Phil, who works in Shriners Hospitals for Children — Greenville’s Prosthetics and Orthotics department, got a big surprise when Jacob Barrett from Guntersville, Alabama, came for his recent clinic appointment.  Knowing that Phil is a big wrestling fan, fourteen year old Jacob came prepared for a wrestling match!

We would also like to congratulate Jacob on his recent First Place wins in the Special Olympics. He won First Place ribbons in the bike and walker races.

Watch the following video to see Haylee’s story.

The Hero of the Month award is sponsored by Kids Wish Network. Kids Wish Network provides each Hero with a $100 gift card from Wal-Mart, a medal, a Hero of the Month t-shirt, and a Hero of the Month certificate.

Shriners Hospitals for Children – Greenville is renovating our lobby! The fountain is staying, but everythng else is going! The new lobby is expected to be complete in June.

Shriners Hospitals for Children® — Greenville is celebrating National Hospital Week! All week long, patients, families, and staff will be celebrating the hospital’s mission.

Shriners Hospitals for Children has a mission to:

•Provide the highest quality care to children with neuromusculoskeletal conditions, burn injuries and other special healthcare needs within a compassionate, family-centered and collaborative care environment.

•Provide for the education of physicians and other healthcare professionals.

•Conduct research to discover new knowledge that improves the quality of care and quality of life of children and families.

This mission is carried out without regard to race, color, creed, sex or sect, disability, national origin or ability of a patient or family to pay.

Celebrate National Hospital Week with us by leaving a comment and sharing the story of your experience at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Greenville.

Shriners Hospitals for Children — Greenville is proud to announce surgical services nurse Steve Lorch, RN, BSN, has been named GSA Business’ Nurse Healthcare Hero 2012. GSA Business says the Healthcare Hero awards honor “the men and women who volunteer their time and go beyond the call of duty on a daily basis for the betterment of their communities.” Steve was nominated for the award by his coworkers.

Steve believes healthcare is not only about treating an illness; he believes it is often just as much about prevention. Serving as a triage nurse on a medical mission trip in 2003, Steve saw more than 800 patients in three days. He noticed nearly 85% of the people were suffering from medical problems related to poor water quality.

Upon returning home, Steve began taking classes on water drilling. After learning about low-tech water solutions, he began inventing a low-cost, non-electric, non-motorized water system to deliver clean water. Steve says, “I knew if these people had access to clean water, most of their illnesses could be prevented. I didn’t just want to develop a water system; I wanted to invent a water system that would be sustainable by the locals in the country.” With this in mind, Steve and his wife founded the company Hydromissions. Hydromissions is centered around the couple’s Christian faith. With Hydromissions, Steve has traveled to more than 30 countries in the last ten years bringing the ability to produce clean water to small villages. When Hydromissions comes to an area, the group educates the locals about all aspects of the water cycle, including water acquisition, drilling, filtration, treatment, irrigation, hygiene, and sanitation. Today, Steve’s sustainable water well drilling system is being used by mission groups and relief agencies all over the world.

The Hydromissions water well drilling system is not Steve’s only invention. He says, “Inventing is in my nature. When I see a problem, I want find a solution for it.” For more than 15 years, he has worked full-time caring for children in Shriners Hospitals for Children — Greenville’s operating rooms. During this time, he has developed several tools now used in orthopaedic surgery. His first orthopaedic invention, the “foot pusher,” helps with intraoperative loading films to simulate a patient standing or walking. Steve says, “With the foot pusher, orthopaedic surgeons can better evaluate if their correction is effective before the patient leaves the operating room.” He also invented a “pin spreader” for other corrective foot procedures. Steve’s most recent orthopaedic invention is the “rotractor.” Working alongside a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon, Steve developed the rotractor to be used when rotating the bones in children with cerebral palsy. Steve says, “Many children with cerebral palsy have thigh or lower leg bones that are misaligned. This can make walking difficult and sometimes painful. Realigning the bones can help.” Until the rotractor was invented, orthopaedic surgeons had to realign the bones by eye. There was no tool to determine how far the bones were being rotated. The rotractor validates the surgeon’s assessment and improves the accuracy and outcomes for patients.

Shriners Hospitals for Children — Greenville is proud Steve Lorch was named GSA Business’ Nurse Healthcare Hero because of his work as a nurse and inventor at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Greenville, and also his commitment to help bring clean water to villages around the world.

Watch Steve receive his award!

Many families will spend lots of time at the lake or beach this summer. But, if your water plans include using a personal watercraft (PWC), such as a jet ski, there are a few things you should know. While they can provide hours of thrilling fun, PWCs are definitely not toys. Each year, Shriners Hospitals for Children^® treats kids who were seriously injured in PWC accidents. Before a driver takes off at a high speed across the water, remember children can easily lose their grip and slip off the back of the watercraft. However, passengers should never ride in front of the PWC driver. Here are a few tips to make sure you are having safe fun in the sun:

• The operator and every passenger must wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket.
• Always attach the engine cutoff lanyard to your wrist to make sure your PWC stops if you fall off.
• Scan the waterway constantly for people, objects, and other watercrafts.
• Know the boating laws for your state, including speed limits.