Shriners Children’s Attends 77th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine

During the 77th Annual Meeting of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM) held in Chicago from September 10 – 13, 2023, more than 25 cerebral palsy (CP) professionals from five Shriners Children’s locations shared their knowledge and research with health professionals from around the world. AACPDM is the world’s premier organization of health professionals devoted to the advancement of health and well-being of children with CP and other childhood-onset disabilities. Shriners Children’s is a world leader in providing individualized care and treatment to children with CP, the world’s most common cause of childhood-onset disability. In 2023, four Shriners Children’s locations ranked among the "best children’s hospitals for orthopedics" in the United States by U.S. News and World Report.

Shriners Children’s CP staff in attendance included orthopedic surgeons, physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians; physical, occupational and speech therapists; dieticians, social workers, orthotic specialists and communications professionals.

In total, Shriners Children’s led 37 presentations ranging from pre-conference workshops to research podium presentations, interactive symposia and poster presentations.

Jeremy Bauer M.D., an orthopedic surgeon from Shriners Children’s Portland, was appointed to the Board of Directors of the AACPDM. His research interests primarily center around the use of motion analysis in both cerebral palsy and sports. He has published multiple studies on outcomes and treatment of children with cerebral palsy, and has coauthored a chapter on the orthopedic management of cerebral palsy. Dr. Bauer has been an active member of the AACPDM for 12 years, and has served on the Education Committee as well as the committee chair. As committee chair, he launched the AACPDM e-course platform. He served as a co-chair of the Scientific Program Committee for the 2020 Annual Meeting, which pivoted to an all-virtual platform.

Vedant Kulkarni, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon from Shriners Children’s Northern California, was named scientific co-chair for the AACPDM 2024 Annual Meeting. His work is devoted to treating children with all types of pediatric orthopedic conditions and injuries. He has a special interest in neuromuscular disorders such as cerebral palsy,and is part of a multidisciplinary team that is devoted to excellence in clinical care and research.

“AACPDM is a dynamic organization that brings together specialists from multiple disciplines to improve the care of children with CP,” Dr. Kulkarni said. “The mission of AACPDM aligns so well with the holistic model of care at Shriners Children’s, and I am so grateful to be part of both of these organizations.”

“Shriners Children’s health professionals have held leadership positions in the AACPDM for many years, from committee members to the role of president of the organization,” Dr. Kulkarni said. “I am excited and humbled to carry that forward as the 2024 Annual Meeting Scientific co-chair.”

Shriners Children’s health professionals who shared research or presented at the 2023 AACPDM annual meeting include:

• Michael Aiona, M.D., orthopedic surgeon, Shriners Children’s Portland
• Jeremy Bauer, M.D., orthopedic surgeon, Shriners Children’s Portland
• Suzanne Bratkovich, MSPT, physical therapist, Shriners Children’s Northern California
• Cathleen Buckon, OTR/L, occupational therapist and assistant investigator, Shriners Children’s Portland
• Sarah Cachecho, OT, occupational therapist, Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada
• Rose Elekanachi, PT, Ph.D. student, Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada
• Caroline Elfassy, Ph.D. student, Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada
• Ross Chafetz, PT, D.P.T., Ph.D., MPH, Corporate Director of Motion Analysis Centers
• Jessica Collins, OT, occupational therapist, Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada
• Noemi Dahan-Oliel, Ph.D., OT, clinician scientist, Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada
• Jon Davids, M.D., orthopedic surgeon, Shriners Children’s Northern California
• Patrick Do, engineer, Shriners Children’s Portland
• Jing Feng, Ph.D., Director of Motion Analysis Center, Shriners Children’s Portland
• Michael Firtha, M.D., orthopedic surgeon, Shriners Children’s Northern California
• Ann Flanagan, PR, PCS, senior physical therapist, Shriners Children's Chicago
• Joe Krzak, PT, Ph.D., PCS, senior physical therapist, Shriners Children's Chicago
• Vedant Kulkarni, M.D., orthopedic surgeon, Shriners Children’s Northern California
• Susan Labhard, former transitions nurse, Shriners Children’s Portland
• Shahrzad Nematollahi, Ph.D., post-doctoral fellow, Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada
• Eugene Park, M.D., pediatric hand and plastic surgeon, Shriners Children’s Philadelphia
• Susan Sienko, Ph.D., associate investigator, Shriners Children’s Portland
• Amanda Stoltz, PT, D.P.T., PCS, Shriners Children’s Portland
• Michael Sussman, M.D., orthopedic surgeon, Shriners Children’s Portland
• Seyhan Sena Tavukcu, BS, clinical research coordinator, Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada
• Marie Villalba, BS, clinical research coordinator, Shriners Children’s Northern California
• Amanda Whitaker, M.D., orthopedic surgeon, Shriners Children’s Northern California
• Jessica Zawrotny, MS, OTR/L, occupational therapist, Shriners Children’s Philadelphia
• Ahlam Zidan, PT, Ph.D., student, Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada
• Dan Zlotolow, M.D., pediatric upper extremity surgeon, Shriners Children’s Philadelphia