By Debbie Gardner
dgardner@thereminder.com
It’s a big role, overseeing two facilities in the largest specialty pediatrics healthcare system in the world, but it’s a role that seems to fit Dr. Frances Marthone, PhD, RN, the new administrator for Shriner’s Boston and Shriner’s Children’s New England well.
“I jokingly tell people I was called from the womb,” Marthone told Prime when we spoke about her lifelong career in the health care field and her new role with Shriners Boston and Shriner’s Children’s in Springfield. “My mom said I always said I would be a nurse, when asked what I wanted to be I would say ‘a nurse.’ I love taking care of people and it was a natural fit for me.”
Stepping up to the administrator role after serving as director of patient care services for Shriners Springfield – a role she also filled with Mercy Medial Center before it became part of Trinity New England – was another natural fit, Marthone shared.
“I like the idea of giving back to the community, especially after I read the mission statement [of the facility] and saw the work they had been doing with children locally and internationally,” Marthone said of her initial decision to join Shriner’s Children’s New England. “It’s part of the calling to do for people that really can’t do for themselves.”
Shriner’s Children’s New England – which will celebrate its centennial in 2025 – specializes in orthopedic services for children including pediatric rehabilitation and therapy, pediatric orthopedic surgery, spine and spinal cord issues, cleft lip and cleft palate, with services provided as an outpatient and clinic facility beginning in 2023. Shriner’s Children’s Boston, which Marthone now also oversees, specializes in burns and craniofacial surgeries as well as pediatric orthopedic surgery and cleft lip and palate treatments.
“It’s got a phenomenal history,” Marthone said of Shriners Children’s New England – formerly know as Shriner’s Hospital for Crippled Children – “to understand that this group of men [the Shriners] decided to build a hospital and take care of children with orthopedic issues – scoliosis, cleft lip and palate, club foot – polio [and] provide equipment like wheelchairs and walkers for children for 100 years … and that they continue to fund to get [the facility] the latest and greatest [in equipment] to help the children. I don’t know if they’ve ever said ‘no’ to a request of the [facility].”
A lifetime of helping others
A Massachusetts native, Marthone grew up in Dorchester, where she translated that early interest in nursing into a degree from the School of Nursing at Simmons University, Boston. She started her career in healthcare as a staff-level nurse, working at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, MA, for five years before moving to Georgia. During her 27 years in the south, Marathone explained that she moved from direct patient nursing into nursing leadership roles, including nurse manager, nursing director, vice president of nursing and finally, chief nursing officer at the hospitals where she served.
The failing health of her mother – who had relocated to Western Massachusetts – brought her to the Springfield area about five years ago.
“My mother was getting older, and then she got sick, and it was the time in my life – and her life – to get closer to home,” Marthone said about her move to be closer to her now 89-year-old mother, who had been diagnosed first with progressive neuropathy and then breast cancer. “I came to Mercy [Medial Center] – that was my first job in the area – as chief of nursing for the Sisters of Providence before they were acquired by Trinity [Healthcare of New England]. Then, when [Mercy] went through a leadership change it was time for me to make a change and I moved to Wing Hospital in Palmer as director of quality.”
She joined Shriners Children’s New England in 2021 as director of patient care services.
A challenge, and a calling
Though she has two busy healthcare facilities to oversee, Marthone said she’s still very much an on-site supervisor, which means a lot of trips on the Mass Pike, at least for now.
“I usually try to go up [to Shriner’s Boston] early in the morning … they provide housing as part of my compensation. I stay at [Shriner’s Boston] several days [and] I split my week between Springfield and Boston,” Marthone shared.
The week she spoke to Prime, Marthone explained she had been at the Boston facility “Monday, Tuesday and [ then] Wednesday at 6 p.m. I got on the road to come back.
“I’m an empty nester, so me and my husband make it work,” she added.
But there’s more than just a split work week to Marthone’s new role. She’s also overseeing two pediatric healthcare facilities reworking themselves to fit a 21st century model of care.
Though Shriners Boston is remaining an in-patient facility, Marthone said Shriners Children’s New England was slated to become a 100 percent outpatient facility early in 2023.
“Talking about Springfield Shriner’s, 90 percent of our patients use the clinic rather than our inpatient [facilities]; like in the adult world our surgeries have been outpatient – nobody really spends the night for our surgeries [now],” Marthone said, adding the Springfield unit had been moving toward this outpatient model of care for “over a year.”
This change, Marthone noted, reflects that “the whole world of medicine is changing, which is great for all of [healthcare] – it helps reduce costs and it helps to reduce the time a patient is stuck in the hospital … instead of coming in for four or five days, they are able to go home and recover, and have services and therapy as outpatients.”
If a patient does need inpatient care, she said “We have other partners like Baystate who we work with … [and] we have other Shriner facilities. [For example] If we have a very complex spine case the Philadelphia Shriners [is] our partner – we have sent cases there before and would continue to do so [to insure the best patient care].”
According to information provided to Prime, during 2021, Shriners Boston provided burn, plastic, laser and reconstructive and cleft lip and palate care for 1,740 children through 91 inpatient stays, 697 outpatient surgeries and 4,587 outpatient visits. During that same time, Shriners Springfield facility provided care for 7,444 patients through 29 inpatient stays, 529 outpatient surgeries and 13,234 outpatient visits for children with orthopedic, urology, neuromuscular and cleft lip and palate conditions.
Though all Shriners healthcare locations still operate as facilities that treat children regardless of their ability to pay, in 2008 the facilities did move to accepting insurance to help defray the cost of care for patients who had coverage.
“Because [the Shriners] pay for everything for everybody regardless of the ability to pay they do take insurance, but it’s not a criteria to be a patient of the hospitals,” Marthone noted.
Beyond nudging the Springfield facility into a more modern treatment model, Marthone is trying to take advantage of the strengths of both facilities.
“Boston is 35- to 40-years old … there’s a lot of synergy that I’m trying to take advantage of – social work, transportation – that both [facilities] need. Anything the [facilities] can share, we try to take advantage of that,” Marthone said.
For instance, Marthone said, if a child being treated in Shriners Boston ends up losing part of a leg or hand during treatment, the prosthetics team from Springfield is dispatched to work with the Boston care team to make sure the child is fit properly for any prosthetics.
“That’s one great example of how we are able to share the resources between the two hospitals,” she added. “There was sharing before, but I think POPS [ acronym for the prosthetics team] would do some but not as much. I think we are making it work [now] because I’m in both places and I can see what we share.
“I think having one administrator for both [Boston and Springfield] is a great plan for both facilities moving forward,” Marthone added.
Through all the upcoming changes the Melha Shriners, she said, are as committed to the pediatric healthcare facilities – and the children they care for – as when the Springfield hospital was founded nearly 100 years ago.
“I think the fraternity is looking to recruit and be around [another] 100 years. Their mission is taking care of more kids in more places at the best cost, and they are looking at more ways to do that – clinics, outpatient surgeries, certainly moving forward to keep up with demand,” Marthone said. “I think they will be around a long time if they are able to succeed in doing that.”
As for herself, Marthone reflected on the big challenges, and big responsibilities.
“It’s one of those things – ‘be careful what you ask for revelations’ – I was excited about the opportunity to be administrator over both [facilities] and I completely support the mission,” she said.
“The position is like any other leadership role – it comes with a lot of responsibility – but I have a phenomenal team here and in Boston, everybody’s focus is about the kids,” Marthone continued, adding that she sees the opportunity as one where “how can I use my skills and experience from other hospitals, how can I support the mission?”
Overall, Marthone said overseeing both Shriners Boston and Shriners Springfield is “a challenge, but I’m thoroughly enjoying it ... It’s an honor to serve.”
Shriners Children’s New England in Springfield, has been providing pediatric specialty care in Western Massachusetts for nearly 100 years. We specialize in the treatment of orthopedic conditions including scoliosis, clubfoot, chest wall deformities, limb deficiency, cerebral palsy and spina bifida. Over the years, our services have expanded to include cleft lip and palate repair and care, sports health and medicine and urology. All services are provided regardless of a family’s ability to pay or insurance status.
For most of its history, our facility has been known as Shriners Hospitals for Children. As we adapt to current nationwide trends in health care, especially the emphasis on outpatient care, we have introduced a new brand name: “Shriners Children’s.” It is shorter and more definitive. It clearly states who we are and what we care about. We are Shriners and our commitment is to Children. In today’s fast-paced world, this short phrase helps to succinctly and clearly define us.
The charitable mission has been in place since the first Shriners location opened in 1922. Around this time, a polio epidemic was sweeping across the United States and it was apparent that many children were going without appropriate care. The men of the Shriners fraternity opened a hospital in Shreveport, LA as a place where children suffering from the crippling side effects of polio, clubfoot and other orthopedic conditions could receive life-changing care.
Today, families come to Shriners Children’s New England from throughout the northeast region and beyond to receive a full range of services for common and complex orthopedic conditions. Comprehensive services include outpatient appointments, orthotics and prosthetics, radiology, 3D motion analysis, physical, occupational and speech therapies. Our care team includes board-certified orthopedic surgeons and other specialists who have dedicated their careers to transforming the lives of children.
By Debbie Gardner
dgardner@thereminder.com
It’s not the only Shrine unit that supports the mission of Shriners Children’s New England – there are a total of 17 throughout the Northeast – but the 124-year-old Melha Shrine is the local organization most associated with the Springfield-based facility – which itself transitioned from an in-patient hospital to an outpatient facility and pediatric orthopedic clinic in the beginning of 2023.
The cornerstone for the original hospital was laid in 1924 on land donated by the Melha Shrine, and since then Melha has focused much of its philanthropic efforts to supporting the facility and its young patients. And though the Springfield-based clinic is just one of 22 Shrine-supported pediatric care facilities throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico, having Shriner’s Children’s right in their own backyard makes the connection to the care Shriners provides something members truly see in their everyday lives.
Newly installed President of the Melha Shrine Randy Wessels told Prime that often, when he’s out in public wearing something that says “Shriners,” someone who was treated in Springfield will come up and talk to him.
“It’s amazing,” Wessels shared. “People come up to you and say ‘I’m a Shriners kid. I can walk because of you.’”
For Wessels, supporting the Springfield- and nearby Boston- facilities is still central to the fraternal organization’s mission, and a reason many men choose to join. Though tours of Shriners Children’s in Springfield were put on hold during the coronavirus pandemic, Wessels said he’s hopeful they can resume soon.
“If I can get them in to see it, most times we’ve got them,” he opined.
Like many longtime philanthropic clubs and organizations, Wessels said Melha has seen its membership decline in recent years – the organization has approximately 800 members now versus the “thousands” it had in the 1960s. His goal for 2023 is to reach out to younger men – and especially veterans like himself – with the message of what the Shrine does and can offer to their lives.
He said it offers a chance to support the goals of friendship, morality and brotherly love – also the core tenants of the Shriners’ fellow organization, the Freemasons – and welcomes men from all walks of life.
“One of my best friends [in Melha] is a custodian in the Springfield schools, another is a firefighter,” Wessels said. “We all share the same beliefs and how we can build within the community.”
Nick Athas, a longtime member of the Melha Riders motorcycle unit and chair of the unit’s annual charity run for Springfield Children’s, said the strength of the Shrine lies in its sense of brotherhood and camaraderie – from fun rides “to restaurants and such” as a unit to participating in charity rides for other groups to appearing in parades. The unit’s motto is “We ride so kids can walk,” Athas said, adding the Melha Riders also “support a lot of other organizations and community charities … We ride for them [too].”
Membership in the Shrine does require that an applicant be a Freemason first, Wessels acknowledged, noting that in today’s two-income families with kids in sports and clubs, potential Masons are often concerned about time commitment. Wessels shares with potential members of both organizations that there are opportunities for all members of the family – Rainbow girls and the DeMolay for boys, as well as branches for wives and girlfriends – that can make membership a family affair.
Wessels shared that the level of commitment from a new Shrine member can be attendance at one or two meetings a month and participation in at least one parade or event a year.
Shrine Membership Committee Chair Don Carberry said via email that, in a post-coronavirus pandemic world, he is emphasizing the “timeless beliefs in the fraternal roots” and how those beliefs can help reshape today’s world.
“Freemasonry instills in its members a moral and ethical approach to life: it seeks to reinforce thoughtfulness for others, kindness in the community, honesty in business, courtesy in society and fairness in all things. Members are urged to regard the interests of the family as paramount but, importantly, Freemasonry also teaches and practices concern for people, care for the less fortunate and help for those in need,” Carberry said. “In short: Freemasonry cares … cares about the individual and their family.”
The Massachusetts Freemasonry website https://massfreemasonry.org/) states the organization welcomes “men of every country, religion, race, age, income, education and opinion “who believe in a Supreme Being.” Sponsorship by a member of the Freemasons is required for application. Once a Freemason, a man can apply to be a Shriner. Membership info is available at: https://melhashriners.org/joinus/ Like many longtime philanthropic clubs and organizations, Wessels said Melha has seen its membership decline in recent years – the organization has approximately 800 members now versus the “thousands” it had in the 1960s. His goal for 2023 is to reach out to younger men – and especially veterans like himself – with the message of what the Shrine does and can offer to their lives.
He said it offers a chance to support the goals of friendship, morality and brotherly love – also the core tenants of the Shriners’ fellow organization, the Freemasons – and welcomes men from all walks of life.
“One of my best friends [in Melha] is a custodian in the Springfield schools, another is a firefighter,” Wessels said. “We all share the same beliefs and how we can build within the community.”
Nick Athas, a longtime member of the Melha Riders motorcycle unit and chair of the unit’s annual charity run for Springfield Children’s, said the strength of the Shrine lies in its sense of brotherhood and camaraderie – from fun rides “to restaurants and such” as a unit to participating in charity rides for other groups to appearing in parades. The unit’s motto is “We ride so kids can walk,” Athas said, adding the Melha Riders also “support a lot of other organizations and community charities … We ride for them [too].”
Membership in the Shrine does require that an applicant be a Freemason first, Wessels acknowledged, noting that in today’s two-income families with kids in sports and clubs, potential Masons are often concerned about time commitment. Wessels shares with potential members of both organizations that there are opportunities for all members of the family – Rainbow girls and the DeMolay for boys, as well as branches for wives and girlfriends – that can make membership a family affair.
Wessels shared that the level of commitment from a new Shrine member can be attendance at one or two meetings a month and participation in at least one parade or event a year.
Shrine Membership Committee Chair Don Carberry said via email that, in a post-coronavirus pandemic world, he is emphasizing the “timeless beliefs in the fraternal roots” and how those beliefs can help reshape today’s world.
“Freemasonry instills in its members a moral and ethical approach to life: it seeks to reinforce thoughtfulness for others, kindness in the community, honesty in business, courtesy in society and fairness in all things. Members are urged to regard the interests of the family as paramount but, importantly, Freemasonry also teaches and practices concern for people, care for the less fortunate and help for those in need,” Carberry said. “In short: Freemasonry cares … cares about the individual and their family.”
The Massachusetts Freemasonry website (https://massfreemasonry.org/) states the organization welcomes “men of every country, religion, race, age, income, education and opinion “who believe in a Supreme Being.” Sponsorship by a member of the Freemasons is required for application. Once a Freemason, a man can apply to be a Shriner. Membership info is available at: https://melhashriners.org/joinus/
