Utah is among the fastest-growing states in America. Among the leading questions new arrivals seek to answer is ways to locate quality medical care, facilities, specialists and health-care professionals to address their medical and wellness needs. In this special advertising section, Salt Lake magazine invites our partners in the profession to share their expertise in a range of specialties and other health and wellness options.
Shriners Children’s Salt Lake City has delivered top-notch care to children with orthopedic conditions for nearly 100 years. The Top Docs there, including Marcella Woiczik, M.D. and Theresa Hennessey, M.D., treat more than 100 common to rarely seen childhood conditions, including talipes equinovarus—the medical term for clubfoot. The condition presents as a foot appearing twisted inward at the ankle, often detected during pregnancy or visibly obvious after birth. The good news? It’s entirely treatable and the world’s foremost leaders in treating this common condition are right here in Salt Lake City.
Q: What does clubfoot treatment look like?
Marcella Woiczik, M.D.: “Early in my career, I learned the surgeries to correct clubfeet, which left many patients with stiff, painful feet. Our team later learned a new gold standard of care, taught by Dr. Ignacio Ponseti, utilizing non-operative, serial casting. Now, we care for thousands of clubfoot patients every year in the Intermountain West who gain full function without surgery.”
Theresa Hennessey, M.D.: “We have built a team of people in clubfoot clinic who are passionate about caring for these children and families. We feel privileged to do so! The treatment consists of gentle manipulation, casting, a minor procedure, and bracing the feet.”
Q: How is this work meaningful for you?
MW: “I have the honor of getting to know families on a deeper level, and watching my patients grow up. I have patients I have known since they were born, nearly 15 years ago.”
TH: “I love watching the babies grow into small amazing humans, and that we can change a child’s function for their entire life. I also love the intricacies and art of casting and understanding the foot.”
Q: What do you wish people better understood about a clubfoot diagnosis?
TH: “Clubfoot is a curable condition. In the majority of cases, there will be no disability. The diagnosis can be anxiety provoking, but if we work together, the child will thrive.”
MW: “Frequent care, attention, and support are necessary for the best outcomes. The more engaged the family is in the process, the better the children will do.”
Q: Tell us about the team at Shriners Children’s Salt Lake City:
TH: “Our team of doctors, physician assistants, medical assistants, nurses, social workers and child life specialists support the child through the entire journey. We provide the logistical, medical and social support that each patient needs.”
MW: “We work together in such a way that our patients and families are able to be comfortable when they come for appointments, and kids are not afraid to see their doctor. Coming to our facility should feel like coming home, knowing you’ll be welcomed and taken care of by one of the very best teams in our healthcare community.”
Q: What sets Shriners apart?
MW: “At Shriners Children’s, I felt an immediate connection. I have the opportunity to work with exceptionally skilled and dedicated colleagues and friends.”
TH: “We provide care that no one else can due to the philanthropic support of the Shriners Children’s system. We are able to help every child that presents to our clinic without financial stress on the family. The gift of that cannot be overstated.”
Shriners Children’s Salt Lake City
1275 E. Fairfax Road, SLC
801-536-3500
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