People dealing with medical malpractice predicaments are often confused.  They don’t know where to turn for assistance or how to get help. They believe that they deserve the compensation that will allow them to care for their child –and to do so without the financial hardships that so many would face under these circumstances. And the child deserves compensation for the medical malpractice that has resulted in his situation. But they don’t know where to get the assistance they need to win their financial entitlement.

Our job, at Gershon, Willoughby, Getz & Smith, LLC as doctors and lawyers trained to deal with medical malpractice in Utah, is to assist families in these situations.  We assist families who have experienced a devastating medical malpractice situation in receiving the financial recoveries that they are entitled to – and that they need for their future. Our law firm determines if the cerebral palsy is due to a doctor or nurse’s mistake and we can work to create accountability for the terrible, preventable error that has occurred.

Here, we offer a wealth of resources to assist families in Utah to deal with their situation when their child is born with or diagnosed with cerebral palsy or another disability as a result of medical malpractice.

Social Service Programs in Utah

Art Access/VSA Utah

Art Access/VSA Utah provides equal opportunities for access to art programs for those who are disabled or have limited access to such resources.  They have a Vision for an inclusive society, the Strength to share resources, and the Artistic expression that unites all people – and this is what VSA stands for. They started Art Access/VST Utah in 1984, and it has sense grown into an organization that has two full-time and two part-time staff members. They have been honored with a vast array of awards. To contact Art Access & Access II, find them at 230 South 500 West #125 Salt Lake City, UT 84101 | Phone: 801-328-0703 | http://www.accessart.org/.

Utah Parent Center

The Utah Parent Center (UPC) helps parents to better help their children with special needs. They help people with all types of special needs to live productive lives by providing information, peer support, training and advocacy based on the idea of parents helping parents.  Most of the staff at UPC is made up of parents with children with disabilities.  From this perspective, they are better able to assist other parents and to help them along in the process of getting the best care and resources possible.  Contact the UPC at: Utah Parent Center
230 West 200 South, Suite 1101, Salt Lake City, UT 84101 | 801-272-1051, Toll-Free in Utah: 1-800-468-1160 | http://www.utahparentcenter.org/disabilities/cp/.

Other Resources for Assistance with Cerebral Palsy

State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council
Catherine Chambless, Executive Director
UT Governor?s Council for People with Disabilities
555 East 300 So., Suite 201
Salt Lake City, UT 84102
(801) 533-4128
E-mail: gcpd@state.ut.us
Web: www.gcpd.state.ut.us

Programs for Children with Special Health Care Needs
Utah Department of Health
Community & Family Health Services
Children with Special Health Care Needs
44 North Medical Drive
P.O. Box 144610
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-4610
(801) 584-8240

Brain Injury
Ron Roskos, Executive Director
Brain Injury Association of UT, Inc.
1800 South West Temple, Suite 203-22
Salt Lake City, UT 84115
(801) 484-2240; (800) 281-8442 (in UT)
E-mail: biau@sisna.com
Web: starpage.com/braininjury

Cerebral Palsy
Marta Macdonald, Executive Director
United Cerebral Palsy of UT
1018 West Atherton Drive, Suite A103
P.O. Box 70309
West Valley City, UT 84170-0309
(801) 266-1805; (888) UCP-UTAH
E-mail: ucputah@mail.xmission.com

Lori Cerar and Patricia Baker, Project Co-Coordinators
Allies with Families
4984 So. Commerce Drive, Suite 310
Murray, UT 84107
(801) 281-4425; (877) 335-4627
Harvey Hirschi, President
UT Alliance for the Mentally Ill
4535 South 5600 West
West Valley City, UT 84120
(801) 963-7337
E-mail: namiut@xmission.com

University Affiliated Program
Marvin Fifield, Director
Center for Persons with Disabilities/A Univ. Affiliated Program
Utah State University
Logan, UT 84322-6800
(801) 797-1981
E-mail: marv@cpd2.usu.edu
Web: www.cpd.usu.edu

Marvin Fifield, Project Director
Utah Assistive Technology Program
Center for Persons with Disabilities
UMC 6855
Logan, UT 84322-6855
(435) 797-1982; (801) 797-2096 (TTY)
E-mail: marv@cpd2.usu.edu
Web: www.cpd.usu.edu

Utah Center for Assistive Technology
2056 South 1100 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84106-2319
(888) 866-5550; (801) 485-9142 (V/TTY)

Parent Training and Information Project
Helen Post, Executive Director
Jennie Gibson, Project Coordinator
Utah Parent Center
2290 East, 4500 South, Suite 110
Salt Lake City, UT 84117
(801) 272-1051 (V/TTY); (800) 468-1160 (In UT)
E-mail: upc@inconnect.com

Parent-to-Parent
Kathie Peterson, Coordinator
Hope – A Parent to Parent Network
2290 East 4500 South, Suite 110
Salt Lake City, UT 84117
(801) 856-9795; (800) 468-1160 (In UT)

Easter Seals
Richard O. Starley, President/CEO
Cynthia Vargo, Director of Programs & Services
Easter Seals
638 E. Wilmington Avenue
Salt Lake City, UT 84106-1491
(801) 486-3778 (V/TTY); (800) 399-1991 (In Utah)
E-mail: richard@uw.org
Web: www.easter-seals.org

Linda Smith & Kris Fawson, Co-Directors
Legislative Coalition for People with Disabilities
275 E. So. Temple #201
Salt Lake City, UT 84111-1247
(801) 363-3300

Mark Smith, Manager
Access Utah Network
(Statewide Information and Referral for Disability Issues)
555 East 300 South #201
Salt Lake City, UT 84102
(800) 333-8824 (outside SLC); (801) 533-4636 (SLC area)
E-mail: hsddcncl.msmith@state.ut.us
Web: www.accessut.state.ut.us

Ruth Lubbers, Executive Director
VSA (Very Special Arts) Utah
339 West Pierport Avenue
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
(801) 328-0703
E-mail: accessart@soft-link.com