Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children is world-renowned for its groundbreaking research. Our doctors and staff travel around the country to share innovation and collaborate with other medical professionals. This week, members of our psychology team are attending the Society for Pediatric Psychology Annual Conference (SPPAC) in Portland, Oregon.

Pediatric psychologists specialize in the psychological aspects of medical conditions and the promotion of health with children, adolescents, and families in a pediatric healthcare setting. SPPAC is an annual meeting to advance the science, collaboration, research, and practice of pediatric psychologists in various medical sub-specialties.

Scottish Rite Hospital psychologist, Heather Richard, Psy.D., will be presenting recent research titled, “Integrated Team Approach to Adolescents Treated with Hip Preservation Surgery.” This collaborative study is the first to analyze an integrated team approach with adolescents undergoing hip preservation surgery. It evaluated the impact of required, pre-operative, psychological interventions as part of the team and the potential positive impacts to patient care. The team learned that patients treated with the integrated care model reported significantly reduced pain and stayed in the hospital fewer days after surgery. “This is an untapped area in pediatric psychology,” says Dr. Richard. “We are pioneering psychology as part of an integrated team in pediatric orthopedics. This is important work, as it is our mission to treat the whole child.”

It is the hospital’s dedication to ongoing research that continues to guide and help define the treatment plans for our patients now and in the future. Scottish Rite Hospital is honored to have the opportunity to present their work and collaborate with fellow medical professionals to provide the best care to every patient.