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Shriners Hospital in Erie has received a $7 million gift – the largest in its 87-year history. The gift came from the estate of Fred H. Burchfield of Sebring, Ohio. He also left $7.7 million to the Shriners Hospital in Cincinnati. Jeffrey Stephenson, chairman of the Erie Shriners Board of Governors, says Burchfield was single and never had children of his own, but obviously had a soft spot in his heart for Shriners Hospital and the work they do for children. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Dr. Karl F. Frankovitch, Emeritus Chief of Staff for the Shriners Hospital for Children in Erie, Pennsylvania and Medical Director of CARE for Children’s Rural Outreach Clinic, was honored last Friday evening for his 80th birthday. In celebration of the occasion, the McKean County Commissioners deemed January 11, 2012 as “Dr. Karl F. Frankovitch Day” throughout the county with a proclamation recognizing his compassion and expertise; and the Bradford City Council also issued a city-wide proclamation recognizing his professionalism, wisdom and caring ways while treating thousands of children in the region. Dr. Frankovitch has travelled to Bradford for 46 years to provide the opportunity for children to be evaluated for various orthopedic conditions, providing families with an alternative to extensive travel to out-of-town facilities. Members of the CARE for Children staff, as well as members of the local Shrine Club, attended the celebration at the Erie Scottish Rite Education Center to ...

Erie Shriners officials announced today that Shriners International has approved the hospital's planned transition from a full-service hospital to an ambulatory facility. This allows the hospital to move forward with plans to convert its inpatient surgery unit into pediatric specialty clinics. They have not determined yet exactly what specialties will be offered but it’s possible that patients could see pediatric pulmonologists, gastroenterologists and neurologists.

The Orak Grotto’s annual Tag Days recently raised $1,500 that will support scholarships for CARE for Children’s upcoming day camp, as well as scholarships for specialty camps, all for children with developmental and physical disabilities. During the day camp, CARE kids will take part in inclusive activities such as open gym, crafts, adaptive swimming, gross motor sessions and field trips; as well as a day at Mystic Waters for putt-putt golf, crafts and outdoor play. The donation will also enable 10 children to attend camps, including Camp JJ and Woodlands Youth and Teen Sports Camp. Pictured from left to right are: Dr. Karl Frankovich, M.D., Chief of Staff Emeritus, from Shriners Hospital in Erie; Zethan Brougham; Terry Matthews, Orak Grotto Treasurer; Rodney Jones; Tina Martin, CARE for Children Executive Director; and Gene Carll, Shriners Transportation Volunteer. Brougham, a seventh grade student at Floyd Fretz Middle School, is the son of Steve and Ann Brougham of Bradford. Jone...

Surgeons from UPMC will perform orthopedic surgery at Erie Shriners Hospital for Children under a new agreement between the two facilities. Under the new agreement, two surgeons from UPMC's Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh will treat outpatients at the Erie hospital three days a week. One surgeon begins work Monday and the other will start in July. Erie Shriners has had a shortage since its two full-time surgeons resigned in 2007, forcing the hospital to cut 39 support staff. Adding the UPMC doctors will allow the hospital to see 170 more outpatients and schedule 5 to 7 more surgeries each week. http://www.shrinershq.org/Hospitals/News/SHCErieChildrensHospAgreement?hospital=Erie

The Erie Shriners Hospital will receive a $250,000 grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection, as part of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The money will go toward a number of energy -saving measures at the hospital. The hospital's lighting, air handling and boiler systems will all be made more energy efficient. Officials expect to see an annual savings in utility costs of $64,000.