Get to Know our Staff: Kyle Cavin

Get to Know our Staff: Kyle Cavin

by | Aug 10, 2020 | Spotlight

What is your role at Scottish Rite for Children? 
I am an assistant administrator and currently support our Clinical Laboratory, Dietary, Neurology, Neurophysiology, PDD, Radiology, Referrals, Therapeutic Recreation and Therapy Services teams. I also serve as the safety officer.
 
Each day brings its own unique challenges and I love the teams that I get to work with!

What do you enjoy most about Scottish Rite?
Definitely the people – Scottish Rite has the most talented, innovative and caring staff. I am honored to serve alongside each of you!

What was your first job? How long have you worked here? 
My first job in high school was delivering furniture for a local furniture store and I definitely learned the value of hard work! After I completed my undergraduate degree, I actually worked two jobs simultaneously – I was on the administrative team for the Adult Education Department at Dallas Baptist University while also serving as a children’s pastor at a local church. I have been at Scottish Rite for almost 15 years.
 
What’s the coolest or most interesting thing you’re working on right now?
I have been in awe over the past few months as I have seen our teams evolve and change in order to meet the needs of our patients and families. I am so proud of the way that everyone has come together and communicated while continuing to keep our patients and their families as our primary focus. 
 
What are you currently watching on Netflix/Hulu/TV/etc.?
Honestly, my family watches very little TV, but when we do, we watch live sports. 
 
What would be the most amazing adventure to go on?
Everyone in my family is very active and we love any beach or ski resort. However, I believe what makes an amazing vacation is who I am with, not where I am.  
 
What are some small things that make your day better?
It’s amazing what can happen when I stop thinking about what I need to do next and just stop to have a conversation with one of my team members. Whether we are discussing a work issue, lunch in the cafeteria or simply catching up on each other’s family, I always leave the conversation refreshed and affirmed of my calling to help our patients by serving our staff!
 
What is your favorite thing to do when you’re not working? 
I have two boys who are very active in sports. Kye will be a sophomore at Rockwall High School and plays football and basketball. Kace will be in seventh grade and plays football, basketball and baseball. My wife and I love to watch them compete. Just knowing that through these activities, they are learning so much more than simply how to throw, catch or run. The lessons of accountability, respect and excellence will serve them for MANY years to come!
Get to Know our Staff: Brittney Iagulli

Get to Know our Staff: Brittney Iagulli

by | Aug 4, 2020 | Hand Conditions

What is your role at Scottish Rite for Children? 
I am a nurse and work with the hand surgeons, both in Dallas and Frisco. My days are spent organizing and preparing their clinics, seeing patients with them and helping to provide an overall smooth patient experience. I work with patients on their post-operative routine and help educate them on how to care for their casts and wounds. I also coordinate referrals, make appointments, schedule surgeries and provide patient education prior to surgery. 
 
What do you enjoy most about Scottish Rite?
The sweet patients and all of my co-workers! Working here allows me to be both a mom and still feel like I am making a difference in this world by helping these kiddos.
 
What was your first job? Why did you decide to do the work you are doing now?
My first job was a cast/brace tech for an orthopedic practice in Ohio. That is where I met my husband and we moved to Dallas. I’ve always been an athlete and had interests in sports and orthopedics. My job as a cast tech gave me the experience to then become an orthopedic nurse. Plus, I just love kids! 
What’s the coolest or most interesting thing you’re working on right now?
I really like working with patients who have brachial plexus injuries or kids that have had to receive nerve grafts. I have seen Dr. Stutz do some amazing things and it is really cool to see nerve function return. 

What are you currently watching on Netflix/Hulu/TV/etc.? 
Ugly Delicious, Master of None, Outerbanks and The Dawn Wall. 

What would be the most amazing adventure to go on?
Right before COVID really hit, my husband and I went to Rwanda on a gorilla trekking trip. Hands down, it was the coolest thing I have ever done. I don’t think that my bucket list will ever end!

What are some small things that make your day better?
Hugs, kisses and giggles from my two babies.

What is special about the place you grew up?
GO BUCKEYES! OH-IO

What is your favorite thing to do when you’re not working? 
Travel the world or spend time at a lake or beach. We like anything with adventure or a body of water!

Emergency Action Plan: Why It Is Important For Your Child’s Sports Organization To Have One

Emergency Action Plan: Why It Is Important For Your Child’s Sports Organization To Have One

by | Aug 3, 2020 | Sports Medicine

Shane M. Miller, M.D., thinks that every organization that values the health and safety of its athletes should have an emergency action plan. Miller, a pediatric sports medicine physician at Scottish Rite for Children, was invited as a guest expert in a conversation about emergency action plans (EAP) on a recent Healthy Young Athlete Podcast.

Miller’s expertise and experience as a sports medicine physician, team doctor, former firefighter and emergency medical technician and, as a parent and coach of his kids’ teams, together give him perspective in this conversation. He says, “Responding to emergency calls is very different at a school or venue that has an EAP in place vs. others where chaos can cause delays in accessing emergency medical care.”

What is an EAP?
It is a comprehensive detailed written plan that prepares for medical, environmental and security emergencies. It is developed and coordinated with local EMS, venue officials, medical personnel and organization administrators.

Why do you need one?
Fortunately, the majority of injuries we see in our sports medicine practices are relatively minor. Musculoskeletal injuries like ankle sprains and fractures or overuse injuries such as knee pain or stress fracture are more common, but catastrophic injuries and emergencies do occur. These may include cardiac events, severe neck or spinal cord injuries and exertional heat stroke.

What is covered in an EAP? 

EMERGENCY TEAM Who is involved when the plan is activated and what role each plays. This may include leaders in the organization (director/administrator), athletic trainer, team physician, etc. IT also addresses the training requirements for those roles – CPR, AED, first aid, concussion recognition or management. If no medical personnel present, who takes charge?

EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT, STATUS AND LOCATION 
For example, an automatic external defibrillator is only helpful if it is easy to find, charged, stocked with appropriate pads and readily accessible. Make sure personnel or attendees know where to find first aid supplies or a STOP THE BLEED® kit. 

COMMUNICATION Organized contact information for local emergency response systems including “9-1-1” and the address of the facility improves response time for calls. Additionally, a plan should include important people to contact in case of an emergency (athletes’ emergency contacts (parents), leaders of organization, medical team, etc..

MAPS Finding an injured athlete quickly requires access to venue-specific information including address, directions, maps, field numbers, location of gates and locks/keys, access points for emergency responders.

ROLES OF FIRST RESPONDERS Clearly defined personnel roles who provide first aid, equipment access and retrieval, calling EMS, directing EMS to the scene, removing equipment etc. 

TRANSPORT PLAN Local emergency facilities may or may not accept traumatic injuries. Collaborate with local EMS to decide and communicate where an injured athlete will be taken and how. 

DOCUMENTATION Record-keeping plans for all emergencies and near-emergencies and debrief discussions and findings. This helps with clearly documenting what occurred and provides information to help improve for the future. 

Making youth sports a safe experience is on the minds of many health care professionals, parents and coaches. An EAP is not a new idea, but unfortunately, may be new to some organizations. Don’t hesitate to speak up for safety and share these ideas with your children’s sports organizations.
Listen to a recording of the podcast hosted by Miller’s peer, Mark Halstead, M.D.

Need some more information? Check out these resources:

  • The Inter-Association Task Force Document on Emergency Health and Safety: Best-Practice Recommendations for Youth Sports Leagues I Learn more
  • National Athletic Trainers’ Association Position Statement: Emergency Planning in Athletics I Learn more
  • USA Recognize to Recover I Learn more
Ellen’s Healing Process is Going Swimmingly

Ellen’s Healing Process is Going Swimmingly

by | Jul 30, 2020 | Sports Medicine

Ellen has always been a competitive person, especially in the pool. “Even when I first started swimming competitively in sixth grade, I would tell myself that no matter who was in the lane next to me, I was racing against them,” says Ellen. That fierce competitive spirit has always pushed her to be the best she can be in all that she does. When an injury forced her out of the pool and into surgery, Ellen competed with herself to be her best at physical therapy to get back to doing what she loves.

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When Ellen was 9, her favorite sport was soccer. After an injury on the field, she began swimming for physical therapy. She returned to soccer once she had recovered, but Ellen quickly went back to the pool because she realized how much she loved swimming. “I could tell Ellen was a natural swimmer from the second she hopped into the pool,” says Ellen’s mother, Bonnie. Ellen swam with a local club team in Southlake, the North Texas Nadadores, for a couple of years until pain began to slow her down. She spent about a year in and out of the pool, visiting different doctors, but there wasn’t a definite diagnosis until they visited Scottish Rite for Children.
Pediatric orthopedic surgeon Henry B. Ellis, M.D., diagnosed Ellen with labral tears in her hips. “Labral tears are not commonly associated with swimmers, but we are seeing more and more of this, and they may be underreported,” says Ellis. In addition, Ellis explains that hip impingement and labral tears like Ellen’s primarily occur in adults, but our team is seeing it more in young athletes. “We initially treated Ellen’s injury with physical therapy while trying to balance in-water training with cross-training and dryland exercises. Eventually, she took a break from swimming for a short time to help with the pain.” 

In some kids, like Ellen, non-operative treatment doesn’t allow the labral tears to heal. Because of this, Ellis and his team proceeded with surgery to fix the labrum and address the bone around the hip to prevent it from happening again. 

Ellen returned to physical therapy the day after her surgery. It was tough at first, but her competitiveness kept her motivated. “There was another kid about her age that was doing physical therapy at the same time, and Ellen was quietly competing with her in her head,” says Bonnie. “We worked with several physical therapists. We found that God provides what you need at the right time. We had perfect people for the different stages of healing that she was going through.” As physical therapy continued, Ellen joined the Grapevine Faith Christian School swim team. Just 13 months after her second surgery, she qualified for the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) State Swim meet. She swam in the medley relay and individually in the 200 breaststroke.

Ellen says that she has learned a lot from her experiences. “I think, most of all, I learned that God has a plan for my life. Even when I didn’t understand why I was in so much pain, I grew in other areas and realized I could do more than sports,” she says. Ellen also loves art, and this experience has helped her to figure out her art style. “She’s being pretty humble when she says she loves art. She was at the VASE (Visual Arts Scholastic Event) regional art competition and qualified for state. She ended up winning a Gold Seal at the state competition, which is the highest ranking!” says Bonnie joyfully.

Ellen is now training with her team, and she is excited to swim in her junior year, but she also wants to continue with her art. “It’s been good to do something different since I used to just swim all the time,” she says. “That balance is good.” Ellen encourages other young athletes to find that balance and not to rush their physical therapy. “Be determined, but don’t hurt yourself from trying too hard, because that’s kind of what I did. I tried pushing through it, and it just made it worse. I’m not back to swimming as many hours a week as I used to yet, but I’m definitely healed.”

Bonnie shares that they loved their time at Scottish Rite. “The care and the love shown by everyone was amazing. As a mom, when the doctor looks straight at your child and really talks to them and takes the time to get to know them as a whole person, it makes the experience incredible.” Ellen adds, “Dr. Ellis was really good about telling me what was going on instead of just telling my parents. He helped me understand why we were doing all the things like injections and physical therapy, and why everything needed to happen, and he told me about how my surgery was going to be.”

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Share Your Story: A Visit From the Tooth Fairy

Share Your Story: A Visit From the Tooth Fairy

by | Jul 28, 2020 | Clubfoot & Foot Disorders

Meet Jade, a patient who is treated by our experts in the Center for Excellence in Foot. Learn more about her journey below.

Blog written by Jade’s mom, Deirdra, of South Carolina. 

We first noticed a growth on Jade’s ankle in March 2017. Initially, we went to her pediatrician and were told that it was cancer. They did an X-ray and the doctor could not determine what the growth was. He then sent us to Scottish Rite for Children and as soon as we met with Dr. McIntosh we all felt better

Jade needed a CT scan to take a better look at her ankle. Luckily, we learned that she in fact did NOT have cancer. Jade has an incredibly rare condition called Trevor’s Disease. Basically, this causes an overgrowth of cartilage and we were told to come back in six months to check for additional growth.

In October 2017, Jade started to experience pain when walking and running. It also happened to be time for her follow-up appointment, so after discussion with Dr. McIntosh, we determined that surgery would be the best option for Jade. Her surgery was scheduled for the next month. It was the day of her surgery and everyone was amazing – the nursing staff, the doctors and even the pastor who prayed with us made us feel at ease. Jade did wonderful and even woke up a few dollars richer. She had a couple of loose teeth that the anesthesiologist needed to remove, and the tooth fairy visited her in the operating room! It was incredibly special for us to have such a caring staff.

At the time of her surgery, we were living in Texas. We have since moved to South Carolina, but we still make annual trips back to Dallas just to see Dr. McIntosh for Jade’s follow-up appointments. Scottish Rite for Children means everything to us. Everyone is willing to help, and they make all children feel special. When a kiddo is going through major surgery, it is so nice to have amazing staff surround you for every step of the journey.

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