LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--William L. Oppenheim, M.D., director of the Cerebral Palsy Program at Orthopaedic Institute for Children (OIC) and director of the UCLA/Orthopaedic Hospital Center for Cerebral Palsy, has been named the 2018 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award of the Section of Orthopaedic Surgery of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The award recognizes an individual in the field of pediatric orthopaedics who has contributed to the Academy’s mission of excellence in patient care, research and teaching. It was presented at the Academy’s annual meeting this week in Orlando.
Cerebral palsy is the most common childhood disability in the United States, affecting more than 760,000 children and adults nationally. The UCLA/OIC Center for Cerebral Palsy is the only interdisciplinary clinic in Southern California that evaluates and treats people with cerebral palsy throughout their lifespan. The center and Dr. Oppenheim are heavily involved in research in the field and in educating both consumers and professionals as to the most up-to-date assessment and treatment approaches for people with cerebral palsy.
“Dr. Oppenheim has been a longtime leader in the field of cerebral palsy and is respected worldwide for his dedication to research, education and treatment of this disease,” said Anthony Scaduto, M.D., CEO of OIC. “This award is the culmination of more than 40 years of outstanding service to his profession, and we are so proud and honored to have him as a critical and respected member of the OIC family.”
A former recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy, Dr. Oppenheim currently serves as the Jones Kanaar Professor of Cerebral Palsy at the UCLA/Orthopaedic Hospital Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Emeritus Chief of Pediatric Orthopaedics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He is a past president of both the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine as well as the Los Angeles Chapter of the Western Orthopaedic Association. Additionally, he has served on the boards of directors of the pediatric orthopaedic sections of both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy for Orthopaedic Surgery.
Dr. Oppenheim is a 10-time winner of the America’s Best Doctors designee. He has published more than 65 peer-reviewed articles; presented at nearly 300 regional or national meetings; authored 21 textbook chapters; and has served as a visiting professor on more than 20 occasions in Europe, the Far East and throughout North America. He is a magna cum laude graduate of Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit aap.org and follow AAP on Twitter @AmerAcadPeds.
About Orthopaedic Institute for Children
Orthopaedic Institute for Children (OIC) was founded in 1911 as Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital. Focused solely on musculoskeletal conditions in children, OIC receives nearly 70,000 patient visits each year. In alliance with UCLA Health and with the support of the OIC Foundation, we advance pediatric orthopaedics worldwide through outstanding patient care, medical education and research. Our locations in downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Westwood and Calexico treat the full spectrum of pediatric orthopaedic disorders and injuries. For more information, visit us at ortho-institute.org.
