Shriners Hospitals for Children Outreach Program

An ongoing outreach program hosted by Shriners Hospitals for Children and directed by Chief of Staff Dr. Craig Ono will make its return to Hilo this week. Pediatric orthopaedic specialists Dr. Graham Fedorak, Dr. Ono, and Dr. Jonathan Pellett will travel to the Big Island for an outreach clinic scheduled for Wednesday, June 3 through Friday June 5 at the ARC of Hilo.

Each year, Shriners Hospitals for Children travels to the Big Island five times with three clinics in Hilo and two in Kona. The hospital has also just announced an addition to its outreach program to begin at Hamakua-Kohala Health in Honoka`a in July.

“Sixty percent of our patients at Shriners Hospitals for Children are from Hawai’i. Most of the local patients are from Oahu and the Big Island of Hawai’i is next. Shriners Hospitals for Children is committed to improving access to medical care for neighbor island families,” hospital spokeswoman Mahealani Richardson said. “Shriners Hospitals’ outreach clinic in Hilo and in other neighbor island towns gives children access to world-class pediatric orthopaedic care in their own neighborhood. If a child needs a surgery, they can be seen at our Honolulu hospital.

In addition to the Big Island, Honolulu-based Shriners Hospitals for Children travels to Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and Kauai with its outreach programs, as well as rural Oahu and in the Pacific Islands of Fiji, Samoa, and Guam.

“Shriners Hospitals’ outreach clinics are an important part of serving children’s orthopaedic needs regardless of their family’s ability to pay,” Richardson added. “Our pediatric orthopaedic surgeons have treated children with scoliosis, club foot, walking difficulties, sports injuries and a range of bone, joint and muscle conditions.”

Appointments should be made by calling (808) 941-4466 or Shriners Hospitals for Children’s toll-free number at 1-888-888-6314. From there, the process just includes checking-in at the appointment time, just like any other doctor’s visit.

The next Hilo outreach clinics will be held from August 26 through August 28 and December 9 through December 11.