Month: March 2026

Through a collaborative partnership between Thrive Adaptive and LuskinOIC, a lived experience patient workshop was recently delivered at Western University of Health Sciences to advance disability-competent care among future clinicians. Led by Joe Holt, executive director of Thrive Adaptive and disability community engagement manager at LuskinOIC, the initiative reflects a shared commitment to integrating community-informed education into clinical training. The session brought together 10 individuals with cerebral palsy and neuromusculoskeletal conditions alongside nearly 30 medical students from Western University College of Osteopathic Medicine, as well as faculty and specialist facilitators. Through structured mock clinical encounters, students engaged in hands-on learning focused on communication drills, patient-centered interviewing, and osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) techniques delivered directly with and alongside patients.

On February 28, the X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program hosted an inspiring event at the UCLA Luskin Orthopaedic Hospital, bringing together students passionate about STEM and families of toddlers with mobility disabilities.

During the service-learning workshop, student volunteers designed and built custom mobility cars, applying their skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to create meaningful solutions. By the end of the event, seven toddlers received personalized cars, giving them greater independence and new ways to explore their world.

Supported by the PPG Foundation, the event highlighted how STEM education can be used to make a real impact, empowering both the students who built the cars and the children whose lives were changed by them.

LuskinOIC is thrilled to be honoring two incredible organizations at the 2026 Stand for Kids Gala. This year, the Everychild Foundation and the UCLA Health Sarcoma Team will be recognized for their contributions to the health and wellness of children in the greater Los Angeles area and beyond.

The Everychild Foundation will be receiving the Community Inspiration Award. The organization is a women’s collective that awards an annual $1 million grant to a project that serves as an innovative, replicable new approach to filling a critical unmet need of children. The Everychild Foundation also advocates for policies that ease the suffering of local children, specifically in areas of early childhood development, foster care, juvenile justice, and youth homelessness. The Everychild Foundation recently awarded LuskinOIC its annual grant to fund our Innovation Campaign, acting as the capstone to our $2.1 million MRI project. They also previously awarded funds to build the accessible playground at the LuskinOIC downtown campus. Previous Community Inspiration Awardees include the Los Angeles Chargers (2024).

The UCLA Health Sarcoma Team will be receiving the Power of Partnership Award. The UCLA Health Sarcoma Center is the third-largest sarcoma center in the country. Led by a team of expert physicians, the Sarcoma Team evaluates more than 100 patients and performs more than 500 surgeries annually. UCLA has pioneered techniques of limb-sparing surgery that allow patients to not only retain their limbs but also use affected joints almost immediately and return to active lifestyles quickly. One of the members of the team, Dr. Nicholas Bernthal, is one of LuskinOIC’s incredible doctors, as well as serving on the LuskinOIC Board of Directors. Previous Power of Partnership Awardees include the Perry Initiative (2023) and Students Run LA (2024).The LuskinOIC 2026 Innovation Gala will be held on Saturday, June 6, at Manhattan Beach Studios. The night will feature our wonderful awardees, as well as performances from DJ Shigeki Ito, students from the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, and The Voice finalist Marisa Corvo. Proceeds from the evening will benefit LuskinOIC’s Innovation Campaign, an $80 million, multi-phase project that will expand our facilities, advance research, and ensure every child has timely access to high-quality diagnosis and treatment.

An evening centered on community, compassion, and commitment, the Charitable Children’s Guild’s annual fundraiser on Saturday, March 14, was a meaningful celebration of a partnership that has helped change the lives of children for generations.

Held at the San Pedro Elks Lodge, this year’s event was themed “Growing Stronger Together”—a fitting tribute to the enduring bond between the Charitable Children’s Guild and LuskinOIC. The evening brought together supporters, friends, and champions of our mission to honor a shared legacy of service and raise critical funds to benefit LuskinOIC.

For more than a century, the Charitable Children’s Guild and its auxiliary groups have played an extraordinary role in advancing LuskinOIC’s mission. Since 1911, their dedication, volunteerism, and philanthropy have helped ensure that children receive exceptional orthopaedic care regardless of a family’s ability to pay. Their long-standing support has made a lasting difference in the lives of countless children and families.

During the program, Michael Sullivan shared remarks highlighting the strength and significance of this long-standing partnership and the profound impact the Charitable Children’s Guild continues to have on the patients and families we serve. His message reflected the spirit of the evening: gratitude for all that has been made possible through this enduring relationship and hope for all that is still to come.

Proceeds from the annual fundraiser benefit LuskinOIC and help continue a legacy of care, compassion, and opportunity for the children who rely on us. The Guild’s steadfast support remains an important part of the LuskinOIC story and a powerful example of what is possible when a community comes together with purpose.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to CCG President Nancy Rossi and Vice President Debbie Clark for their leadership and dedication, and to the entire Charitable Children’s Guild community for their continued generosity and belief in our mission. We are proud to celebrate this special partnership and grateful to continue growing stronger together.

LuskinOIC is honored to announce a transformative $100,000 donation from Abraham and Elizabeth Corlin to support the acquisition of an EOS scanner for LuskinOIC’s new Advanced Imaging Center. This generous gift represents more than four decades of unwavering commitment to children’s healthcare—the Corlins began supporting LuskinOIC in 1981—and their legacy of compassion continues with this latest contribution, which will directly impact the lives of thousands of children who rely on frequent imaging to monitor and treat musculoskeletal conditions.

The EOS scanner represents a significant advancement in pediatric imaging technology. Unlike traditional X-rays and CT scans, the EOS system produces high-quality 2D and 3D images with 50 to 85% less radiation than conventional X-rays and 95% less radiation than CT scans. For children with conditions like scoliosis, hip dysplasia, limb–length discrepancies, and other musculoskeletal disorders who require frequent imaging throughout their growth and treatment, this dramatic reduction in radiation exposure is transformative. Children with chronic orthopaedic conditions often need multiple imaging studies over months or years to monitor their progress, and the EOS scanner allows physicians to obtain the detailed images they need to make critical treatment decisions while significantly reducing young patients’ cumulative radiation exposure.

The Corlin family’s donation directly supports LuskinOIC’s fundamental mission: to ensure every child receives timely access to world-class orthopaedic care, regardless of their family’s ability to pay. By eliminating extended wait times for essential imaging—one of the most significant barriers families face—this gift helps LuskinOIC fulfill its promise that no child should be sidelined from childhood because of delays in diagnosis and treatment.

Every child deserves the chance to move freely, play without pain, and experience childhood on equal footing with their friends. When imaging delays are eliminated, children return to the playground faster, families regain peace of mind sooner, and the simple joy of play becomes accessible to all.

UCLA Center for Cerebral Palsy at LuskinOIC recently hosted the Margaret Jones Professional Conference and Family Forum, bringing together providers, researchers, families, and community partners for a dynamic day of learning, connection, and inclusion. 

The day’s event centered around the theme of growing up with cerebral palsy, the world’s most common lifelong disability. The event featured a professional conference for physical therapists and healthcare providers, a family forum designed to empower individuals with cerebral palsy and their caregivers, as well as a vibrant resource fair with more than a dozen high-impact community partners. Attendees engaged with leading experts, including keynote speaker Dr. Mark D. Peterson of the University of Michigan, whose insights highlighted the evolving landscape of care and long-term outcomes for individuals with cerebral palsy.

Throughout the day, participants explored interdisciplinary approaches to care, shared lived experiences, and connected with organizations dedicated to advancing resources and opportunities for the disability community. The event underscored LuskinOIC’s longstanding commitment to accessible, high-quality care and community engagement for families across Los Angeles. Special thanks were extended to all community partners, speakers, LuskinOIC staff, UCLA Center for Cerebral Palsy staff, and board members whose collaboration and dedication made this meaningful day of education, resources, and inclusion possible for all.

On Tuesday, March 10, LuskinOIC was named the recipient of the Everychild Foundation’s $1 million grant to support the design and implementation of the Everychild MRI Suite at the UCLA Luskin Orthopaedic Hospital.

LuskinOIC is profoundly honored to be the first organization to receive a second grant from the foundation. This funding will help transform patient care, reducing MRI wait times for children from approximately 2.5 months to just 2.5 days, providing faster access to life-saving diagnostic clarity.

The award was presented at the Skirball Cultural Center and accepted by the LuskinOIC team, led by Dr. Scaduto and Michael Sullivan, whose leadership continues to advance innovative care for children in need.

On March 14, Dr. Silva, chief medical officer of LuskinOIC, embarked on a cross-border mission that underscores the transformative power of medical expertise paired with education. Traveling from Calexico to Mexicali, Mexico, Dr. Silva spent the day providing specialized care to underserved families and equipping the next generation of orthopaedic surgeons with critical skills in clubfoot treatment.

Morning: Direct Patient Care

The day began with clinical consultations for 10 families who had secured appointments to see Dr. Silva. For many of these families, access to specialized pediatric orthopaedic care remains limited, making this clinic a rare opportunity to receive expert evaluation and treatment planning. Dr. Silva’s direct patient care provided immediate impact—offering families personalized recommendations and pathways to treatment that might otherwise be unavailable in their region.

Afternoon: Educational Lecture on the Ponseti Method

In the afternoon, Dr. Silva transitioned to education, delivering a comprehensive lecture to Mexicali orthopaedic residents on clubfoot and the Ponseti method. This evidence-based, nonsurgical treatment approach has transformed clubfoot care globally by using gentle manipulation and serial casting to correct foot deformities gradually. However, the method’s success depends entirely on proper technique and consistent application, making high-quality training essential for effective implementation.

Hands-On Workshop: Building Sustainable Expertise

Following the lecture, Dr. Silva conducted a hands-on workshop, during which he demonstrated precise casting techniques and provided individualized guidance as residents practiced their skills. This practical component ensures that theoretical knowledge translates into clinical competence, empowering these physicians to deliver high-quality clubfoot treatment within their own communities. By training local providers, Dr. Silva’s impact extends far beyond the families seen that morning—his education creates a sustainable model of care that will benefit countless children in the years ahead.

A Model of Sustainable Impact

Dr. Silva’s trip exemplifies a dual approach to expanding access: providing immediate care while simultaneously building local capacity through education. This strategy creates a multiplier effect—expertise shared with one generation of physicians cascades into improved outcomes for future generations of patients. It is a testament to LuskinOIC’s commitment to ensuring that world-class pediatric orthopaedic care reaches children regardless of geographic or economic barriers.

Through initiatives like this, LuskinOIC continues to advance its mission of delivering excellence in care, education, and advocacy—one patient, one provider, and one community at a time.

When Dr. Anthony Scaduto, president and CEO of the LuskinOIC, and Dr. Richard Bowen, director of the Center for Sports Medicine, traveled to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, they brought more than surgical expertise—they brought a vision for sustainable, locally led scoliosis care that will transform lives for generations to come.

The multi-day mission, organized in partnership with World Pediatric Project, assembled an international team of surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, surgical support staff, and a spinal cord monitoring electrophysiologist from Los Angeles, Boston, Buffalo, Vancouver, and Austin. Working at Ruth Paz Foundation Hospital alongside local spine surgeon Dr. Tomas Minuesa and his team of Honduran physicians and medical students, the group evaluated patients, identified 15 children for surgery, and executed a carefully planned five-day surgical schedule.

Education Drives Long-Term Impact

While the surgical interventions provided immediate, life-changing care for 15 children with scoliosis, the mission’s most transformative work occurred through operating room instruction and bedside teaching delivered to young Honduran surgeons. This educational component is not an add-on to the mission—it is the cornerstone of its long-term strategy.

“One of the most important parts of the mission trip is to make scoliosis surgery sustainable in Honduras by educating local surgeons,” the team emphasized. Rather than creating dependency on annual visiting teams, the mission prioritizes knowledge transfer and skill development, empowering Honduran physicians to provide advanced scoliosis care within their own communities year-round.

Dr. Scaduto shared clinical decision-making frameworks, surgical techniques, patient selection criteria, and postoperative management strategies—the full spectrum of expertise required to build a sustainable scoliosis program. By investing in the next generation of Honduran surgeons, the mission creates a multiplier effect: the 15 patients treated represent just the beginning of what these newly trained surgeons will accomplish in the months and years ahead.

A Collaborative Model for Global Health Equity

The mission drew significant attention from Honduras’ medical and governmental leadership, with the minister of health for all of Honduras visiting the clinic alongside board members and the president of World Pediatric Project. This high-level engagement reflects the mission’s strategic importance—not just as a charitable endeavor, but as a catalyst for strengthening Honduras’ pediatric orthopaedic infrastructure.

The collaboration between LuskinOIC, World Pediatric Project, Ruth Paz Foundation Hospital, and local Honduran providers demonstrates how international partnerships can create sustainable change. By combining immediate surgical care with rigorous physician education, the mission addresses both urgent patient needs and systemic healthcare gaps.

Building Futures, One Surgeon at a Time

For Dr. Scaduto and Dr. Bowen, the Honduras mission embodies LuskinOIC’s core values: delivering world-class care while building capacity that ensures every child has access to expert treatment, regardless of geography or economic circumstance. The 15 children who received surgery will live healthier, more active lives. But the young Honduran surgeons who trained alongside Dr. Scaduto will carry forward that expertise, treating hundreds or thousands more children in the years to come.

This is the true measure of the mission’s success—not just the lives changed this week, but the futures transformed by physicians empowered to lead scoliosis care in their own country.