New Shriners Children’s Outreach Clinic expands access to patients

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - Shriners Children’s has opened a new pediatric orthopedic outreach clinic in Champaign.

Working with Carle Health, doctors from Shriners Children’s St. Louis and Chicago will provide orthopedic care to both new and returning patients.

Shriners Children’s is a nonprofit healthcare system that specializes in treating children with orthopedic issues, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate, as well as common injuries like broken bones and sports injuries.

Carle Health serves central Illinois by providing accessible, high-quality services to local communities. Their main goal is to deliver the best care possible for patients and to address important health issues in the region.

Together, Shriners Children’s and Carle Health want to bring specialized orthopedic care closer to families in East Central Illinois.

The clinic is located at the Carle Outpatient Services at The Fields, 3105 Fields South Drive in Champaign, IL. It started in March 2025 and can see 12 to 16 patients in a single day, totaling up to 64 patients each year.

Patients can receive services such as follow-up visits after surgery, routine check-ups, and consultations for those who need to see a specialist but lack access to a pediatric orthopedic surgeon nearby.

Mark Venable, the Hospital Administrator for Shriners Children’s St. Louis, highlights the importance of these clinics for patients who struggle to travel to hospitals.

“One of the top five social determinants of health is access to care,” said Venable. “If we can bring a practitioner to the community and help eliminate that barrier, then we’re providing accessible care that patients can really benefit from.”