Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare

Patient services: Founded in 1897, Gillette's vision is a world in which every child is able to create their own story. In collaboration with patients, families and partners, we redefine what is possible for children with brain, bone and movement conditions through clinical leadership, research and global advocacy. Gillette is dedicated to providing high quality subspecialty care to children with complex and/or disabling conditions. During 2022, Gillette served 26,074 patients from all 87 Minnesota counties, 41 U.S. states and territories, and six international countries. Gillette operates a 60 licensed-bed specialty hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota; clinics in Alexandria, Baxter, Bemidji, Burnsville, Duluth, Mankato, Maple Grove, St. Cloud, Willmar, and St. Paul, Minnesota, and outreach and virtual telemedicine collaborations across Minnesota and the Upper Midwest.Gillette cares for patients who have some of the most complex, rare and traumatic conditions in pediatric medicine, including cerebral palsy, epilepsy, spina bifida, hydrocephalus, complex orthopedic conditions, craniofacial anomalies, genetic disorders, neurological conditions and brain and spinal cord injuries. Care at Gillette is clinically integrated, bringing experts together from multiple areas to coordinate and care for patients from initial diagnosis through the lifetime of their condition, with individualized care planning at the center of our work. This integrated care model has differentiated us from traditional health systems. For over 125 years, Gillette has led in the diagnosis and management of complex medical conditions through the development of innovative medical and surgical interventions, proven rehabilitative therapies and the novel application of customized services from compassionate health care professionals, Gillette's care helps ensure every child can create their own story and realize their full potential.Gillette is a regional referral center healthcare destination for people who have complex, rare and traumatic conditions that began in childhood. The diagnosis and management of these conditions requires significant clinical expertise and an integrated and proactive care planning system that support the delivery of a comprehensive treatment plan. The majority of conditions Gillette specializes in treating have courses of care that run for months, years, or an entire lifetime. Although a number of hospitals can and do provide certain pediatric specialty services, Gillette is unique in the region for specializing exclusively in the care and rehabilitation needs of individuals with medical complexity and lifelong conditions that affect the musculoskeletal and neurological systems.Gillette clinics in greater Minnesota improve access to care for families who live outside the Twin Cities metro area, and support local providers by facilitating collaboration with Gillette specialists. Gillette continues to enhance its presence around the state, aiming for a more consistent presence in key communities and providing more consistent scheduling and give families greater access to care. Gillette continues work to implement virtual care (telemedicine) services into its clinics and other care settings. Virtual care enables providers to hold consultations with patients via video conference, with 10,268 virtual visits performed during 2022.During 2022, Gillette treated 26,074 patients from all 87 Minnesota counties, 41 U.S. states and territories, and six countries. A large and geographically diverse network of referring physicians has driven growth, with over 2,500 physicians referring patients to Gillette. There were 2,158 inpatient admissions, with an average length of stay of 4.3 days, and 136,825 outpatient visits during 2022. Gillette physicians performed 3,657 inpatient and outpatient surgeries in 2022. The top conditions seen at Gillette include cerebral palsy, limb-length discrepancy, developmental dysplasia of the hip, epilepsy, and idiopathic scoliosis. Over 70% of Gillette patients see providers in more than one specialty. Gillette's areas of expertise, key conditions and services include the following:Cerebral Palsy: Gillette is an internationally recognized leader in the diagnosis and management of spasticity resulting from cerebral palsy and other causes. Gillette offers comprehensive, coordinated care designed to manage the symptoms of cerebral palsy. Services range from infant evaluations to diagnose the condition, to medical and surgical interventions to manage spasticity and related comorbidities as children grow into adulthood. Individualized treatment plans might include developmental assessments, rehabilitation therapies, orthoses, specialized seating, mobility and communicative supports, spasticity management techniques (including surgery), gait and motion analysis, and orthopedic care. Individuals with cerebral palsy often have complex and wide-ranging health care needs. Gillette's unique expertise in the field provides families with healthcare professionals who are aware of the variety of comorbidities commonly associated with cerebral palsy and who are able to identify them early and employ appropriately coordinated management of these conditions. Gillette treats more than 4,000 cerebral palsy patients every year. Gillette is an innovative clinical leader in treating cerebral palsy - from developing new devices to assist in patient care, to the assessments done at the at the James R Gage Center for Gait and Motion Analysis, Gillette is sought out for its care around the world.

Education: Gillette provides graduate medical education in collaboration with the University of Minnesota and provides seminars and other educational programs with the goal to share expertise that benefits all children who have complex conditions. Gillette offers residencies and fellowships in orthopedics, and pediatric rehabilitation medicine. Through fellowships, seminars and other educational programs, Gillette strives to share expertise that benefits all children who have complex conditions.Gillette facilities are made available for training of health care students through arrangements with area educational institutions. Gillette offers residencies and fellowships in such specialties as pediatrics, orthopedics, and pediatric rehabilitation medicine. A teaching hospital, Gillette trains residents from the University of Minnesota and Henry Ford Health in Detroit, who spend one to three months under the mentorship of Gillette's medical staff. In many cases, Gillette offers physicians their only exposure during residency to patients with certain disabilities. Gillette also offers shadowing and mentorship programs for students, along with professional education opportunities in such areas as physical therapy, radiology, nursing, respiratory care and assistive technology. Some of the students who make use of these training programs ultimately join the staff of Gillette.Gillette also provides extensive Continuing Medical Education services to physicians and other health care providers in our area of expertise. Participants travel from around the region and globe to learn from Gillette experts each year. These programs also support the ongoing development of referral and partnership arrangements and relationships that direct patients to Gillette for their care. Gillette covers the unreimbursed costs of medical education and is fully accredited by the Minnesota Medical Association to provide continuing medical education (CME). Gillette sponsors conferences on topics such as cerebral palsy, orthopedics, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Rett syndrome, and motion analysis. During 2022, Gillette provided over 100 hours of clinical medical education to more than 400 physicians and 1,500 other health care providers. Typical audiences include pediatricians, family practitioners, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and orthotists.

Research: Gillette research activities concentrate on clinical applications devoted to finding effective medical interventions for disabling conditions and their related effects. Research at Gillette consists of seven major emphasis areas (gait and motion analysis, health services, neurosciences, orthopedics, pain and comfort, rehabilitation, and spine), all of which seek to improve the lives of children who have disabilities and complex conditions. During 2022, Gillette researchers were engaged in 120 active studies, and 91 studies were published in peer-reviewed journals. Additionally, 35 active research projects were supported by extramural funding. In collaboration with clinical patient care, Gillette's research activities advance our mission to help children create their own stories.