Niswonger Children’s Hospital in Johnson City was the home of a joyous announcement Thursday morning that’ll better serve the children of the region.
Mountain States Health Alliance held a press conference to announce the inclusion of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Orthopaedics Clinic at the Niswonger Children’s Hospital, located adjacent to the Johnson City Medical Center.
“These ideas happen because of conversations,” Alan Levine, CEO of Mountain States Health Alliance, said during the press conference. “We hope this proves to be an effective model moving forward because we care so deeply for our children of the region. We are so glad to have this partnership in place with Shriners Hospitals.”
The partnership with Shriners Hospital for Children – Greenville, South Carolina, allows Niswonger Children’s Hospital to utilize the expertise of the Shriners locally to help provide services to children in the Tri-Cities.
“It’s great to work with such a wonderful organization. My thanks goes out to each and every one of you,” Scott Niswonger, Chairman and Founder of the Niswonger Foundation, said while motioning to the droves of Shriners in attendance.
It was during the press conference that Randy Risser, Director of Business Development for Greenville Shriners Hospital, announced that Dr. Brandon Green, who served in the Greenville hospital, will spearhead the charge at the clinic inside Niswonger Children’s Hospital.
“I think today is very important,” Dr. Green said. “This provides a need to the community that it’s been lacking for awhile. Actually being able to come home is great, too. I’m from Virginia, went to college at UVa-Wise, went to medical school at Virginia Tech and I actually did my residential training in Kingsport then went on to Emory & Henry for my fellowship. So it’s a great day.”
Thursday marked the official grand opening for the Shriners Hospitals for Children Orthopaedics Clinic but the clinic got through the testing phases on Monday.
“It was very successful,” Dr. Green said about Monday. “We saw about 15 patients. It was a test run of sorts to see if everything went well, if the families were happy and to make sure we were accommodating everyone. It went very well. We have a full staff. We have two nurses and a full complement of front off staff. We are equipped to handle any and all comers.”
Dr. Green has found the perfect profession and working in pediatric orthopedic care hits close to home, according to the physician.
“It hits close to me because my daughter actually had hip dysplasia and required a surgery this past year while I was in a fellowship in Atlanta,” he explained. “I got to see the doctor aspect and the dad aspect of it all. To know that I can actually bring that kind of care back here and not having to require any families to travel to get that care is extremely important to me.”
The new addition of the clinic will benefit families like those of Trae Wampler. The youngster was all smiles Thursday enjoying the time with Scrubs the Bear and Fuzzy, with Niswonger and the Shriners, while his mother, Courtney Wampler, explained the importance of having a clinic like this available locally.
“Niswonger has been like family to us,” Wampler said after talking about her son’s diagnosis of Thrombocytopenia Absent Radius Syndrome (TARS), a rare condition that reportedly affects one in 100,000 babies each year.
The travels have been rough, Courtney added, with the family having to travel over six hours to Ohio but with the new addition of the clinic, it will “lighten our load,” according to Courtney.
The newest partnership is one of many that Niswonger has been able to acquire other the years, much like with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
And Thursday’s announcement only solidifies the mission of the facility to strive to service the region, according to Niswonger Children’s Hospital CEO Lisa Carter.
“Like Shriners, Niswonger Children’s Hospital strives to provide the highest level of care to patients at a location that is convenient and close to home,” she said. “We are excited about this partnership, which brings the first pediatric orthopaedist to our region and will help us better serve our current patients and those who might need these types of services in the future. We are fortunate to be able to fill this gap in care for our young patients.”
The Shriners Hospitals for Children Orthopaedics Clinic at Niswonger Children’s Hospital will see patients for standard office visits while Dr. Green will also perform surgeries and treat conditions ranging from scoliosis and cerebral palsy to sports injuries and broken bones.
The clinic is also accepting new patients. For more information, visit www. GreenvilleShrinersHospitals.org or call 866-459-0013.