Shriner

Charity

The Shrine's charitable arm is the Shriners Hospitals for Children , a network of twenty-two hospitals in the United States , Mexico and Canada . It was formed to treat young victims of polio , but as that disease was controlled, they broadened their scope. They now deal with all pediatric cases, most especially with orthopedic injuries and disease and burns . The Shrine has pioneered new treatments for these conditions.

There is never any charge for treatment at a Shriners Hospital. There is no requirement for religion , race , or relationship to a Freemason. Patients must be under the age of eighteen and treatable. Local Shrine temples most often provide free transportation to the nearest hospital. In 2002, a mascot named Fez Head Fred debuted, primarily to visit their children's hospitals. [1]

In 2005, Shriners Hospitals approved 37,755 new patient applications, attended to the needs of 123,385 patients and provided the following free of charge:

228,261 radiology procedures305,455 outpatient, outreach and telemedicine visits 67,735 orthotic and prosthetic devices applied 24,627 surgical procedures 227,857 occupational therapy treatments

Shriners Hospitals' total budget for 2006 is $649 million, of which $616 million is targeted for operating expenses (including $33 million for research) and $33 million for buildings and equipment expenditures. During the 84-year history of the Shriners Hospitals, approximately $7.6 billion has been spent to operate Shriners Hospitals, and over $1.73 billion has been spent on construction and renovation. [2]