The new spine OR features the nView s1 navigation system.
The connections formed at Akron Children’s have the power to make long-term impacts. Like the bond made between a physician and a patient. Or the ties that unite our hospital and the communities we serve.
There also are the relationships that our donors form with our providers. And the one between Mark and Cathy Clark and Todd Ritzman, MD, FAAOS, FAOA, pediatric orthopedic surgeon, chair of the Department of Orthopedics, and director of the Spine Center at Akron Children’s, is helping to transform the care we deliver to patients at Akron Children’s Spine Center.
Striking a chord
Mark and Cathy, who are longtime Akron Children’s friends and donors, first met Dr. Ritzman four years ago at a donor event in Florida. Dr. Ritzman was there to speak about his vision for a Spine Center at Akron Children’s, where he and his team would use innovative technologies and techniques to advance care for children and adolescents with abnormal curvature of the spine like scoliosis and kyphosis, as well as other spinal conditions.
Mark and Cathy Clark
“We were fascinated by the work he was doing,” said Mark. “It was nice to see someone who found their niche and just let it explode.”
In 2020, the Clarks made their first gift to support the Spine Center. Since then, they’ve made additional generous gifts, helping Dr. Ritzman and his team to grow the center and expand their work.
“We’ve seen them bring in more professional staff and introduce new technologies and treatments. The research that they’re performing is so important, too,” said Mark. “The more parents learn of this, the more it will expand the hospital’s ability to serve children from across the country and around the world.”
A first in pediatric spine care in northern Ohio
Mark and Cathy’s latest gift supported the opening of our new $3.5 million operating room dedicated to pediatric spine surgeries, as well as the purchase of the nView s1 navigation system. Akron Children’s is the second hospital in the country with the nView system, which uses ultra-low dose radiation to generate 3D images of the spine in real time in the OR.
“Dr. Ritzman felt very strongly that this equipment could take what they were doing in the Spine Center to the next level,” explained Cathy. “A piece of equipment can make such a difference in treating a child. How would you not want to support that? We’re thrilled to be able to do this.”
“We can’t thank Mark and Cathy enough for their ongoing support,” said Dr. Ritzman. “Their generosity over the years has allowed us to grow the Spine Center to where we are today. We now have a dedicated pediatric spine team here with a dedicated spine OR, built to perform safe and efficient pediatric spine surgeries. There really isn’t technology that exists that we didn’t put in this room. This is a first in northern Ohio.”
“We admire Dr. Ritzman tremendously,” said Cathy. “For his knowledge, his expertise, his dedication to his team and his work ethic. He’s just a terrific guy. We’re thrilled to be working with him and helping his dream for the Spine Center come true.”
Click here to learn more about why the Clarks support Akron Children’s.
