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SPECIAL FEATURE The orthopedic physicians at Akron Children's Hospital are all fellowship-trained. They include (L-R) Drs. Sheryl Handler-Matasar, Kerwyn Jones, William Schrader, Mark Adamczyk, Dennis Weiner, Kenneth Bono, Patrick Riley, Sr., and Patrick Riley, Jr. Not pictured is Dr. Todd Ritzman. Akron Children's Orthopedics: SUPER-SPECIALIZED By Robert Janek "S UPER-SPECIALIZED." That's how Kerwyn Jones, MD, describes the nine physicians in the Akron Children's Hospital Department of Pediatric Orthopedics, which is part of the Center for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. "In addition to a five-year residency in orthopedics, all of us have completed a fellowship in pediatric orthopedics, so we're already subspecialized," says Dr. Jones, Chairman of the Department. "Now we're gearing towards becoming superspecialized with each of our surgeons having a niche expertise, and we're very close to reaching our goal." Along with Dr. Jones, the Akron Children's team includes Drs. Mark Adamczyk, Kenneth Bono, Sheryl Handler-Matasar, Patrick Riley, Sr., Todd 16 | Cleveland/Akron/Canton MD NEWS Ritzman, William Schrader and Dennis Weiner. Dr. Patrick Riley, Jr., will join the group next year, after completing a sports medicine fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital. "It's a Harvard fellowship and the only pediatric sports medicine fellowship in the country," says Dr. Jones. "It will give Pat a level of expertise beyond that of most pediatric orthopedists with a sports medicine subspecialty, and it will really set him and our program apart." The Akron Children's orthopedic program also stands out for its specialized, multidisciplinary clinics. They include Skeletal Dysplasia, Brachial Plexus Palsy, Club Foot, Early Onset Scoliosis and Neuromuscular Diseases. A new clinic dedicated to osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is in the planning stages. In I MDNEWS.COM I SEPTEMBER- OCTOBER 2013 addition to orthopedists, these clinics are staffed with other specialists which may be helpful for patients. Skeletal Dysplasia Clinic "Our Skeleta l D ysplasia Clinic includes dieticians, physical therapists and occupational therapists, in addition to our orthopedic physicians," says Dr. Jones. "This makes it easy for patients to see all the necessary specialists at one time." The Skeletal Dysplasia Clinic is one of a few in the nation that treats both children and adults. Dr. Weiner founded and directs the clinic, which focuses on disorders of the bone and cartilage affecting growth and resulting in short stature. He and Dr. Schrader attract patients from 12 states for diagnosis and