Eligibility Information

Who is Eligible?

Children up to age 18 are eligible for care at Shriners Hospitals for Children if, in the opinion of our physicians, there is a reasonable possibility they can benefit from the specialized services available. Acceptance is based solely on a child’s medical needs. A family's income or insurance status is not criteria for acceptance as a patient.

The service area of Shriners Hospitals includes the United States, Canada and Mexico. Anyone interested in submitting an application from outside one of these countries should call (800) 237-5055 and request information for international patients.

Download an application for treatment in English or Spanish, obtain a patient application through local Shriners or Shrine Club; by writing to Shriners Hospitals for Children, P.O. Box 31356, Tampa, FL 33631; or by calling (800) 237-5055 in the U.S, or (800) 361-7256 in Canada. To contact the Philadelphia hospital directly, call (800) 281-4050.

Transportation to and from the hospital is the responsibility of the family. Often, local Shriners can help with transportation. The Shriners Hospital to which the child is being referred can assist with contacting local Shriners.

Physician Referral to Shriners—Philadelphia

Referring physicians may contact Chief of Staff Randal R. Betz, M.D., FACS, at (215) 430-4073 to refer patients to the Philadelphia Shriners Hospital.

Emergency Spinal Cord Injury Care

For emergency spinal cord injury care and immediate transfers, call (866) 4T3-TEAM (483-8326), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For information and consultations, call the program coordinator at (215) 430-4117, or e-mail scicenter@tuhs.temple.edu.  

Emergency Burn Care

For emergency burn admission to one of our four hospitals specializing in burn care, the referring physician should contact the hospital's chief of staff:

Boston
Ronald G. Tompkins, M.D., Sc.D
(800) 255-1916

Cincinnati
Richard J. Kagan, M.D.
(800) 875-8580

Galveston
David N. Herndon, M.D.
(409) 770-6773

Sacramento
David G. Greenhalgh, M.D.
(916) 453-2111

Non-Emergency Burn Care

Non-emergency admissions of burn patients for reconstructive or plastic surgery can be arranged in the same manner as orthopaedic admissions through the nearest Shriners Hospital for Children as described at the top of this page.