UCLA/Orthopaedic Institute for Children’s Center for Cerebral Palsy Supports “Community Forum” for Patients and Their Families

Unique Gathering Held in Conjunction With National Professional Conference;
Drs. Eileen Fowler and Rachel Thompson From UCLA/OIC Part of Faculty

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cerebral palsy is the most common childhood physical disability in the United States, affecting more than 760,000 children and adults nationally. The UCLA/Orthopaedic Institute for Children’s Center for Cerebral Palsy recently supported a unique one-day educational event for patients with cerebral palsy and their families and caregivers.

In keeping with the center’s mission, the Community Forum was designed to encourage an exchange of ideas and develop relationships between professionals, patients and families. At the event, attendees heard about recent advances in cerebral palsy research as well as treatment options available. The center’s Director of Research and Education Eileen Fowler, Ph.D., PT, and Associate Director Rachel Thompson, M.D., served as the local hosts and served on the organizing committee. Activities at the Community Forum were supported by six volunteers with all attendees receiving giveaways, including balls and plush versions of Ozzie, the popular mascot of OIC.

The Community Forum was held in conjunction with the first-ever combined meeting of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine and the International Alliance of Academies of Childhood Disability and was attended by international healthcare professionals and scientists. The focus of this conference was to incorporate a functional-based perspective and acknowledge the essential role of environmental factors in facilitating functioning in childhood-onset disabilities globally.

Dr. Fowler and Dr. Thompson participated in the professional conference, with Dr. Fowler presenting on “clinical correlates of impaired white matter tracts in children with spastic bilateral cerebral palsy” and Dr. Thompson presenting on “lower extremity osteotomies in pediatric orthopaedics.”

The UCLA/OIC Center for Cerebral Palsy is the only interdisciplinary clinic in the Los Angeles area that evaluates and treats people with cerebral palsy throughout their lifespan. The center includes a comprehensive outpatient clinic, the Kameron Gait and Motion Analysis Laboratory (providing an in-depth understanding of a patient’s movement patterns) and a basic science laboratory. The center is committed to research and education of both consumers and professionals.

About Orthopaedic Institute for Children

Orthopaedic Institute for Children was founded in 1911 as Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital and today is the largest pediatric orthopaedic facility on the west coast focused solely on musculoskeletal conditions in children. In alliance with UCLA Health and with the support of the OIC Foundation, we advance pediatric orthopaedics worldwide through outstanding patient care, medical education and research. Our locations in downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Westwood and Calexico treat the full spectrum of pediatric orthopaedic disorders and injuries. For more information, visit us at ortho-institute.org.

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