20 Questions

The Mazol Shriners of Newfoundland provide all transportation costs and related expenses for burned or crippled Newfoundland children to travel to and from the Shrine Hospitals.

1. What is total Shrine membership in North America?
   Approximately 500,000

2. How many Shrine Centres are there?
   There are 191 Shrine Centres, or chapters, throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Republic of Panama.

3. What was the first Shrine Centre?
   Mecca Centre, which was organized in New York City in 1872

4. When did the first Shriners Hospital open, and where is it located?
   In 1922, in Shreveport, La.

5. Where are the burn Shriners Hospitals located, and when did they open?
   Galveston, Texas, in 1966; Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1968; Boston, Mass., in 1968; and Sacramento, Calif., in 1997.

6. What is the purpose of Shriners Hospitals for children?
   Shriners Hospitals have a three-fold purpose:
   1) TREATMENT: To save children's lives and restore their bodies to the highest level of usefulness; 
   2) RESEARCH: To conduct research into orthopaed'ic and burn care; and 
   3) EDUCATION: To train physicians and other medical professionals in the treatment of orthopaedic disabilities and burn injuries.

7. How much does it cost for a child to receive care at a Shriners Hospital?
   Nothing.  All care and services provided at Shriners Hospitals are totally without charge to the patient and family.

8. Where does the money come from to operate the 22 Shriners Hospitals?
   Gifts, bequests, income from the endowment fund, hospital fund-raising events, and the annual assessment paid by every Shriner.

9. Where are the Shrine's three Spinal Cord injury Centers?
   Philadelphia, Pa. (opened in 1980); Chicago, Ill. (opened in 1983); and Sacramento, Calif. (originally opened in San Francisco in 1984).

10. What is the total 2002 budget for Shriners Hospitals for Children?
    $597 million.  The 2002 operating budget is $526 million, including $24 million allocated for research.  The capital expenditures budget is $71 million.

11. How much of the 2002 Shriners Hospitals operating budget is used directly for patient care and research at the hospitals?
    95 percent

12. To date, how much money has been spent operating the 22 Shriners Hospitals?  
    Approximately $5.5 billion

13. To date, how much has been spent on construction costs for the 22 Shriners Hospitals?  
    Approximately $1.8 billion

14. To date, how many children have been helped at tile 22 Shriners Hospitals?
    More than 675,000

15. In 2001, how many admissions were made to the orthopaedic hospitals?
    22,774

16. In 2001, how many admissions were made to the burn hospitals?
    4,178

17. In 2001, how many outpatient and outreach clinic visits were recorded at the 22 hospitals?
    268,957

18. Up to what age are children admitted to Shriners Hospitals for Children?
    Up to their 18th birthday

19. What is the average length of stay at the orthopaedic hospitals?
    5.7 days

20. What is the average length of stay at the burn hospitals?
    6.3 days

 All figures, unless otherwise noted, are through Dec. 31, 2001.

Updated: March 19, 2003