This week, Scottish Rite for Children is hosting the 43^rd Annual Brandon Carrell Visiting Professorship (BCVP). Throughout the conference’s history, established in honor of the institution’s chief of staff from 1945-1978 Brandon Carrell, M.D., our medical staff along with current and former fellows come together to discuss the latest research and treatment techniques within pediatric orthopedics. Due to COVID, this year’s program is in-person but with limited attendance.

Scottish Rite welcomed two visiting professors to participate and share their expertise – David L. Skaggs, M.D., and James J. McCarthy, M.D. Skaggs is the former Chief of Orthopedic Surgery at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and is now the co-director of the Cedars-Sinai Spine Center, director of the Pediatric Orthopaedics Program and executive vice chair of the Cedars-Sinai Department of Orthopaedics. He is well-known for his expertise in treating children with spinal deformity and has a passion for leadership and thinking outside the box.  McCarthy is the Alvin Crawford Chair in Pediatric Orthopaedics and professor for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. He is also a former president of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) and the Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Society (LLRS). He is known for his work in limb deformity, cerebral palsy and his contributions to developing quality initiatives in POSNA. 

Throughout the two-day meeting, the visiting professors as well as current fellows and Scottish Rite staff are sharing their latest research and case presentations on various topics. Those areas of discussion include:

• Hip 
• Clubfoot and other foot disorders
• Scoliosis and spine
• Cerebral palsy
• Gait analysis
• Sports medicine
• Trauma
• Quality and performance improvement
• Leadership

Course director, Chief Quality Officer and former fellow Brandon A. Ramo, M.D., is excited to have the opportunity to take the lead on this program after having to take a break from BCVP last year due to the pandemic. “The Brandon Carrell Visiting Professorship is something we look forward to hosting every year,” says Ramo. “As a teaching institution, it allows our current fellows to showcase their hard work while also connecting with former fellows who are now in their own practice. We also have an opportunity to further our own education by engaging in dynamic discourse and learning from other leaders in our field. The tradition not only serves as a great educational experience, but also a time for the Scottish Rite family to be together again.”