Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Magnet High School Celebrates Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital’s Centennial Year

LOS ANGELES, July 14, 2011-- Though school is out for the summer, and grades have already been turned in, Ms. Santana’s high school seniors can still be found in her classroom finishing a very special art project. In celebration of Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital’s (LAOH) centennial year, students of Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Magnet High School (OHMMHS) are molding and decorating 100 unique casts. Each cast, as each student, tells a story of the impact LAOH has made on the Los Angeles community and of hope renewed.

Only vaguely reminiscent of the gauze and plaster from which they started, the casts show great imagination – from a group affectionately referred to as “the farm” and even one that looks like a Louboutin shoe with leopard print on the outside and a bright red interior. The project has been playfully dubbed the “Supporting Cast” project, and symbolizes the role students of Orthopaedic Medical Magnet High School play in the supporting cast of children’s orthopaedic health.

Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital, which provides care for children with congenital and acquired orthopaedic disorders, conditions, and injuries regardless of their families’ ability to pay, has always had a deep commitment to education. From over 50 years of residency programs and post-residency fellowships in conjunction with major medical schools in Southern California to the more recent affiliation with LAUSD through Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Magnet High School, LAOH is a leader in not only orthopaedic medical care but creating future healthcare providers.

Over 850 students with a demonstrated interest in medical health and scholastic achievements in science currently attend Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Magnet High School, a groundbreaking partnership between LAOH and LAUSD. Recently ranked in the top 6% of schools by US News and World Report, this LAUSD magnet high school in downtown Los Angeles provides students with a medically enhanced curriculum and exposure to the full spectrum of medical careers. With a majority of its students hailing from traditionally underserved communities, OHMMHS does a remarkable job of preparing its students for success, higher education, and a wide array of career paths.

For seniors, the Supporting Cast project seems to be a welcome opportunity to reflect on what Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Magnet High School and Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital have given them, and how they plan to use their unique educational experiences to give back in the future.

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About Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital:
Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital is a leader in orthopaedic patient care, education and research, improving the quality of life for children and adults with musculoskeletal disorders. For a century, Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital helped children, regardless of their family's ability to pay. Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital has service locations in downtown Los Angeles, across the Westside and in Calexico, California. In alliance with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the new Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital is scheduled to open at the end of the year. www.orthohospital.org.

Media Contact: Jeanne Goldsmith jgoldsmith@laoh.ucla.edu 310.804.3163