Shriner’s Hospitals for Children to close outpatient facility, putting patient plans on pause

TAMPA, Fla. - The last time FOX 13 caught up with Brooklyn Drury, a state-of-the-art "motion lab" technology at Shriners Hospitals for Children was about to improve her walk.

"The motion lab was the lab that told us that Brooklyn needed this surgery to be able to turn her leg 25 degrees to where she would be able to walk straight," said her mother Angie Drury.

It was a surgery that was supposed to happen this June, but news that the longtime Shriner’s clinic will be closing its doors in April has put plans for this 12-year-old with cerebral palsy on hold.

"There goes my surgeon. There goes my physical therapist. There goes all of the people that we know, that we love, and that are a part of our family," her mother said.
In a statement to FOX 13 News, Shriners Children’s Florida says the transition of clinical services will "Redistribute services to better align with emerging models of care." Starting April 1, it will be partnering with a new healthcare provider to offer outpatient treatment.

Drury wants to know where that leaves Brooklyn and her doctor, Dr. Joseph Khoury.

"My plan is to find out where Dr. Khoury is going, where he plans to practice from now on," she said. "And I pray it’s somewhere close."

Shriners says they plan to work with each family so they have a smooth change of care option despite the closure causing dozens of layoffs.

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While the outpatient facility will be closing, Shriners says it will keep its corporate headquarters in Tampa at Rocky Point.

Shriners Children’s Florida full media statement:

As Shriners Children’s expands our vision for care in the year 2022, the future includes caring for more kids, in more places. As healthcare has evolved from inpatient care to outpatient-focused models of care, we have already started transitioning portions of our care to local and state affiliates who complement our services locally and throughout the state of Florida. 

Part of this future state includes the transition of services at the Shriners Children’s facility on the USF campus in Tampa, Florida. The planned transition of clinical services is underway, to start April 1, 2022 and will thereafter be sequenced over the next several months as we redistribute services to better align with emerging models of care. Our priority at this time is to ensure a smooth transition for all of our patients and employees. 

Locally, we are working diligently on a potential care pathway to maintain a level of specialized care in the Tampa Bay region, hoping to continue our proud service here as it has been for over 35 years. Information on this potential local care path will be available soon.