advance the forefront of musculoskeletal medicine

A farreaching strategic alliance with the University of California Los Angeles UCLA in 1998 is broadening the scope of both organizations and bringing new and expanded programs toward making Orthopaedic Hospital in partnership with UCLA the worlds largest orthopaedic center In addition to offering some of the best doctors medical personnel facilities and the latest technologies the two organizations will lead the world in musculoskletal research and orthopaedic education

While the alliance commitment will benefit the world at large Orthopaedic Hospital hasnt forgotten its root in childrens orthopaedic patient care Our new 40000squarefoot Orthopaedic Hospital Outpatient Medical Center sits on the downtown Los Angeles Orthopaedic Medical Center campus allowing us the capacity to increase childrens orthopaedic visits to as many as 95000 per year The organization continues to provide a vital safety net for children with crippling disorders who have nowhere else to turn to in our effort to reach out and better our community

Orthopaedic Hospitals core mission remains the care of children with crippling birth defects and musculoskeletal disorders and our new relationships and facilities will allow us to help more people worldwide than ever before

MISSION AND VISION
Orthopaedic Hospital Mission
The mission of Orthopaedic Hospital is to provide outstanding care for patients with musculoskeletal disorders and through the support of the Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital Foundation

To provide care for children regardless of ability to pay
And
Advance care worldwide for all musculoskeletal patients through medical
education and scientific research

Orthopaedic Hospital VISION
Orthopaedic Hospital in partnership with UCLA Orthopaedics will assume a national leadership role and be at the forefront of advancing care for patients with musculoskeletal disorders setting the standard for others to emulate with pediatric orthopaedics as its priority

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History

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HISTORY
History of Orthopaedic Hospital
Adapting to the Times and True to Our Mission
Orthopaedic Hospital was founded by Charles Leroy Lowman in 1911 beginning as a clinic for children with crippling disorders Ever since it has provided this care regardless of the familys financial circumstances To support this mission the Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital Foundation was established in 1917 Following that in 1922 the first hospital completed construction It was replaced by the second in 1959 and today the third is under construction This new stateoftheart facility is a cooperative effort with the University of California Los Angeles UCLA as part of a Master Strategic Alliance to create the Santa MonicaUCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital Combined with the new Orthopaedic Hospital Outpatient Medical Center on our downtown Los Angeles campus and the Orthopaedic Hospital Research Center on the UCLA Westwood campus these facilities have the capacity to lead advancements in musculoskeletal patient care research and education worldwide

When Dr Charles Leroy Lowman established Orthopaedic Hospital in 1922 he scarcely could have imaged the astonishing strides that medicine would take through the end of the century

As the only orthopaedic specialist between San Francisco to New Orleans he saw patients with flat feet knockknees bowlegs and spinal curvatures Because the field was so new he invented many treatments himself In particular he turned a fishpond on the Orthopaedic Hospital grounds into a therapy pool for children with polio two years before polio sufferer Franklin Delano Roosevelt discovered the 88degree waters at Warm Springs Georgia

Today the Orthopaedic Hospital surgeons replace hip joints with advanced polymers and new metalonmetal technology and transfer muscle from one part of the shoulder to another so children with brachial plexus palsy gain motion in their arms and can live normal lives The staff treats children with congenital and acquired orthopaedic disorders in addition to providing treatment for cleft lip and palates neurological disorders urology disorders sickle cell disease hemophilia and musculoskeletal tumors

Since the time of Dr Lowman the orthopaedic program has grown dramatically to the point where Orthopaedic Hospital sees more children with potentially crippling disorders than any other facility in the United States

Now Orthopaedic Hospital has embarked on an extraordinary commitment to advance the quality of orthopaedic healthcare in the 21st century with a strategic plan that includes the Orthopaedic Hospital Outpatient Medical Center in downtown Los Angeles the Orthopaedic Hospital at SantaMonicaUCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica and the Orthopaedic Hospital Research Center in Westwood The organization also has a strong relationship with the Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Magnet High School and provides assistance in curriculum design and teaching related to health science as well as onsight exposure to a wide variety of careers in healthcare and research