Celebrating the Class of 2025: More Than 6,500 Volunteer Hours Completed - Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children

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Congratulations to the LuskinOIC Class of 2025! More than 40 seniors from schools including Orthopaedic Medical Magnet High School, USC Hybrid, St. Mary’s Academy, Gala, Santee Education Complex, Palos Verdes High School, and more, graduated this June after completing more than 6,500 volunteer hours. They assisted in clinics, at our welcome desks, patient recreation programs, and at special events. This past month, LuskinOIC continued its mission to help train the next generation by providing more than $50,000 in scholarships through the Bonter Scholarship program, as well as $15,000 from Board Chair Craig Ehrlich. Since 2006, LuskinOIC has provided more than $1 million in college scholarships to its patients and Ortho High graduates. Expressing their enthusiastic support for the students, Claudia Prestine and Craig Ehrlich attended Ortho High’s Scholarship Night to present each student with their scholarship awards. Students have been accepted to universities such as UCLA, Stanford University, University of Notre Dame, USC, California Baptist University, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, and more.

To conclude the school year for Ortho High School, LuskinOIC’s Assistant Vice President Mary-Beth Perrine delivered an inspirational commencement speech to salute the Class of 2025, along with a speech from valedictorian Oliver Nunez, who has supported our volunteer program for the last few years and has been selected as Bonter Scholarship recipient.

LuskinOIC is so proud of the graduating class and all of their accomplishments!

Volunteer Class of 2025

Volunteer Class of 2025

[Top photo: AVP, Mary Beth Perrine gives commencement speech at Ortho High graduation ceremony]

Knowing When to Seek Care for Your Child: A Guide from LuskinOIC

As a parent, your top priority is keeping your child safe and healthy. But when your child is sick or injured, it can be hard to know what level of care they need. Should you call your pediatrician, visit urgent care, or head straight to the emergency department?

When to Call Your Pediatrician or Visit Urgent Care

For non-emergencies, your child’s pediatrician or a pediatric urgent care center is often the best place to start. If your child’s doctor isn’t available—such as during evenings or weekends—urgent care can provide fast, effective treatment. Contact your pediatrician or visit urgent care if your child has:

A fever lasting more than 3 days
A fever over 102°F for more than 2 days in an infant, without a clear cause
Symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, dry cough, runny nose)
Minor injuries like sprains, strains, or swelling
Cuts that may need stitches
Minor burns
Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
Bladder or urinary tract infections
Cold symptoms, coughs, or sore throats
Earaches or sinus pain
Skin concerns like rashes or irritation

You may also have access to virtual urgent care for non-emergency issues, allowing your child to be seen by a provider from home. Check if pediatric virtual urgent care services are available in your area.

When to Go to the Emergency Department

If your child is seriously injured or ill—especially if the condition may be life-threatening or needs immediate attention—take them to the emergency department (ED). Seek emergency care if your child:

Is extremely drowsy, hard to wake, or behaving unusually
Is experiencing severe or constant pain
Has trouble breathing, or is breathing rapidly or deeply
Has a suspected broken bone, a visibly deformed limb, or a lot of swelling and pain
Has a deep or large cut, a cut that won’t stop bleeding after 10 minutes of pressure, or a wound on the head, chest, or abdomen
Sustains a head injury that causes vomiting, confusion, a severe headache, or loss of consciousness
Falls from a significant height
Ingests a harmful substance or medication
- If your child is alert, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222
- If your child is unresponsive, having trouble breathing, or has collapsed, call 911
Is under 2 months old and has a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher (call your doctor first)
Has a high fever along with a stiff neck or headache
Has a fever along with a widespread purple or red rash
Shows signs of severe dehydration (no wet diapers, sunken eyes, dry mouth, weakness, or inability to drink or respond)

Your child’s health matters. When in doubt, trust your instincts—and don’t hesitate to seek care. LuskinOIC is here to support your family with trusted pediatric expertise every step of the way.