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History of Shriners Children's Portland

Established: January 15, 1924

Shriners Children's Portland opened its doors in January of 1924 at 8200 NE Sandy Boulevard in Portland. Care was provided at that location until 1983, when the facility moved across the Willamette River to Marquam Hill, where Shriners Children's Portland is located today. Since then the hospital has been remodeled and expanded to include three operating rooms, and outpatient and inpatient units, the staff provides a full spectrum of pediatric orthopedic care to children up to age 18.

Since opening in 1924, care has been provided to service areas outside of Oregon, including Washington, Alaska, Idaho, British Colombia and Alberta. The Shriners Children’s Medford Clinic in Medford, Oregon, opened with the mission of caring for more kids in more places. Outreach clinics in Anchorage, Alaska; Pendleton, Oregon; and Bellingham, Washington, also contribute to this mission. Shriners Children's Portland is the largest pediatric orthopedic group in the Pacific Northwest, with nine orthopedic surgeons, six pediatric anesthesiologists and many advanced practice providers.

Location Highlights

  • March 12, 1923: Opened at original Sandy Boulevard location.
  • 1983: Moved to current location on Marquam Hill.
  • 1983: Shriners Children's research department is founded.
  • 1996: Research department study finds a mutation in a small cartilage protein in the dwarfing disorder, pseudoachondroplasia.
  • 1996-2017: Research discovers a role of collagen x in the growth plate of cartilage which acts as a real-time indicator for bone growth. A patent for this blood test was issued in 2018.
  • 2011: An expansion and remodeling is completed.
  • 2021: Shriners Children's Medford Clinic opens.

specialty pediatric care at shriners children's portland

View More Portland Care Options

Orthopedics

Shriners Children’s provides the full spectrum of pediatric orthopedic care. It's everything from fracture care and casting for broken bones, to surgery and rehabilitation.

Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a condition where the spine is curved sideways. With advanced treatments and world-class expertise, Shriners Children's cares for more than 10,000 children with scoliosis each year

Spine & Spinal Cord

At Shriners Children's, every family can expect our pediatric spine and spinal cord surgeons to provide compassion, respect and a treatment plan that utilizes the most current clinical and scientific research.

Chest Wall Deformity

The team of specialists at Shriners Children’s treats chest wall deformities of all degrees. All treatment decisions are guided by internationally recognized pediatric surgeons who consider minimally invasive options for each patient.

Cleft Lip

When a baby is born with a cleft lip, Shriners Children's team approach provides leading cleft lip surgery and addresses the entire range of concerns for parents related to cleft lip and alveolar cleft.

Cleft Palate

A cleft palate occurs when tissues that form the roof of the mouth don’t join together before birth. Shriners Children’s team care repairs and restores each child physically and psychologically.

Skeletal Dysplasia

Skeletal dysplasia includes many rare conditions where bones and cartilage develop differently. Also called dwarfism. Shriners Children's offers orthopedics, neurology, otolaryngology, physical and occupational therapy, and genetic testing.

Hip Dysplasia

Our award-winning, internationally recognized physicians will properly diagnose, treat and monitor your child’s hip condition to help prevent early arthritis pain and loss of function.

We Understand the Unique Medical Needs of Children

We provide vital, pioneering treatment from birth to age 18. Here, children have the opportunity to be evaluated and treated by doctors recognized as the best by their peers.