Tadmor Shrine         Akron, Ohio

What does a pediatric physiatrist do, and how can they help children with limb differences, amputations and cerebral palsy achieve greater mobility and independence? In this episode of Pediatric Frontlines Jennifer Miller, M.D., a pediatric physiatrist at Shriners Children's New England, explains the evolving role of pediatric rehabilitation medicine and the power of team-based care. Dr. Miller shares how physiatry focuses on maximizing function and quality of life for children with mobility challenges, from congenital limb differences to neuromuscular conditions. She discusses advances in prosthetic care, motion analysis technology, spasticity management, multidisciplinary collaboration, and how early intervention can help children reach their goals at every stage of life. The conversation also highlights the emotional journey families face, the importance of peer support, and inspiring examples of children gaining new opportunities through rehabilitation, prosthetics and personalized care. 00:00 Introductions 00:37 What is pediatric physiatry and how has it evolved? 01:33 Amputee care shaped by the Boston Marathon bombing experience 04:24 Early involvement of physiatry in prosthetic care and why timing matters 05:46 Emotional and psychosocial care in limb difference management 06:46 Building a multidisciplinary cerebral palsy clinic and what multidisciplinary means in practice 08:24 Real-time collaboration across Shriner's specialties enabling daily multidisciplinary care 09:03 How cerebral palsy care evolves as the child grows 11:10 Advances in spasticity and low muscle tone management 12:09 Motion analysis lab and data-driven decisions in pediatric rehab 12:39 Emerging surgical options for spasticity 13:25 Physiatry education and volunteering as an examiner 14:51 Common misunderstandings about physiatry and disability care 16:02 Shriners model: care regardless of ability to pay and its impact on daily practice 16:18 Access to prosthetics expanding possibilities under Shriners care 17:35 Current advances: motion analysis, wearables, and genomics in CP care 18:11 Genomics and early genetic screening in cerebral palsy 19:00 A patient story of teamwork across rehab disciplines 21:31 Hope for the future of pediatric physiatry 21:46 Future directions: collaboration and AI-driven motion analysis 22:50 Closing and resources #PediatricFrontlines #ShrinersChildrens #PediatricRehabilitation #Physiatry #CerebralPalsy #LimbDifference #Prosthetics #PediatricCare #RehabilitationMedicine

This holiday season, George and his family aren't only reflecting on all of the memories they've made during their journey with Shriners Children's — they're realizing how many more milestones are still to come.

In Partners in Healing, you'll be invited into a fully unscripted, podcast-style conversation between two of our patients. Shelby and Clara swap personal stories and talk about how their lives have been impacted by Shriners Children's.