Cerebral palsy (CP) is an intricate brain condition that affects movement and muscle control. More than standard medical care, children with CP need a supportive, creative type of care that transcends a body-focused model, and integrates the emotional and developmental complexities of the child and family. Shriners Children's is among the top of its field, and its emphasis on teamwork is highly regarded for making certain that all of its patients are assured the best possible care regardless of their family's economic condition.
Shriners Children's is more than a pediatric treatment center, but the hope and light to afflicted families with respect to CP. They meld current medicine with therapy, research, and follow-up treatment to create customized care plans to enable each child to be more independent and mobile. Behind their efforts is genuine concern about children and their families.
As President of Shriners Children's, Dr. Leslie D. Stewart presides over the health care system that ventures into this precious work with fire in belly and vision infused by fairness and innovation. Dr. Gaby Martinez, MD, a top pediatric specialist at Shriners Children's Chicago, one of over 30 in the global health care network, illustrates the cooperation and expertise that makes the CP program at the organization one of the most successful in the country. Their efforts highlight the difference that Shriners Children's makes in and what the future for treating children with neurological problems holds.
Let's take a look at Shriners Children's innovative, family-centered strategy to enhance the outcomes of children with cerebral palsy!
A Mission-Driven Leadership With Heart
Dr. Leslie Stewart's leadership at Shriners Children's is deeply connected to the company's fundamental mission: providing life-changing care to each child, regardless of the family's income. Dr. Stewart speaks to this calling with heartfelt sincerity, observing, "My passion for leading Shriners Children's is deeply rooted in our mission—providing life-changing care regardless of a family's ability to pay." This central value goes beyond normal healthcare provision and infuses every facet of the organization's operations.
What inspires Dr. Leslie Stewart every day is the extraordinary commitment of the multidisciplinary teams—doctors, clinicians, researchers, and support staff—uniting behind a single-minded commitment to enabling children with cerebral palsy to reach their highest potential. He stresses, "The complexity of care they need commands not just medical excellence, but compassion, innovation, and long-term partnership with families." This holistic, patient-focused ideology distinguishes the organization in a profession frequently hemmed in by disintegrated models of care.
For Dr. Leslie Stewart, being the leader of Shriners Children's is not simply an executive position; it is a deep commitment and a personal vocation. "To be charged with guiding this organization is not simply a job—it's a calling," he describes. It reflects the intensity of dedication that impels Shriners Children's mission and its extraordinary results in cerebral palsy treatment.
The Mission That Drives Innovation and Compassion
Shriners Children’s reputation for excellence in cerebral palsy care stems from a steadfast commitment to combining compassion with cutting-edge innovation. Dr. Leslie Stewart highlights how the organization’s integrated model harnesses diverse medical expertise alongside rehabilitative therapy and rigorous research to offer life-changing treatments. “Our commitment to excellence in cerebral palsy care stems from the life-changing impact we’ve seen through our interdisciplinary approach, combining advanced medical treatment with rehabilitative therapy, research, and long-term support,” he explains.
For Dr. Stewart, the real reward comes in seeing the resilience and milestones of young patients, each step a testament to the organization's difference. He shares the powerful moments: "Every milestone—no matter how small—is a powerful reminder of why we do what we do.". It could be taking a baseball off the tee for the first time, walking unaided with a bipedal gait, holding and using a cell phone, and other simple accomplishments we just take for granted." These daily accomplishments are characteristic of hope, mobility, and independence that the care at Shriners Children's works to bring about.
This sense of purpose continuously fuels the organization’s efforts to innovate, collaborate with leading experts, and maintain its role as a trailblazer in pediatric neurological care. “We’re not just treating a condition; we’re empowering children and families with hope, mobility, and independence,” Dr. Leslie Stewart affirms. Such a holistic approach exemplifies the organization’s ethos: to treat children as whole individuals, not just their diagnoses.
A Truly Integrated and Patient-Centered Model
What sets the model of cerebral palsy treatment at Shriners Children's apart and makes it successful is its intensely integrated, patient-centered model. Dr. Leslie Stewart explains how the organization assembles a multidisciplinary team of pediatric experts—orthopedic surgeons, neurologists, physical and occupational therapists, motion analysis specialists, and prosthetists—who work in close coordination to create customized care plans. "We assemble a multidisciplinary group of pediatric professionals, all working under one roof to create customized care plans that change as the child grows," he adds.
The collaborative model guarantees that all aspects of a child's life—physical, emotional, and functional—are carefully considered and addressed. Among the organization's technological pillars is its Motion Analysis Centers, where data-driven information permits clinicians to personalize surgical and therapeutic treatments with unprecedented specificity. "We also use top-of-the-line tools such as our motion analysis centers that give us data-driven information that allows us to customize surgical and therapy interventions for optimal results," says Dr. Leslie Stewart. Furthermore, the experience with Shriners Children's goes far beyond standalone procedures or sessions of therapy. The organization's dedication to continuity of care and empathetic involvement fosters a nurturing situation for families during their extended course of treatment. "We don't stop caring with a procedure or therapy visit—it's an ongoing journey we share with our patients and families for years to come," says Dr. Stewart. This long-term continuity, paired with an environment of research and innovation, solidifies the institution as a pediatric cerebral palsy leader in care.
Breakthroughs with Substance Through Patient-Centered Relationships
To Dr. Martinez, the greatest rewards are achieved by establishing strong, trusting relationships with patients and their families. Looking back, she recalls a particular experience that emphasizes the value of trust and patient participation in successful cerebral palsy treatment.
Dr. Martinez relates an early experience with a patient who was referred solely for Botox injections with general anesthesia. But she prefers to do these procedures under just local numbing cream and cold spray in a clinic environment, which was a source of tension with the family initially. To compromise with the family, she organized light sedation by an intensivist, although the experience was traumatic for the child. During follow-up visits, as rapport had been built, the family permitted Dr. Martinez to administer the injections in the office, accompanied by nursing and child life staff offering distraction. "Fast forward to today and this family invites me to his sled hockey games on the weekend and trusts me 100% with his care," she remembers.
This case demonstrates how communication, empathy, and perseverance are as important as medical treatments in the management of cerebral palsy. This patient-centered relationship is central to long-term treatment success and family empowerment.
Overcoming Challenges with Compassion and Creativity
Managing cerebral palsy is very challenging, especially when explaining realistic expectations to families. Dr. Martinez mentions one of the most challenging parts: how to explain that a child's prognosis for walking independently is diminished. "Lots of times children are referred to Shriners first to be seen by one of the orthopedic surgeons because they might have surgery on their hips or spine and sometimes families believe that after surgery their child will walk," she says.
Although surgery may enhance mobility for a few, independent walking is not assured, particularly when weakness in the core muscles is an obstruction. Handling this sensitively and keeping expectations in check demands patience and empathy. When families become aware of the realities, they usually welcome collaborative therapy work and assistive devices promoting their child's mobility. "One large barrier to walking is weakness in the core/trunk muscles.". Families recognize that their child can accomplish standing and walking on their own terms with a support device or braces," Martinez explains.
By shifting the focus on these obstacles to one of improving quality of life through tailored supports, the team creates a healthy optimism and enables families to become active participants in their child's development.
Staying Ahead Through Research and Technology
Innovation continues to be at the center of the organization's strategy for improving cerebral palsy treatment. Dr. Martinez outlines how research throughout the healthcare system uses the depth and scope of the patient database to follow outcomes throughout a lifetime, allowing evidence-based modification of treatment protocols. This longitudinal data of extensive breadth is a rare resource that allows for continuous optimization of care.
One of the most promising frontiers is the use of spinal stimulation to enhance lower limb function and, as a potential result, walking. "Our therapists are learning about the use of, and starting to apply spinal stimulation to attempt to strengthen lower extremity function and thereby potentially enhance walking ability," says Martinez. This is one example of how the institution is pushing the boundaries of care by combining new technologies with old.
In addition, close coordination between the rehabilitation team and orthopedic surgeons makes certain that extensive care is offered prior to, during, and after operations. Anticipatory management optimizes mobility and functional status as children move through stages of treatment. "When a child with CP needs Orthopedic surgery we project their rehabilitation needs ahead of time even before they have a surgery date so that we can enhance their mobility and function as early as possible when they can begin to bear weight on their legs," Martinez states.
A World-Leading Motion Analysis Network
A revolutionary achievement in the health system is the consolidation of 14 Motion Analysis Centers (MACs) in the network, forming the world's largest pediatric motion analysis partnership. This connectivity creates seamless sharing of data among clinicians, coordinating care and speeding research.
"Our Motion Analysis Center is networked with all 14 MACs throughout the Shriners Children's system, making it the world's largest comprehensive pediatric motion analysis center in the world," Martinez points out. Such unprecedented collaboration allows physicians throughout the system to learn from shared experiences, guide future care, and advance research boundaries.
The MACs are essential to the objective evaluation of walking capabilities and the direction of individualized interventions of bracing, therapy, and surgery. This combination of objective information with clinical wisdom is reflective of the organization's dedication to precision medicine and outcomes-based care.
Individualizing Treatment for Each Individual Child
Knowing that every child with cerebral palsy has the same exact needs, Shriners Children's places a strong focus on individualized treatment plans built from extensive assessments. Dr. Martinez is adamant that having sufficient time with patients helps her thoroughly consider their particular situations. "Because the Shriners system focuses on the patient first and foremost, we can spend whatever time is required to evaluate and treat each child's needs fully," she says.
This patient-centered philosophy provides for careful, interdisciplinary care plans that are uniform across the staff but individually tailored to each child. Having the ability to commit this level of care sets the organization apart from those with time pressures and the need for standardization. It demonstrates an immense respect for the uniqueness and multifaceted nature of each child's process.
Exciting Horizons
Looking ahead, Shriners Children's is poised to offer more with promising initiatives like a spinal stimulation program intended to enhance lower extremity motor function. Dr. Martinez points out that a number of therapists have recently undergone training to administer this advanced treatment within the physical therapy department. This development has the potential to greatly maximize standing and walking abilities for children with cerebral palsy.
In addition to this, the incorporation of the digital motion analysis network is a revolutionary step in the right direction. "This revolutionary new innovation at Shriners will allow physicians throughout our entire healthcare system to more easily share information, learn from previous patient outcomes, inform future treatment decisions, and conduct state-of-the-art research," Martinez states. Not only do these innovations improve clinical care, but they raise the bar for pediatric neurological research as well.
Wisdom from Leaders Dedicated to Making a Difference
Dr. Stewart provides genuine advice to healthcare providers who want to make a significant difference in the lives of children. His counsel revolves around not losing empathy and remembering the human being behind every medical chart. "My number one piece of advice for healthcare providers wanting to make a real impact on children's lives is straightforward: never forget the child behind the chart," he states. He emphasizes the importance of teamwork, empathy, and continuous dedication to fairness. "When care is rooted in purpose and given from the heart, the effect can endure for a lifetime—not only for the child, but for their whole family."
Dr. Martinez reaffirms the significance of connection, especially with the child themselves. She invites providers to recognize the child as the focus of every interaction, irrespective of physical or verbal abilities. "Always ask them what their preferred name is and use their name. It matters because you make them feel that they are important to you and you are there to assist them in becoming as independent as possible and enable them to have the best quality of life," she says. This direct interaction promotes trust and dignity, essential elements of effective pediatric care.
A Model of Compassionate Innovation
Shriners Children's is at the forefront of cerebral palsy care by uniting empathetic treatment, collaboration, and innovation. Under the guidance of Dr. Stewart and Dr. Martinez, they deliver customized, evidence-based care putting children and families above all else.
Their cutting-edge programs, such as motion analysis and spinal stimulation, are centered on every child's individual needs and possibilities. The trust and resilience generated here demonstrate a healthcare system genuinely family-centered.
As they develop and thrive, Shriners Children's continues to provide specialized care, hope, and the opportunity for more independence for children with cerebral palsy.
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