May 27 2010 By Ben Spencer
A CENTRE providing false limbs and support equipment in Malawi is to be expanded - thanks to the people of Glasgow.
Lord Provost Bob Winter joined former Scotswoman of the Year Olivia Giles yesterday to publicise the return of a humanitarian aid team to Malawi.
The prosthetics and orthotics centre was founded in the capital Lilongwe last year by Olivia and her 500 Miles Charity, with the help of the Lord Provost and City Building.
Under the auspices of the Lord Provost's Malawi Fund, 13 men and three women will fly out to work on medical and educational projects in September.
Olivia added: "Without this support, I would still be trying to get the clinic off the ground."
One objective of the 10-day trip is to build a bigger prosthetics and orthotics centre. Demand for t reatment has grown steeply and the clinic helps about 40 patients per month.
The country has about 60,000 people who need their services.
The building work, using a timber kit made by Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries, will provide much-needed space for orthopaedic technicians.
It will also allow 500 Miles to accommodate people who need somewhere to stay in Lilongwe while their devices are being fitted - a process that often takes a week.
Employees of Glasgow City Council, Access LLP and City Building will be on the team.
During the visit, the team will also install computer equipment in hospitals, schools and libraries, as well as monitoring earlier IT installations.
Mr Winter added: "We and our partners are proud to be part of something so life-changing and practical and its success is proof of the benefits of partnership."
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
MSOE students design contraption to help Milwaukee student play trumpet
WITI-TV, MILWAUKEE - A young Milwaukee boy is getting a new opportunity to play the trumpet thanks to the work of a couple of students from Milwaukee School of Engineering.Ethiel Vega has a condition known as ortho repulsis. It's forced him to live without the use of his hands. It's also kept him from learning to play the trumpet.But MSOE students Dan Harder and Jafal Al-Galamed designed a device that allows Vega to use his arms and his leg to play the horn.Manitoba Music Specialist Donna Dudenhoefer put Vega in contact with the students because she say his desire and determination to play.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Please take the Lower Limb Prosthesis Survey
LOWER LIMB PROSTHESIS SURVEY: Quality Outcomes is sponsoring a survey for wearers of lower limb prostheses. The anonymous data collected in this survey will help set benchmarks for quality of service and will benefit the O&P profession. Please click here to take the survey.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
PossAbilities
PossAbilities is a community outreach program developed by the Loma Linda University Medical Center East Campus (LLUMCEC). Its goal is to offer disabled individuals who were born with or have suffered a permanent physical injury a sense of community and provide activities and practical help to integrate them back into life-once again becoming valuable members of our communities. LLUMCEC recognizes that this disenfranchised population is often left without resources or support to deal with the many adjustments they must make physically, mentally, and emotionally in order to have fulfilling lives. Our mission is to provide new direction and hope through physical, social, educational, and spiritual interaction with peers and their community. This free membership program is tailored to persons with physical disabilities such as limb amputation, stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, and others.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Young triathlete to receive a new prosthetic leg
My column about Andrew Hastings caused quite a bit of response. In fact, when I got home to all the messages, I felt good that I told Andrew's story. He touched my heart, and it seems that he has touched the hearts of many others. I admit that I hoped for a way to help Andrew get the shoes and the bike work that he needed for the Buck Hurley Triathlon. But the bigger issue is his prosthetic leg that is too short and needs a quick replacement.
see link for article .......
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Amputee Coalition of America's annual Youth Camp
AmputeeCoalition — October 19, 2009 — Campers from all over America gathered in Clarksville, OH for the Amputee Coalition of America's annual Youth Camp. See highlights from their camping experience and meet some of the campers.
The Amputee Coalition of America’s Paddy Rossbach Youth Camp Program
The Amputee Coalition of America’s Paddy Rossbach Youth Camp Program
Monday, April 05, 2010
Thursday, April 01, 2010
A Life Reclaimed is about my niece, Sheila May Advento, a courageous young woman and a quadruple amputee.
I have always loved writing, i.e., in English as opposed to my native language, Tagalog. When I was in my teens, I used to pour my apprehensions and anxieties into poems and essays which helped sustain me through those troubled years. Decades after, a family tragedy happened which inspired me to write again. My first book, A Life Reclaimed, was published in September 2009!
------ Cynthia Angeles
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
YouTube - Paralymic Sport TVUSA's Channel
Stay on top of all the action at the 2010 Paralymics on
YouTube - Paralymic Sport TVUSA's Channel
YouTube - Paralymic Sport TVUSA's Channel
Monday, March 15, 2010
Prosthetic arm thrills woman
Claudia Voican listened to an explanation about her new prosthetic arm at Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics in Spokane on March 1. She was being fitted for a prosthetic arm before she returns home to Romania. Voican was born with a blow-elbow congenital limb deficiency and has been living with only a left arm, until recently. Dr. James Said, an area doctor, met Voican at an orphanage and sponsored her trip to the United States to receive the prosthetic arm.
Monday, March 08, 2010
From Things Made Easy March 05, 2010
Review the needs of any one type of disability group of Hong Kong. To what extent they could be integrated into the community and treated in equal opportunity.
THE AMPUTEES OF HONG KONG
The term amputee refers to an individual who have lost a limb or part of a limb. Your limbs are your arms and legs. Losing a limb or part of a limb may result from illness such as diabetes, cancer and vascular diseases, injury or accidents. If a limb or part of a limb threatens the health and life of the individual, amputation or surgical removal will be the resort. The common problem in amputation is the excessive pain on the missing limb. Other problems that could possibly occur include grief, surgical complications and skin problems if the patient wears an artificial limb. Many amputees wear artificial limbs though it takes time to learn. To help the patient adjust and adapt, physical therapies are suggested for the patient to undergo.
Background
The Prosthetic and Orthotic Unit of the Kowloon Rehabilitation Centre, the first and largest rehabilitation centre in Hong Kong, conducted a 24-year retrospective study of amputees. The research conducted found out that the rising trend in amputee population Hong Kong was related to the population growth. The ratio of lower limb to upper limb amputees was 1.83 to 1. The commonest cause of upper limb amputation was trauma (89%) and of lower limb amputation was infection (35%). They also found out that the mean age of amputees in Hong Kong is 39 and that vascular diseases were not as common in Chinese as in Caucasian communities (Chan et al, 1984).
A separate research conducted by the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Hong Kong found out that the orthopaedic care of an amputated patient does not stop after surgery. It is also comprised of integrating the patient back in society. There are several social problems that the patients could encounter which includes activities of daily living, ambulation, housing, employment, marriage and changes in their families. In helping them with their rehabilitation, the study also discovered the importance of the role of doctors, prosthetic services, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and the medical social workers (Chow 1982).
Base on these two studies, there is a clear manifestation of the needs of the amputee community in Hong Kong. More than the physical rehabilitation or the process of putting backs the lives of the patients into normalcy, there are other needs of the amputees as social, moral, spiritual, psychological, cognitive and others. Attention must be also given to sports, entertainment, amusements, education, employment and other areas of the same weight. Put simply, there is a general need for amputees to be integrated back into the community and be treated as equals.
Integration to the Community
The psychosocial domain of amputated individuals explains the relative time needed prior to reasonable experiences of medical and rehabilitative objectives. There are associated emotional and adaptational challenges to this following limb loss. Community reintegration is central to amputee rehabilitation. In particular, it includes the resumption of family roles and community activities, emotional equilibrium, healthy coping strategies and recreational activities (Meier and Atkins 2004, p. 79). The main purpose of community integration for amputee patients is the mobilisation and leisure activities outside the clinic setting allowing them to have fun at the same time as others.
Experiences of strong emotions that include horror, numbness, rage and suicidal tendencies are addressed by these immediate community reintegration programs. The amputees obviously need psychological and mental assistance, health assistance in general. Toward recovery, there must be immediate and competent medical care, appropriate mobility equipment and adequate rehabilitation programs. There is an evident need of experienced service providers including prosthetists, physical therapists, psychiatrists and physicians as well. The impact of amputee survivors’ physical functioning, in lieu with this, facilitates an effective social and economic integration.
Coping strategies needed must also comprise of psychological factors to help amputee patients to adjust to their new roles to the society in general. For many amputee patients, religious or spiritual beliefs contribute to finding meaning in their conditions and acceptance. Amputees are constantly reminded of their spirituality. Being spiritual means searching for meaning and purpose in your day-to-day life, connecting with others and moving beyond self-absorption. The social integration and sense of community and the support that the religious community offers enhances the effects of spiritual living hence, enhance the sense of connectedness of amputees in the society with which they function as individual members (Laux and Block 2006, pp. 54-55).
Base on this, there is a need for the patients to converge in recreational activities that could provide them the confidence they once had. These activities could be emotional therapy that includes stress management, activities on expressing oneself like drawing, painting, music and others. Aside from this, there are other needs as occupational needs for the amputees. These are basic personal hygiene, dressing, feeding, toileting and other complex tasks as writing, cooking manipulating objects and driving. On a broader sense, there is a wide need for amputees to be educated, if not in traditional way, through vocational trainings. This could bring them the moral encouragement to go on with life despite their abnormal conditions.
The amputees’ human interactions also gave them value towards their perception on reality in a social setting. When the family is unavailable, often patients find support from their peers. Interaction with other amputee patients empowers them to persevere, believe in their capabilities and enable them to think that they can take care of themselves physically or otherwise. The strong and supportive environment provides comfort and motivation in the post-amputation period.
Base on this premise, there is a need for effective and functional rehabilitation centers and amputee-friendly establishments that the amputees can go together to. This increases their chance to reintegrate themselves individually in the community. Through this, the patients could also have an outlet to express their anxieties and overcome depression without jeopardising the lives of other family members who have independent lives and individual concerns to take care of.
Equal Opportunities
Discrimination and rejection have direct impact on the ability of the amputees to reintegrate socially and economically and hence, impact their psychological being as well. Societal barriers play significant role in preventing amputees from feeling valued and belongingness both as a functional member of family and community. The chance of isolation is high in terms of accessing equal opportunities. Societal attitudes toward persons with bodily defects are the main sources to account for such feeling.
The sentiments of equal opportunity for amputees should be expressed in terms of several aspects. First, on prosthetics and orthotics, amputees must be given equal opportunities on the services regardless of their social status and financial capabilities. Benefits of using prostheses and orthoses are immense in making the life of the patients less miserable. Opportunity must be also provided in terms of information on the use and the adaptation of the new device, the further impact of impairments and arranging maintenance and repairs to prostheses and orthoses (WHO 2003).
Second, on car and motoring adaptations, amputees must be given equal opportunities to get license and permits and allow them to modify their vehicles. Driving is an important mean of independence for amputees. Without relying on to others, they could carry-out tasks and take part in social activities. Essential information that drives equality purports special devices that the vehicles require, special driver training, obtaining and renewing driver’s license and limited restrictions on license (National Amputee Centre 2008).
Third, on caring/nursing services, amputees must be given equal opportunities on professional health care services and be provided with necessary welfare. The carers and the nurses as well as the charities must serve as support mechanisms for the amputee patients. This includes the pre-operative to post-operative education to providing them informations about independent organisations that could assist them financially and emotionally that are locally connected to the hospital or clinic.
Fourth, on employment and benefits, amputees must be given equal opportunities regarding the working hours that directly affects remunerations. The reduction of work hours gives rise to poor economic returns to the employer and so the employer would choose to lay-off the patients. This has direct impact on financial benefits in terms of pension and insurance. Further, the amputee would find difficulty finding a new job (Delasau).
Fifth, on legal services, amputees must be given equal opportunities in areas of advocacy and representation before the law. The cause of amputation must pass through an extensive examination so that the family of the victim could possibly locate the person responsible in case of intentional misconducts so that the rehabilitation and maintenance cost and other needs of the patient would be settled.
Sixth, on sports and recreation, amputees must be given equal opportunities to participate regardless of the racial, political and national background. The main concern is the access to participate in these areas; safety is another. Entry to sports and recreation is a real challenge for amputees. Giving amputees equal opportunities mean to provide them an active lifestyle through plenty of choices wherein they can demonstrate their strengths and creativity that, in effect, enable them to gain spirit of team working and sense of self-expression.
Bibliography
Amputees 2008, MedlinePlus, Retrieved on 16 January 2008 from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/amputees.html.
Chan, K M, Cheung, D, Sher, A, Leung, P C Fu, K T & Lee, J 1984, A 24-year survey of amputees in Hong Kong, Prosthetics and Orthotic International, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 155-158.
Chow, S P 1982, Social Problems of Lower Limb Amputees in Hong Kong – An Exploratory Study, Bulletin of the Hong Kong Medical Association, The, vol. 34, pp. 81-85.
Delasau, I The Impact of Amputation on Diabetic Patient in Fiji, Otago Diabetes Research Trust.
Laux, M & Block, M 2006, User’s Guide to the Top 10 Natural Therapies: Your Introductory Guide, Basic Health Publications, Inc.
National Amputee Centre 2008, License to Drive, retrieved on 16 January 2008 from http://www.waramps.ca/nac/life/drive.html
Meier, R H & Atkins, D J 2004, Functional Restoration of Adults and Children with Upper Extremity Amputation, Demos Medical Publishing, LLC.
World Health Organization 2003, The Relationship Between Prosthetics and Orthotics Services and Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR), International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics.
THE AMPUTEES OF HONG KONG
The term amputee refers to an individual who have lost a limb or part of a limb. Your limbs are your arms and legs. Losing a limb or part of a limb may result from illness such as diabetes, cancer and vascular diseases, injury or accidents. If a limb or part of a limb threatens the health and life of the individual, amputation or surgical removal will be the resort. The common problem in amputation is the excessive pain on the missing limb. Other problems that could possibly occur include grief, surgical complications and skin problems if the patient wears an artificial limb. Many amputees wear artificial limbs though it takes time to learn. To help the patient adjust and adapt, physical therapies are suggested for the patient to undergo.
Background
The Prosthetic and Orthotic Unit of the Kowloon Rehabilitation Centre, the first and largest rehabilitation centre in Hong Kong, conducted a 24-year retrospective study of amputees. The research conducted found out that the rising trend in amputee population Hong Kong was related to the population growth. The ratio of lower limb to upper limb amputees was 1.83 to 1. The commonest cause of upper limb amputation was trauma (89%) and of lower limb amputation was infection (35%). They also found out that the mean age of amputees in Hong Kong is 39 and that vascular diseases were not as common in Chinese as in Caucasian communities (Chan et al, 1984).
A separate research conducted by the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Hong Kong found out that the orthopaedic care of an amputated patient does not stop after surgery. It is also comprised of integrating the patient back in society. There are several social problems that the patients could encounter which includes activities of daily living, ambulation, housing, employment, marriage and changes in their families. In helping them with their rehabilitation, the study also discovered the importance of the role of doctors, prosthetic services, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and the medical social workers (Chow 1982).
Base on these two studies, there is a clear manifestation of the needs of the amputee community in Hong Kong. More than the physical rehabilitation or the process of putting backs the lives of the patients into normalcy, there are other needs of the amputees as social, moral, spiritual, psychological, cognitive and others. Attention must be also given to sports, entertainment, amusements, education, employment and other areas of the same weight. Put simply, there is a general need for amputees to be integrated back into the community and be treated as equals.
Integration to the Community
The psychosocial domain of amputated individuals explains the relative time needed prior to reasonable experiences of medical and rehabilitative objectives. There are associated emotional and adaptational challenges to this following limb loss. Community reintegration is central to amputee rehabilitation. In particular, it includes the resumption of family roles and community activities, emotional equilibrium, healthy coping strategies and recreational activities (Meier and Atkins 2004, p. 79). The main purpose of community integration for amputee patients is the mobilisation and leisure activities outside the clinic setting allowing them to have fun at the same time as others.
Experiences of strong emotions that include horror, numbness, rage and suicidal tendencies are addressed by these immediate community reintegration programs. The amputees obviously need psychological and mental assistance, health assistance in general. Toward recovery, there must be immediate and competent medical care, appropriate mobility equipment and adequate rehabilitation programs. There is an evident need of experienced service providers including prosthetists, physical therapists, psychiatrists and physicians as well. The impact of amputee survivors’ physical functioning, in lieu with this, facilitates an effective social and economic integration.
Coping strategies needed must also comprise of psychological factors to help amputee patients to adjust to their new roles to the society in general. For many amputee patients, religious or spiritual beliefs contribute to finding meaning in their conditions and acceptance. Amputees are constantly reminded of their spirituality. Being spiritual means searching for meaning and purpose in your day-to-day life, connecting with others and moving beyond self-absorption. The social integration and sense of community and the support that the religious community offers enhances the effects of spiritual living hence, enhance the sense of connectedness of amputees in the society with which they function as individual members (Laux and Block 2006, pp. 54-55).
Base on this, there is a need for the patients to converge in recreational activities that could provide them the confidence they once had. These activities could be emotional therapy that includes stress management, activities on expressing oneself like drawing, painting, music and others. Aside from this, there are other needs as occupational needs for the amputees. These are basic personal hygiene, dressing, feeding, toileting and other complex tasks as writing, cooking manipulating objects and driving. On a broader sense, there is a wide need for amputees to be educated, if not in traditional way, through vocational trainings. This could bring them the moral encouragement to go on with life despite their abnormal conditions.
The amputees’ human interactions also gave them value towards their perception on reality in a social setting. When the family is unavailable, often patients find support from their peers. Interaction with other amputee patients empowers them to persevere, believe in their capabilities and enable them to think that they can take care of themselves physically or otherwise. The strong and supportive environment provides comfort and motivation in the post-amputation period.
Base on this premise, there is a need for effective and functional rehabilitation centers and amputee-friendly establishments that the amputees can go together to. This increases their chance to reintegrate themselves individually in the community. Through this, the patients could also have an outlet to express their anxieties and overcome depression without jeopardising the lives of other family members who have independent lives and individual concerns to take care of.
Equal Opportunities
Discrimination and rejection have direct impact on the ability of the amputees to reintegrate socially and economically and hence, impact their psychological being as well. Societal barriers play significant role in preventing amputees from feeling valued and belongingness both as a functional member of family and community. The chance of isolation is high in terms of accessing equal opportunities. Societal attitudes toward persons with bodily defects are the main sources to account for such feeling.
The sentiments of equal opportunity for amputees should be expressed in terms of several aspects. First, on prosthetics and orthotics, amputees must be given equal opportunities on the services regardless of their social status and financial capabilities. Benefits of using prostheses and orthoses are immense in making the life of the patients less miserable. Opportunity must be also provided in terms of information on the use and the adaptation of the new device, the further impact of impairments and arranging maintenance and repairs to prostheses and orthoses (WHO 2003).
Second, on car and motoring adaptations, amputees must be given equal opportunities to get license and permits and allow them to modify their vehicles. Driving is an important mean of independence for amputees. Without relying on to others, they could carry-out tasks and take part in social activities. Essential information that drives equality purports special devices that the vehicles require, special driver training, obtaining and renewing driver’s license and limited restrictions on license (National Amputee Centre 2008).
Third, on caring/nursing services, amputees must be given equal opportunities on professional health care services and be provided with necessary welfare. The carers and the nurses as well as the charities must serve as support mechanisms for the amputee patients. This includes the pre-operative to post-operative education to providing them informations about independent organisations that could assist them financially and emotionally that are locally connected to the hospital or clinic.
Fourth, on employment and benefits, amputees must be given equal opportunities regarding the working hours that directly affects remunerations. The reduction of work hours gives rise to poor economic returns to the employer and so the employer would choose to lay-off the patients. This has direct impact on financial benefits in terms of pension and insurance. Further, the amputee would find difficulty finding a new job (Delasau).
Fifth, on legal services, amputees must be given equal opportunities in areas of advocacy and representation before the law. The cause of amputation must pass through an extensive examination so that the family of the victim could possibly locate the person responsible in case of intentional misconducts so that the rehabilitation and maintenance cost and other needs of the patient would be settled.
Sixth, on sports and recreation, amputees must be given equal opportunities to participate regardless of the racial, political and national background. The main concern is the access to participate in these areas; safety is another. Entry to sports and recreation is a real challenge for amputees. Giving amputees equal opportunities mean to provide them an active lifestyle through plenty of choices wherein they can demonstrate their strengths and creativity that, in effect, enable them to gain spirit of team working and sense of self-expression.
Bibliography
Amputees 2008, MedlinePlus, Retrieved on 16 January 2008 from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/amputees.html.
Chan, K M, Cheung, D, Sher, A, Leung, P C Fu, K T & Lee, J 1984, A 24-year survey of amputees in Hong Kong, Prosthetics and Orthotic International, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 155-158.
Chow, S P 1982, Social Problems of Lower Limb Amputees in Hong Kong – An Exploratory Study, Bulletin of the Hong Kong Medical Association, The, vol. 34, pp. 81-85.
Delasau, I The Impact of Amputation on Diabetic Patient in Fiji, Otago Diabetes Research Trust.
Laux, M & Block, M 2006, User’s Guide to the Top 10 Natural Therapies: Your Introductory Guide, Basic Health Publications, Inc.
National Amputee Centre 2008, License to Drive, retrieved on 16 January 2008 from http://www.waramps.ca/nac/life/drive.html
Meier, R H & Atkins, D J 2004, Functional Restoration of Adults and Children with Upper Extremity Amputation, Demos Medical Publishing, LLC.
World Health Organization 2003, The Relationship Between Prosthetics and Orthotics Services and Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR), International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics.
Worlds Faster Amputee
April Holmes holds sprinting records and is one of the country's premiere athletes. She just so happens to be an amputee who lost her leg in a train accident. Hattie Kauffman reports.
See the story on YouTube via CBS February 12, 2009
See the story on YouTube via CBS February 12, 2009
Friday, March 05, 2010
Amputee Empowerment Partners
Amputee Empowerment Partners community is a free resource for individuals to connect and discuss a variety of topics related to the life of amputees.
Please stop by this very nice support groups web site, you will enjoy.
James M. Wilson Sr. CO RPA
Please stop by this very nice support groups web site, you will enjoy.
James M. Wilson Sr. CO RPA
Thursday, March 04, 2010
World Health Organization
Improving road safety3 March 2010 -- Over 3000 people die on the world's roads every day. Tens of millions of people are injured or disabled every year. Children, pedestrians, cyclists and the elderly are among the most vulnerable of road users. WHO welcomes the UN General Assembly's effort to reverse this trend by launching the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.Read the note on road safety Read more on road traffic injuries
Enhancing the rights of adolescent girls3 March 2010 -- Millions of adolescent girls live in poverty, are burdened by gender discrimination, inequality, subjected to violence, abuse and exploitation. To improve this situation, WHO along with five other UN agencies, have signed a joint statement committing to work on five priorities areas.Read the UN joint statement on the rights of adolescent girls Read more on adolescent health
The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics
Background
The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) was founded as a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) in 1970, in Copenhagen, Denmark. ISPO contributes throughout the world in all aspects of science and practices associated with the provision of prosthetic and orthotic care, rehabilitation engineering and related areas such as wheeled mobility.
Mission
ISPO works worldwide to enhance the quality of life for people with physical disabilities who require improvements in mobility or independence, by:
Promoting clinically relevant research and evidence based practice
Facilitating development of innovative and appropriate technologies
Conducting high quality continuing education programmes
Developing international guidelines for the education of prosthetists and orthotists
Publishing peer reviewed information in journal, text, and electronic formats
Fostering cooperation and exchange of ideas worldwide
Vision
ISPO is an international multidisciplinary organization that effectively promotes the provision of quality services, innovative technology, clinically relevant research, and education in the field of rehabilitation for persons with physical disabilities. Through its growing membership and National Member Societies (NMS), ISPO addresses the needs of both industrial and less resourced regions, advocating for best practices to governments and non-governmental organizations and advising on key relevant issues.
Education
The ISPO is committed to facilitate and enhance the educational efforts of all health care disciplines involved in prosthetics and orthotics throughout the world.
The Society has detailed appropriate education and training guidelines for the full professional prosthetist/orthotist (Category I) and for the orthopedic technologist (Category II). The philosophy and curricula are widely accepted by most of the international governmental and non-governmental agencies in this field.
ISPO compiles and reviews standards throughout the world, governing the practice of the professions concerned with prosthetic and orthotic care, rehabilitation engineering, and other related areas. Information exchange and dissemination is achieved through world congresses, instructional courses, workshops, conferences, educational symposia, publications, website, and audiovisual media. Furthermore ISPO provides consultation and expertise to these areas where there is an identified need for development. Upon request, ISPO evaluates P&O programmes throughout the world for ISPO Category I and II recognition. The evaluation includes students’ entry requirements, teaching content, clinical training, quality and administrative procedures.
The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) was founded as a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) in 1970, in Copenhagen, Denmark. ISPO contributes throughout the world in all aspects of science and practices associated with the provision of prosthetic and orthotic care, rehabilitation engineering and related areas such as wheeled mobility.
Mission
ISPO works worldwide to enhance the quality of life for people with physical disabilities who require improvements in mobility or independence, by:
Promoting clinically relevant research and evidence based practice
Facilitating development of innovative and appropriate technologies
Conducting high quality continuing education programmes
Developing international guidelines for the education of prosthetists and orthotists
Publishing peer reviewed information in journal, text, and electronic formats
Fostering cooperation and exchange of ideas worldwide
Vision
ISPO is an international multidisciplinary organization that effectively promotes the provision of quality services, innovative technology, clinically relevant research, and education in the field of rehabilitation for persons with physical disabilities. Through its growing membership and National Member Societies (NMS), ISPO addresses the needs of both industrial and less resourced regions, advocating for best practices to governments and non-governmental organizations and advising on key relevant issues.
Education
The ISPO is committed to facilitate and enhance the educational efforts of all health care disciplines involved in prosthetics and orthotics throughout the world.
The Society has detailed appropriate education and training guidelines for the full professional prosthetist/orthotist (Category I) and for the orthopedic technologist (Category II). The philosophy and curricula are widely accepted by most of the international governmental and non-governmental agencies in this field.
ISPO compiles and reviews standards throughout the world, governing the practice of the professions concerned with prosthetic and orthotic care, rehabilitation engineering, and other related areas. Information exchange and dissemination is achieved through world congresses, instructional courses, workshops, conferences, educational symposia, publications, website, and audiovisual media. Furthermore ISPO provides consultation and expertise to these areas where there is an identified need for development. Upon request, ISPO evaluates P&O programmes throughout the world for ISPO Category I and II recognition. The evaluation includes students’ entry requirements, teaching content, clinical training, quality and administrative procedures.
The International Society of Biomechanics
The International Society of Biomechanics promotes the study of the biomechanics of movement with special emphasis on human beings; encouraging international contacts among scientists in this field, promoting knowledge of biomechanics on an international level, and cooperating with related organizations.
International Committee of the Red Cross
International Committee of the Red Cross
The missionThe International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial, neutral and independent organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence and to provide them with assistance.
The ICRC also endeavours to prevent suffering by promoting and strengthening humanitarian law and universal humanitarian principles.
Established in 1863, the ICRC is at the origin of the Geneva Conventions and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. It directs and coordinates the international activities conducted by the Movement in armed conflicts and other situations of violence.
The ICRC also endeavours to prevent suffering by promoting and strengthening humanitarian law and universal humanitarian principles.
Established in 1863, the ICRC is at the origin of the Geneva Conventions and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. It directs and coordinates the international activities conducted by the Movement in armed conflicts and other situations of violence.
COPE - National Rehabilitation Center
During the Vietnam War, the conflict spilled over into Laos in a secret war leaving it one of the most heavily bombed countries in history. Many of these bombs and other devices did not explode at the time. So, even though the war ended in 1975, the country is still littered with a significant amount of UXO's (unexploded ordnance) which also contributes to poverty, hunger and disability on a daily basis.
Lower Extremity Ulcers of the Legs, Ankles, and Feet
Weight Loss Makers has posted an article on Lower Extremity Ulcers of the legs, ankles and feet.
Please visit link to read article.
Please visit link to read article.
The Shoe Bank
I had someone e-mail me yesterday looking for a good place to donate shoes.My answer was The Shoe Bank; it is a great service they provide. Here is their link and mission.
The Shoe Bank
The Shoe Bank had just one goal when it was founded in 1989 – to put comfortable shoes on a few hundred homeless men living on the streets in downtown Dallas. The program today provides shoes for twenty thousand people every year – primarily children, both here and abroad.
Here's how it works. Good used children's shoes, men's and women's athletic shoes, and men's dress shoes can be donated at schools, athletic facilities, and retail stores displaying Shoe Bank depositories. The shoes are carefully inspected and then delivered to local social service agencies for distribution.
Every year, thousands of children in countries around the world receive shoes only because kids from the Dallas area take advantage of an opportunity to give through the Shoe Bank. Our children help make an important relief effort possible – and we fulfill an equally important mission by teaching them to care for those less fortunate.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Petition to Televise the Paralympics Gains Steam
Association News
February 15, 2010
Kevin Hosea, a 25-year-old, two-time Paralympic trials participant living with spina bifida is trying to find a way to get the 2010 Paralympic Games televised in the United States — a feat that has never before been accomplished.
Through a petition on petitiononline.com, Hosea has so far collected 3,257 signatures to send onto the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) before the Paralympic Games begin.
“The Paralympic Games are an international level sporting event that was created to parallel the Olympic Games and let people with physical disability showcase their athletic abilities,” the petition reads. “Not only are the Paralympics just as competitive as the Olympics but they would also be very educational for the general public because people would see just how much people with physical disabilities can achieve despite their disabilities.”
It’s a cause Hosea is passionate about and not just because he is a two-time Paralympic trials participant in swimming and track, but also because he has friends who share that passion and will compete at the Games.
“I know tons of people who have been to the Paralympics … I have a lot invested,” he told O&P Business News. “My life has pretty much been sports so the fact that the sports that I’ve [participated in] are not getting anywhere near equal coverage is kind of annoying to me.”
Hosea started the petition at the end of January and during the first few days it only received about 300 signatures. With the help of Facebook, it caught steam.
“It’s amazing how much it grew in one day,” he said. “I’m probably going to keep it open for another week or so. But then I need to close it off so I can send it off to USOC.”
Here is the petitiion :
http://www.petitiononline.com/USOCTV/petition.html
February 15, 2010
Kevin Hosea, a 25-year-old, two-time Paralympic trials participant living with spina bifida is trying to find a way to get the 2010 Paralympic Games televised in the United States — a feat that has never before been accomplished.
Through a petition on petitiononline.com, Hosea has so far collected 3,257 signatures to send onto the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) before the Paralympic Games begin.
“The Paralympic Games are an international level sporting event that was created to parallel the Olympic Games and let people with physical disability showcase their athletic abilities,” the petition reads. “Not only are the Paralympics just as competitive as the Olympics but they would also be very educational for the general public because people would see just how much people with physical disabilities can achieve despite their disabilities.”
It’s a cause Hosea is passionate about and not just because he is a two-time Paralympic trials participant in swimming and track, but also because he has friends who share that passion and will compete at the Games.
“I know tons of people who have been to the Paralympics … I have a lot invested,” he told O&P Business News. “My life has pretty much been sports so the fact that the sports that I’ve [participated in] are not getting anywhere near equal coverage is kind of annoying to me.”
Hosea started the petition at the end of January and during the first few days it only received about 300 signatures. With the help of Facebook, it caught steam.
“It’s amazing how much it grew in one day,” he said. “I’m probably going to keep it open for another week or so. But then I need to close it off so I can send it off to USOC.”
Here is the petitiion :
http://www.petitiononline.com/USOCTV/petition.html
Thursday, February 25, 2010
'I had to learn to run again'
By MAJA KAZAZIC
Special to TBO.com
Published: February 23, 2010
Goal: My goal at first was simple: Walk more than two steps without pain. Once I was able to reach that goal, I set my sights on walking a 5K, which I did in 2009. I have to raise the bar again, so my new goal is to run the 5K at today's Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic
Click on link for the whole story ---
Help for Haitians - by Zain Shauk
A local specialist is hoping to help a growing number of Haitian amputees by sending prostheses to the nation, which was devastated by a magnitude-7.0 earthquake last month.
Spencer Doty, president of New Mexico-based Active Life, which was founded in Glendale, was spurred on by reports about Haitian amputees.
Doty’s collection efforts will end Friday as he hopes to send a shipment of used prosthetics equipment to the shaken nation, he said.
Check out link for the whole story ----
57 Ways To Cure A Headache
With tax time starting all over, the economy, and personal problems piling up, it isn’t unusual to feel a headache coming on. With everyone from your mother to that know-it-all coworker telling you what to do, how do you know what’s right for you?
With the help of these 57 ways to cure a headache, you can learn more about dozens of ways to help your problem before trying them out. With several entries in categories ranging from traditional to alternative, you are likely to find several ways to cure a headache.
Click on link for the 57 ways to cure a headache
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Healing Hands for Haiti International
Healing Hands for Haiti International
It has been more than two weeks since the devastating magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti and our medical, rehabilitation and prosthetic fabrication facilities in Port-au-Prince. We are very relieved to report that all of our 45 local staff have been accounted for, although many lost family members and most lost their homes. Healing Hands for Haiti International has established an emergency relief fund to support them. It has been confirmed that our facilities are 80% destroyed or damaged. Only the guesthouse, which needs structural repairs, remains as a hopeful starting point for a temporary headquarters. Our plans to build Haiti’s first Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Institute have been accelerated.
The Handicap International emergency response team which includes members of Healing Hands for Haiti International and Team Canada Healing Hands, arrived within the first week and has since worked tirelessly with that organization assessing and treating victims at hospitals throughout the city, even transporting spinal chord injured to hospitals in the US. Several of our Haitian Board members who are orthopaedic surgeons operate continuously from their hospitals. Our organization is integrating with a larger consortium to provide acute rehabilitation facilities and services at the major hospital initiative near the airport.
By the end of week two, we had landed a second group of 12 senior Healing Hands for Haiti medical volunteers in Port-au-Prince. They are part of a group of 130 medical and construction personnel and a plane load of equipment, organized and donated by the Salt Lake City Utah Hospital Task Force. A make-shift clinic with power and water was immediately set up on our property and opened to the public the next day. Our team will continue to expand the staffing and services of this clinic while the main group help clean up, ensure site safety and start guesthouse repairs.
Your generous donations, offers to volunteer and to give materials towards the herculean rebuilding task mirror the response of the global community - absolutely overwhelming. On behalf of Haitians and our hard working staff and volunteers, we sincerely thank you for your continued support.
Click here for more images.
For more information or to arrange an interview:
Eric Doubt, Executive Director/ Directeur général
USA Tel: 801.349.2865 Can. Tel: 905.702.9964
It has been more than two weeks since the devastating magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti and our medical, rehabilitation and prosthetic fabrication facilities in Port-au-Prince. We are very relieved to report that all of our 45 local staff have been accounted for, although many lost family members and most lost their homes. Healing Hands for Haiti International has established an emergency relief fund to support them. It has been confirmed that our facilities are 80% destroyed or damaged. Only the guesthouse, which needs structural repairs, remains as a hopeful starting point for a temporary headquarters. Our plans to build Haiti’s first Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Institute have been accelerated.
The Handicap International emergency response team which includes members of Healing Hands for Haiti International and Team Canada Healing Hands, arrived within the first week and has since worked tirelessly with that organization assessing and treating victims at hospitals throughout the city, even transporting spinal chord injured to hospitals in the US. Several of our Haitian Board members who are orthopaedic surgeons operate continuously from their hospitals. Our organization is integrating with a larger consortium to provide acute rehabilitation facilities and services at the major hospital initiative near the airport.
By the end of week two, we had landed a second group of 12 senior Healing Hands for Haiti medical volunteers in Port-au-Prince. They are part of a group of 130 medical and construction personnel and a plane load of equipment, organized and donated by the Salt Lake City Utah Hospital Task Force. A make-shift clinic with power and water was immediately set up on our property and opened to the public the next day. Our team will continue to expand the staffing and services of this clinic while the main group help clean up, ensure site safety and start guesthouse repairs.
Your generous donations, offers to volunteer and to give materials towards the herculean rebuilding task mirror the response of the global community - absolutely overwhelming. On behalf of Haitians and our hard working staff and volunteers, we sincerely thank you for your continued support.
Click here for more images.
For more information or to arrange an interview:
Eric Doubt, Executive Director/ Directeur général
USA Tel: 801.349.2865 Can. Tel: 905.702.9964
Haitians Need Prosthetics
Monday, February 8, 2010
By Chris Meagher (Contact)
Outside St. Damien’s Children Hospital, an older man was struggling to push a woman in a wheelchair who had her legs amputated. Without a sidewalk to walk on, the skinny man was battling foot and vehicle traffic, rocks and stones piled high, and giant potholes filled with grey, smelly water deep enough to make car tires disappear.
Since the earthquake, officials estimate doctors have performed 2,000 amputations of major bones (not fingers or toes) and treated tens of thousands major bone fractures. Half of those amputations were performed on people less than 20 years old.
Visit The Santa Barbara Independent for the whole story.
By Chris Meagher (Contact)
Outside St. Damien’s Children Hospital, an older man was struggling to push a woman in a wheelchair who had her legs amputated. Without a sidewalk to walk on, the skinny man was battling foot and vehicle traffic, rocks and stones piled high, and giant potholes filled with grey, smelly water deep enough to make car tires disappear.
Since the earthquake, officials estimate doctors have performed 2,000 amputations of major bones (not fingers or toes) and treated tens of thousands major bone fractures. Half of those amputations were performed on people less than 20 years old.
Visit The Santa Barbara Independent for the whole story.
Monday, February 08, 2010
Direct Relief Commits $1.2 Million in Cash for Disability Programs in Haiti
3 Feb 2010 20:15:00 GMT
Source: Direct Relief International (DRI) - USA
Website: http://www.DirectRelief.org
Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Direct Relief International today announced that it is committing $1.2 million - approximately one-third of the cash support it has received for recovery efforts in Haiti - to support the establishment of prosthetics and orthotics services and the provision of needed assistive devices and rehabilitation to enable long-term response efforts for the people affected by the recent earthquake.
Direct Relief Emergency Preparedness and Response Director Brett Williams, who is in Haiti overseeing the organization's relief efforts, made this announcement today following consultation yesterday with other Haitian and international organizations who have formed a working group to coordinate assistance in the area of care for people who have sustained disabling conditions.
"We know this is a long-term need, and we want help start services that will be here five years from now for Haitians, and run by Haitians," said Williams.
"An additional $2 million likely will be needed, which we will work on, but we think it is important to carve out resources and begin focusing on this critical area now for the long haul," said Williams. "The funds we have received are for Haiti and Haitians, and they'll be invested in Haiti to build local capacity to sustain ongoing efforts."
Williams led Direct Relief's effort in Pakistan following the massive 2005 earthquake to help the Pakistan Institute of Prosthetic and Orthotic Sciences (PIPOS) expand five-fold its services - including the fitting and local fabrication of prosthetics and orthotics - to serve thousands of people who had been left with disabilities. The expanded service centers continue to provide essential services with locally trained staff five years later, with ongoing support from Direct Relief.
PIPOS Medical Director Dr. Bakht Sarwar is a world leader in prosthetics and orthotics services and was among the first to offer assistance to Direct Relief and its partners in Haiti after the quake.
Direct Relief has supported local health efforts in Haiti since 1964 by providing essential medicines, supplies, and equipment to dozens of partner facilities. Since the January 12 quake, Direct Relief has sped medical aid to Haitian partner facilities struggling to meet the tremendous surge of injured patients.
Meeting Immediate Needs: The organization yesterday also delivered six tons of essential medicines and medical supplies to St. Damien Hospital in Port-au-Prince, the nation's only free pediatric hospital, to help them treat injured patients.
Including yesterday's delivery to St. Damien, Direct Relief has delivered to its partners more than $5.7 million in essential medical supplies, which have been donated by dozens of healthcare company partners. An additional $18.5 million in medical material requested by partner facilities is en route and will be delivered in the next several days, which will be followed by additional infusions in the months and years ahead.
In spite of the widely reported bottlenecks of humanitarian aid, Direct Relief's assistance has reached the local healthcare facilities with which it is working, mainly because of pre-existing relations, specific targeting of aid to specific facilities that have requested them, and distribution channels to the facilities.
To ensure coordination with other aid inflows and compliance with accepted practices in emergency situations, Williams and his Direct Relief colleagues also are meeting daily with other groups in the U.N.-led health and logistics clusters to share information and plans.
With specific regard to donations of pharmaceutical products, which require specialized handling and tracking, Direct Relief is providing the World Health Organization/Pan-American Health Organization onsite event managers with detailed lists of all incoming medical material and the recipient facilities.
About Direct Relief International
Founded in 1948, Direct Relief is a Santa Barbara, California-based nonprofit organization focused on improving quality of life by bringing critically needed medicines and supplies to local healthcare providers worldwide. Direct Relief has provided more than $1 billion in privately funded humanitarian aid since 2000, including more than $150 million in assistance in the United States. It has earned a fundraising efficiency score of 99 percent or better from Forbes for the past eight years, and is ranked by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as California's largest international nonprofit organization based on private support. For more information, please visit www.DirectRelief.org.
Source: Direct Relief International (DRI) - USA
Website: http://www.DirectRelief.org
Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Direct Relief International today announced that it is committing $1.2 million - approximately one-third of the cash support it has received for recovery efforts in Haiti - to support the establishment of prosthetics and orthotics services and the provision of needed assistive devices and rehabilitation to enable long-term response efforts for the people affected by the recent earthquake.
Direct Relief Emergency Preparedness and Response Director Brett Williams, who is in Haiti overseeing the organization's relief efforts, made this announcement today following consultation yesterday with other Haitian and international organizations who have formed a working group to coordinate assistance in the area of care for people who have sustained disabling conditions.
"We know this is a long-term need, and we want help start services that will be here five years from now for Haitians, and run by Haitians," said Williams.
"An additional $2 million likely will be needed, which we will work on, but we think it is important to carve out resources and begin focusing on this critical area now for the long haul," said Williams. "The funds we have received are for Haiti and Haitians, and they'll be invested in Haiti to build local capacity to sustain ongoing efforts."
Williams led Direct Relief's effort in Pakistan following the massive 2005 earthquake to help the Pakistan Institute of Prosthetic and Orthotic Sciences (PIPOS) expand five-fold its services - including the fitting and local fabrication of prosthetics and orthotics - to serve thousands of people who had been left with disabilities. The expanded service centers continue to provide essential services with locally trained staff five years later, with ongoing support from Direct Relief.
PIPOS Medical Director Dr. Bakht Sarwar is a world leader in prosthetics and orthotics services and was among the first to offer assistance to Direct Relief and its partners in Haiti after the quake.
Direct Relief has supported local health efforts in Haiti since 1964 by providing essential medicines, supplies, and equipment to dozens of partner facilities. Since the January 12 quake, Direct Relief has sped medical aid to Haitian partner facilities struggling to meet the tremendous surge of injured patients.
Meeting Immediate Needs: The organization yesterday also delivered six tons of essential medicines and medical supplies to St. Damien Hospital in Port-au-Prince, the nation's only free pediatric hospital, to help them treat injured patients.
Including yesterday's delivery to St. Damien, Direct Relief has delivered to its partners more than $5.7 million in essential medical supplies, which have been donated by dozens of healthcare company partners. An additional $18.5 million in medical material requested by partner facilities is en route and will be delivered in the next several days, which will be followed by additional infusions in the months and years ahead.
In spite of the widely reported bottlenecks of humanitarian aid, Direct Relief's assistance has reached the local healthcare facilities with which it is working, mainly because of pre-existing relations, specific targeting of aid to specific facilities that have requested them, and distribution channels to the facilities.
To ensure coordination with other aid inflows and compliance with accepted practices in emergency situations, Williams and his Direct Relief colleagues also are meeting daily with other groups in the U.N.-led health and logistics clusters to share information and plans.
With specific regard to donations of pharmaceutical products, which require specialized handling and tracking, Direct Relief is providing the World Health Organization/Pan-American Health Organization onsite event managers with detailed lists of all incoming medical material and the recipient facilities.
About Direct Relief International
Founded in 1948, Direct Relief is a Santa Barbara, California-based nonprofit organization focused on improving quality of life by bringing critically needed medicines and supplies to local healthcare providers worldwide. Direct Relief has provided more than $1 billion in privately funded humanitarian aid since 2000, including more than $150 million in assistance in the United States. It has earned a fundraising efficiency score of 99 percent or better from Forbes for the past eight years, and is ranked by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as California's largest international nonprofit organization based on private support. For more information, please visit www.DirectRelief.org.
Direct Relief takes long-term view on Haiti aid effort By ERIC LINDBERG — Feb. 5, 2010
Approximately one third of the donations made to local medical aid organization Direct Relief International to help victims of the earthquake in Haiti will be used to establish long-term prosthetics and orthotics services.
Direct Relief officials said the organization is committing $1.2 million to provide assistive devices and rehabilitation to those who suffered disabling injuries during the mid-January quake.
“We know this is a long-term need, and we want to help start services that will be here five years from now for Haitians and run by Haitians,” Brett Williams, the nonprofit’s emergency preparedness and response director, said in a news release. “An additional $2 million like will be needed, which we will work on, but we think it is important to carve out resources and begin focusing on this critical area now for the long haul.”
In Haiti to oversee Direct Relief’s aid efforts, Williams said a working group has been formed with other Haitian and international organizations to collaborate on the long-term recovery process.
He has experience in dealing with the aftermath of an earthquake, having spent time in Pakistan following a severe earthquake in 2005. During that time, Williams helped the Pakistan Institute of Prosthetic and Orthotic Sciences expand its services to serve thousands of victims who needed to be fitted with prosthetics and orthotics.
Direct Relief has also continued addressing immediate medical needs in Haiti’s capital city, Port-au-Prince, and recently delivered six tons of essential medical supplies to St. Damien Hospital.
An additional $18.5 million in medications and supplies will be delivered in the next few days, and will be supplemented in the coming months and years, Direct Relief officials said.
“In spite of the widely reported bottlenecks of humanitarian aid, Direct Relief’s assistance has reached the local healthcare facilities with which it is working, mainly because of pre-existing relations, specific targeting of aid to specific facilities that have requested them, and distribution channels to the facilities,” according to a news release from the nonprofit.
Direct Relief officials said the organization is committing $1.2 million to provide assistive devices and rehabilitation to those who suffered disabling injuries during the mid-January quake.
“We know this is a long-term need, and we want to help start services that will be here five years from now for Haitians and run by Haitians,” Brett Williams, the nonprofit’s emergency preparedness and response director, said in a news release. “An additional $2 million like will be needed, which we will work on, but we think it is important to carve out resources and begin focusing on this critical area now for the long haul.”
In Haiti to oversee Direct Relief’s aid efforts, Williams said a working group has been formed with other Haitian and international organizations to collaborate on the long-term recovery process.
He has experience in dealing with the aftermath of an earthquake, having spent time in Pakistan following a severe earthquake in 2005. During that time, Williams helped the Pakistan Institute of Prosthetic and Orthotic Sciences expand its services to serve thousands of victims who needed to be fitted with prosthetics and orthotics.
Direct Relief has also continued addressing immediate medical needs in Haiti’s capital city, Port-au-Prince, and recently delivered six tons of essential medical supplies to St. Damien Hospital.
An additional $18.5 million in medications and supplies will be delivered in the next few days, and will be supplemented in the coming months and years, Direct Relief officials said.
“In spite of the widely reported bottlenecks of humanitarian aid, Direct Relief’s assistance has reached the local healthcare facilities with which it is working, mainly because of pre-existing relations, specific targeting of aid to specific facilities that have requested them, and distribution channels to the facilities,” according to a news release from the nonprofit.
The American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA) is seeking contributions of time, talent, materials and cash to support Haitian Amputee Relief e
The members of both the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (AAOP) and the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA) have joined together to provide support for the Haitian people. The members of the Orthotic and Prosthetic field are a generous people and they have committed their time, expertise, equipment and money to help the Haitian people recover their lives and their country.
This Web page will list the work that members of the O&P community are doing, and be the place where you can volunteer your time and resources and be connected with the groups who can make the most of your desire to help.
This Web page will list the work that members of the O&P community are doing, and be the place where you can volunteer your time and resources and be connected with the groups who can make the most of your desire to help.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Life & Limb Ministries
Come let us express our deepest appreciation for your assistance in making our 2009 missions trip a possibility.
Come see what you helped to acheive.
Interested?
Have questions?Come let us share our stories over some light refreshments.
Come let us express our deepest appreciation for your assistance in making our 2009 missions trip a possibility.
Come see what you helped to acheive.
Interested?
Have questions?Come let us share our stories over some light refreshments.
We will be sharing our plans for Haiti!!
This is not a fund raiser.
It is an awareness raiser!
Look forward to seeinig you.
Date: Friday, February 12, 2010 Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: 3435 Box Hill Corporate Ctr Dr., Suite D. Abingdon, MD 21009
Date: Saturday, February 13, 2010
Time: 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Location: 3435 Box Hill Corporate Ctr Dr., Suite D. Abingdon, MD 21009
Hospital Pain Management Transformed by University of Illinois NCSA
U. Illinois- A study conducted over a five-year period at an Illinois hospital created a pain management algorithm. The algorithm is being used to reduce the number of injuries and deaths related to errors in how pain management drugs are administered to patients in the hospital.
“A prescription is a treatment plan. And that treatment plan is, in its most general sense, an algorithm.” says Ian Brooks, head of the health sciences research group at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois.
He further explains that the processes used in developing a computer science program can further be applied to the process of prescribing medication. The definition of an algorithm is a precise set of rules for solving a problem. The study looked at prescriptions as a medical algorithm. Brooks helped create and debug the algorithm, which was tested at the OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria.
The researchers, which included nurses, doctors, pharmacists, clinical pharmacologists, quality assurance specialists and statisticians, worked with adult orthopedic surgery patients. Once anesthesia and surgical pain medications were out of the patients system, non-opioid analgesics such as acetaminophen were given. The patients were administered these non-analgesic drugs on a fixed round-the-clock schedule. This tactic cut the patients opioid medication requirements in half.
The opioid fentanyl was then given through subcutaneous catheter. The drugs were
provided via a patient controlled pump, which allowed the patients to have more control over their own pain management.
Patients reported the severity of their pain on a pain scale. The pain scale allows a patient to slide a marker to indicate the level of pain that they are experiencing. The scale went from a range of no pain on the far left, to extreme pain on the far right. Nurses would flip the scale over to see the number that corresponded to the marker placement, then follow the protocols for that pain number. The protocols also included orders to handle common post-surgical complaints such as
nausea and constipation. The algorithm has detailed protocols for responding to severe adverse reactions associated with opioid drugs.
The results of the study were very promising. During the beginning of the study there were seven severe or fatal adverse drug events (ADEs) in one month. Once the protocol was introduced and was consistently followed, the number decreased until reaching the point of zero deaths from ADEs for the final six months of the study. These results were published in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Once the study was concluded, the protocols went hospital-wide. Since the implementation of these protocols more than six years ago, the hospital has not experienced a single adverse drug event relating to opioid-based pain medication.
“The ward nurses loved it,” Brooks says. The nurses were able to easily convert pain measurements into direct action through patient care, and, more importantly, the protocol empowered them to take action.
The protocol also opened up the around the clock use of non-prescription over the counter (OTC) analgesics to reduce the patient’s need for opioids. Maintaining the dose of these OTC analgesics managed pain in patients, reducing the use of stronger drugs.
With the leaps being made in electronic medical records and expansion of the use of computers in hospital wards, the researchers believe the time is right to pursue digital prescription protocols and expand their use.
Researchers involved in the study were from NCSA, the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria, OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, and Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Chicago.
NCSA news: http://www.hospital.com/www.ncsa.illinois.edu/News/Stories/Painmgt/Thursday 14 January 2010
PLEASE VISIT http://www.hospital.com/ which are a new link on The Amputee Network Blog
Haiti amputees face dire quest for prosthetics
Prosthetics groups promise help in a land where disability can mean death
By JoNel Aleccia
Health writer
msnbc.com
updated 8:30 a.m. ET, Thurs., Jan. 28, 2010
By the time 4-year-old Schneily Similien’s parents got him to a doctor, it was too late to save his left leg.
The Haitian boy was hurt in the Jan. 12 magnitude-7 earthquake that killed at least 200,000 people and injured at least that many more. As the ground shook his family’s Port-au-Prince home, pieces of concrete ceiling came down on Schneily and his mother, Darline Similien, a 37-year-old kindergarten teacher. One large chunk crushed the child’s leg.
But after five days of searching in vain for medical care, the family had to travel to Good Samaritan Hospital in Jimani, about 45 miles away in the Dominican Republic. There, doctors had to choose between preserving the boy’s limb — or saving his life.
Please visit link above for the3 whole story.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
"Real Life Skin" visit Real Life Alloplastics, a division of Real Life Prosthetics
Our objective at Real Life is to improve the quality of life for individuals affected by disfigurement and amputation through the sensitive replication of natural anatomy.
Life-like alloplastic reconstruction not only aids in the ehabilitation of basic anatomical functions, but also helps restore emotional dignity and self-esteem, thus enabling affected individuals the ability to live more freely and functionally within our ever-growing social society.
It is our obligation, commitment, concern and search for perfection, for patients and physicians, that lead to the quality of our work. To serve humankind in the way we do, by restoring a person’s identity, is the most exciting and gratifying thing we can imagine.
Life-like alloplastic reconstruction not only aids in the ehabilitation of basic anatomical functions, but also helps restore emotional dignity and self-esteem, thus enabling affected individuals the ability to live more freely and functionally within our ever-growing social society.
It is our obligation, commitment, concern and search for perfection, for patients and physicians, that lead to the quality of our work. To serve humankind in the way we do, by restoring a person’s identity, is the most exciting and gratifying thing we can imagine.
Life & Limb Ministries Open House 2/12/10 & 2/13/10
Life & Limb Ministries Come let us express our deepest appreciation for your assistance in making our 2009 missions trip a possibility. Come see what you helped to acheive. Interested? Have questions? Come let us share our stories over some light refreshments.
We will be sharing our plans for Haiti!!
This is not a fund raiser. It is an awareness raiser! Look forward to seeinig you.
Date: Friday, February 12, 2010
Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: 3435 Box Hill Corporate Ctr Dr., Suite D. Abingdon, MD 21009
Date: Saturday, February 13, 2010
Time: 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Location: 3435 Box Hill Corporate Ctr Dr., Suite D. Abingdon, MD 21009
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Visit YouTube to see a number of videos about Real Life Prosthetics
RealLifeProsthetics
January 19, 2010
http://www.RealLifeProsthetics.com
Because Real Life Prosthetics is committed to supporting medical professionals and their patients who require prostheses, we have set high standards for ourselves. An...
January 19, 2010
http://www.RealLifeProsthetics.com
Because Real Life Prosthetics is committed to supporting medical professionals and their patients who require prostheses, we have set high standards for ourselves. An...
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Local native helping amputees in new role
By T.J. Turrisi
Amy Palmiero-Winters has had quite a journey over the past three decades. Since watching her first race with her father at age eight — and then running in her first event later that year — the 37-year-old Meadville native has covered plenty of ground.
Life & Limb Ministries Missions Trip 2009
If you are surfing the net visit Life & Limb Ministries at http://www.lifeandlimb.org
Even better visit Life & Limb Ministries on FaceBook to see additional photos and videos form their last trip between 2009 December 7, 2009 to December 12, 2009.
Life & Limb Ministries are a Christian ministry who's goal is to restore the physical as well as the spiritual life by providing prosthetic limbs and the gospel to the indegent people of Colombia, S.A.
60 prosthetics limbs have been provided over the last 8 years in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Please contribute to this wonderful non-profit organization: they can use your help.
care of
P.O. Box 1305
Abingdon, MD, 21009
Phone:410-937-9295
ALL SUPPORT IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE
Article: New prosthetics and orthotics research from J.A. Adderson et al outlined.(Report)
According to recent research published in the journal Prosthetics and Orthotics International, "The primary objective was to test the hypothesis that walking with a shock-absorbing pylon (SAP) decreases the peak magnitude and frequency content of the heel-strike-initiated shock wave transmitted to the stump (see also Prosthetics and Orthotics). The secondary hypotheses were that walking with a SAP decreases the heel-strike transient force between the ground and the foot and increases function as measured by walking velocity and subjective assessments."
"Seven people with unilateral trans-tibial amputations walked at self-selected speeds without and with a SAP. As ...
go to link for the whole story........
"Seven people with unilateral trans-tibial amputations walked at self-selected speeds without and with a SAP. As ...
go to link for the whole story........
By Sheldon Scruggs
Times Herald-Record
Posted: January 13, 2010 - 2:00 AM
People tend to take a lot of things for granted.
For instance, take our hands. Every day, without thinking about it, we use them to grasp all kinds of objects. But suppose you didn't have an opposable thumb or were missing one or more fingers? Suppose you had no hand at all?
Accidents and diseases such as meningitis and diabetes result in 50,000 new amputations every year in the U.S., according to the National Center for Health Statistics. It's estimated that 41,000 people in the U.S. are missing a whole hand or arm. In fact, the most common upper-body amputations are partial-hand, where one or more fingers are missing..........
Go to the link for the whole story.
Hanger Orthopedic Group To Relocate Headquarters to Austin
BETHESDA, Md. Jan. 12 -- Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc. (NYSE:HGR) announced today that it expects to report record fourth quarter sales of approximately $205 million. Given the higher than expected sales volume and continued emphasis on cost control, the Company expects to report earnings per share in the range of $0.35 to $0.38 for the quarter.
The revised earnings per share estimate represents between 35% and 46% growth for the quarter. Based on the new fourth quarter estimates, the Company expects to report approximately $760 million in sales and earnings per share in the range of $1.10 to $1.13 for the full year.
"Our employees did an outstanding job generating another record year of sales and profits," Hanger Orthopedic Group President and CEO Tom Kirk said. "I am very proud of their efforts and accomplishments throughout 2009."
The Company also announced the decision to relocate its corporate headquarters to Austin, Texas from Bethesda, Maryland. Hanger's new Austin headquarters will provide ample space for future growth, improved operational efficiency, and an enhanced quality of life for corporate employees. Austin's central location in the United States will also facilitate improved communication with Hanger's national footprint of more than 700 patient care centers and supporting operational locations. Before deciding on Austin, Hanger completed an analysis of numerous cities nationwide, including the greater Washington, DC metro area. The relocation is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2010.
"As the market leader of the orthotic and prosthetic profession in the United States, we promote creativity and innovation in our business operations. Our new location embodies this spirit and will serve as an ideal environment for us to continue our growth and disciplined diversification strategy," Kirk said. "Additionally, we are impressed with the professionalism and the support afforded to us by the State of Texas and the City of Austin in facilitating our decision-making process. Their outstanding assistance packages were a key element of this support. We would also like to recognize the helpful role played by the Austin Chamber of Commerce."
In consideration of its 130+ Bethesda-based corporate employees, Hanger is offering relocation opportunities for all eligible staff members who have an interest in moving to Austin, as well as comprehensive separation packages including severance agreements and benefits continuation for employees who choose not to relocate.
The relocation is expected to provide an excellent return on investment without having any negative material impact on operations. Additional information regarding the relocation, as well as details of the fourth quarter performance and guidance for 2010, will be discussed on Hanger's fourth quarter earnings release conference call at 9:00am EST on February 11, 2010. Call-in information will be available soon in the newsroom of www.hanger.com.
About Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc.:
Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc., headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, is the world's premier provider of orthotic and prosthetic patient care services. Hanger is the market leader in the United States, owning and operating 669 patient care centers in 45 states and the District of Columbia, with over 3,700 employees including 1,095 practitioners (as of September 30, 2009). Hanger is organized into four units. The two key operating units are patient care, which consists of nationwide orthotic and prosthetic practice centers, and distribution, which consists of distribution centers managing the supply chain of orthotic and prosthetic componentry to Hanger and third party patient care centers. The third is Linkia, which is the first and only provider network management company for the orthotics and prosthetics industry. The fourth unit, Innovative Neurotronics, introduces emerging neuromuscular technologies developed through independent research in a collaborative effort with industry suppliers worldwide. For more information on Innovative Neurotronics, Inc. or the WalkAide®, visit www.ininc.us. For more information on Hanger, visit www.hanger.com.
The revised earnings per share estimate represents between 35% and 46% growth for the quarter. Based on the new fourth quarter estimates, the Company expects to report approximately $760 million in sales and earnings per share in the range of $1.10 to $1.13 for the full year.
"Our employees did an outstanding job generating another record year of sales and profits," Hanger Orthopedic Group President and CEO Tom Kirk said. "I am very proud of their efforts and accomplishments throughout 2009."
The Company also announced the decision to relocate its corporate headquarters to Austin, Texas from Bethesda, Maryland. Hanger's new Austin headquarters will provide ample space for future growth, improved operational efficiency, and an enhanced quality of life for corporate employees. Austin's central location in the United States will also facilitate improved communication with Hanger's national footprint of more than 700 patient care centers and supporting operational locations. Before deciding on Austin, Hanger completed an analysis of numerous cities nationwide, including the greater Washington, DC metro area. The relocation is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2010.
"As the market leader of the orthotic and prosthetic profession in the United States, we promote creativity and innovation in our business operations. Our new location embodies this spirit and will serve as an ideal environment for us to continue our growth and disciplined diversification strategy," Kirk said. "Additionally, we are impressed with the professionalism and the support afforded to us by the State of Texas and the City of Austin in facilitating our decision-making process. Their outstanding assistance packages were a key element of this support. We would also like to recognize the helpful role played by the Austin Chamber of Commerce."
In consideration of its 130+ Bethesda-based corporate employees, Hanger is offering relocation opportunities for all eligible staff members who have an interest in moving to Austin, as well as comprehensive separation packages including severance agreements and benefits continuation for employees who choose not to relocate.
The relocation is expected to provide an excellent return on investment without having any negative material impact on operations. Additional information regarding the relocation, as well as details of the fourth quarter performance and guidance for 2010, will be discussed on Hanger's fourth quarter earnings release conference call at 9:00am EST on February 11, 2010. Call-in information will be available soon in the newsroom of www.hanger.com.
About Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc.:
Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc., headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, is the world's premier provider of orthotic and prosthetic patient care services. Hanger is the market leader in the United States, owning and operating 669 patient care centers in 45 states and the District of Columbia, with over 3,700 employees including 1,095 practitioners (as of September 30, 2009). Hanger is organized into four units. The two key operating units are patient care, which consists of nationwide orthotic and prosthetic practice centers, and distribution, which consists of distribution centers managing the supply chain of orthotic and prosthetic componentry to Hanger and third party patient care centers. The third is Linkia, which is the first and only provider network management company for the orthotics and prosthetics industry. The fourth unit, Innovative Neurotronics, introduces emerging neuromuscular technologies developed through independent research in a collaborative effort with industry suppliers worldwide. For more information on Innovative Neurotronics, Inc. or the WalkAide®, visit www.ininc.us. For more information on Hanger, visit www.hanger.com.
Monday, January 04, 2010
Diabetes Rates Continue to Soar
Diabetes Rates Continue to Soar
Diabetes in America is a big problem, and many people seem to be suffering from it. Recent studies have been conducted and all indications are that the diabetes rate could double in 25 years and spending on the disease will nearly triple. Between the aging population and the dramatic rise in obesity, the perfect storm for the rise in diabetes has begun. The cost of caring for diabetes patients is about $113 billion annually, while the projected cost could be in the neighborhood of $336 billion by 2034. About 23 million Americans are suffering from this disease today, and that is way too much. The projected amount in 25 years could exceed 44 million Americans, and that will certainly be a serious issue. Diabetes patients will be older and sicker and will require more expensive medical care, thus the costs will outpace the increase in cases by far.
Natilia Vermiz
natilia.meningitis.com@gmail.com
Best wishes,
James M. Wilson Sr., CO RPA
Diabetes in America is a big problem, and many people seem to be suffering from it. Recent studies have been conducted and all indications are that the diabetes rate could double in 25 years and spending on the disease will nearly triple. Between the aging population and the dramatic rise in obesity, the perfect storm for the rise in diabetes has begun. The cost of caring for diabetes patients is about $113 billion annually, while the projected cost could be in the neighborhood of $336 billion by 2034. About 23 million Americans are suffering from this disease today, and that is way too much. The projected amount in 25 years could exceed 44 million Americans, and that will certainly be a serious issue. Diabetes patients will be older and sicker and will require more expensive medical care, thus the costs will outpace the increase in cases by far.
Age becomes the biggest factor when talking about type 2 diabetes. Baby boomers are transitioning from middle to old age, and will drive much of the costs. By 2034, half of all direct spending in diabetes care is projected to occur with the 8 million Americans covered by Medicare. So while there is literally nothing we can do about the aging of our population, much can be done about the other major risk factor for type 2 diabetes disease, obesity. Obesity is certainly an issue in the United States and about 65% of all Americans are overweight. The obesity rate has doubled from 1980 to 2004, but it appears to have stabilized since then.
So while Americans continue to age and drive up the costs of diabetes in the future, there can be something done about obesity. Studies indicate that as little as 30 minutes of exercise five or more days a week can drastically cut down on the risk getting diabetes. People that take the time to cut about 7% of their body weight will be much better off. Doing nothing right now could cost billions in the long run. If there is anyone you know who is affected by this, then spread the word. Exercise can truly save your life.
Article bynatilia.meningitis.com@gmail.com
Best wishes,
James M. Wilson Sr., CO RPA
Sunday, December 13, 2009
New bionic digits help mimic lost fingers
Touch Bionics of Britain has developed prosthetic fingers that help people who've lost digits to do things such as cut food and get dressed on their own
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
The Iron Man: A Meningitis Miracle
How I beat a disease that almost killed me.
By Mike LaForgia, as told to Irene S. Levine, PhD From Reader's Digest
Fighting a Rare and Deadly Disease
I hold a special place in my close-knit Italian family. At 42, I'm the baby brother of three older sisters. My folks retired to Maine more than 20 years ago, and two of my sisters followed them. Since then, all of us get together with our families each year after Christmas Day. My wife, Donna, and I drive up and rent a big hotel suite in the coastal community of South Portland, where about 20 of us have dinner and usher in the New Year.
On December 31, 2004, after dinner, we were swimming in the indoor pool, just fooling around, playing hide-and-seek and having fun. At midnight, we gathered around the TV to watch the ball drop, kissed and hugged, and said goodbye to those who were leaving. Donna and I were exhausted after we got the kids to bed. Nine-year-old Michael and six-year-old Jenna had made the trip (12-year-old Kaelyn lives in Georgia with her mom). I think we fell asleep the minute we hit our pillows.
But I awoke just after 2 a.m. with what seemed like a nasty case of the flu. I had an excruciating headache and terrible chills. My body was shaking so violently that I was literally bouncing on the bed. Overcome by nausea, I spent the early-morning hours dragging back and forth to and from the bathroom.
We decided to cut our holiday short and head home to Smithtown, Long Island. Donna called my mom and dad to let them know that we were all leaving.
Donna loaded our bags into the SUV and got in the driver's seat while I sat next to her, knuckling down for the seven-hour trip. Michael, Jenna and our dog, Chip, a King Charles spaniel, were in the backseat. At one point, I threw up into a plastic bag. I knew it was horrifying for Donna and the kids to see me so sick and weak. I was an avid runner and athlete who prided himself in being strong and physically fit.
By the time we made it home, at around five that evening, I was barely able to drag myself upstairs to bed. It never occurred to us to go to a hospital, because we were so sure this was only the flu.
Last-Ditch Effort
At about 2 a.m. on January 2, I woke up and headed for the bathroom. Donna must have been sleeping with one eye open. When I returned to bed, she turned a light on and was shocked to see deep purple blotches that looked like broken blood vessels all over my face. She quickly threw on some clothes and phoned her older brother to ask if he could stay with the kids. Soon I wasn't able to stand on my own, so my strong-willed five-foot-four wife heaped my 200-pound body on her back with strength even she didn't know she possessed and, like a firefighter, got me downstairs and into the car. We sped off to a local hospital.
Soon after we arrived, the ER staff tried hooking me up to IVs, but my veins kept collapsing and the staff couldn't insert the needles. My heartbeat and respiration were extremely rapid. A specialist was called to put in a central IV for antibiotics and fluids. The doctors didn't know what was wrong, but they wondered if I'd developed a pulmonary embolism as a result of the long car trip.
More specialists were called in around 4 a.m. as Donna and several nurses circled around, trying to make me more comfortable. Later that morning, I had a CAT scan, to look for an embolism, and a VQ scan, which shows whether blood is circulating freely through the lungs. The results of both were negative, but an echocardiogram showed some weakening of my heart. Suddenly I went into severe septic shock with multiple organ failure: My liver, kidneys and other organs were shutting down. Donna followed as I was wheeled into the ICU. A hematologist was brought in to consult. He told Donna that I had disseminated intravascular coagulation, or DIC, a condition that causes blood to coagulate irregularly, leading to bleeding throughout the body. Over the next week, Donna watched helplessly as my nose, arms and limbs all turned from purple to black. We later learned that this was my body's way of preserving the really important stuff, like my heart and brain, by decreasing the blood flow to my extremities. A staffer asked Donna, as my health care proxy, for permission to place me under heavy sedation and hook me up to a respirator to help me breathe more easily. She had no choice but to agree to what sounded like a last-ditch effort.
The rest of the LaForgia clan arrived from Maine by one that afternoon. Each person was allowed in my room for a few minutes before I was placed on the respirator. At four, the medical staff told Donna she had to leave while they got me ready. She kissed my cheek and whispered that she would be back soon. Most of my memories from then on are based on Donna's retelling of the story. One of the doctors told Donna there was nothing else they could do—and that I probably wouldn't make it through the night. Still, there was no definitive diagnosis of what had made a young, healthy man so sick in such a short time.
The only hope was to have me transferred to another hospital, though the staff felt strongly that I wouldn't survive the trip. They were willing to release me, but Donna had to be the one to find a hospital that would take someone so critically ill.
Scrambling for Help
Donna mobilized the group in the waiting room to contact different hospitals. But after learning of my vitals, none would accept me. My sister Teresa calls the waiting room scenario my "big fat Italian hospital scene." My sisters are very emotional, and they were all crying. Adding to the confusion, everyone had a different opinion about what to do next. Donna remained calm and steady, making one last call for advice to a doctor we knew, who suggested Stony Brook University Medical Center. The hospital sent an ambulance and rushed me to the ER.
Donna was told she couldn't go with me. What if I died in the ambulance, she worried, and she couldn't be with me at the end, holding my hand? By that time, Donna had been awake for more than 20 hours straight. When she arrived at the ER at 10:30 that night, she was totally exhausted and finally broke down crying.
At Stony Brook, several doctors examined me and reviewed my records. Things were so grim that they urged Donna to call a priest to administer last rites. They told her they weren't certain about what had caused the septic shock, but felt that rapid and aggressive treatment with antibiotics was the only way to face down the unknown attackers. Because of the DIC and the risk of uncontrolled bleeding, they'd been unable to do a spinal tap, which may have aided in making a conclusive diagnosis.
The IV fluids and the fact that my kidneys weren't working caused me to balloon more than 60 pounds overnight. Donna says I was completely unrecognizable. Every feature of my face was swollen—it looked like I was turned inside out.
My fever spiked to 105.7. Donna told me that one by one, family members came to say their farewells. After rubbing me down with alcohol, she and Teresa put chairs together in the waiting room to catch some sleep. Miraculously, I survived the night.
I remained in critical condition for the next seven days. I was placed on dialysis, and the doctors suspected that my kidney function wouldn't return. Donna and my family were worried about brain damage. The doctors were concerned that if I was lucky enough to survive, I'd lose my nose, hands and feet from the prolonged loss of blood flow.
On January 3, my second day at Stony Brook, the hospital asked for Donna's permission to use a special new medication to treat the inflammation from the infection that was raging through my bloodstream. She gave the go-ahead.
Out of The Dark
On January 9, after I'd spent eight days sedated with Donna at my bedside, suddenly I moved my arm. Excited, Donna took the movement as a sign that things had changed and that I might actually make it through this nightmare. The next morning, I opened my eyes for the first time. Two hours later, the respirator was removed, and I was breathing on my own.
No one is positive about what made me so sick or what finally triggered my recovery. But I now believe that I had meningococcal sepsis, also called meningococcemia, a bacterial infection of the blood that is frequently hard to diagnose and difficult to treat. Although my doctors at Stony Brook had no way to confirm it definitively, they do say the infection was aggressive enough to have been this type of rare and often deadly meningitis. I remained in the hospital for two months and spent five more months in physical rehab.
Because I'd been a runner and triathlete since my early 30s, I was in excellent condition, and the doctors say that contributed to my ability to recover. They were able to save my hands, although my nose has some scarring. I lost all the toes on both feet and the arch and heel of my right foot. On Valentine's Day, 2005, the doctors worked nine hours to use my right lat muscle to rebuild my right foot, which they covered with a skin graft from my thigh.
With great effort, I slowly progressed from a wheelchair to a walker, then to crutches and finally a cane. I left the hospital in March 2005, and in late May, I returned to work as a vice president and program manager for technology with JP MorganChase.
Since then, I've had several more reconstructive operations, including a knee surgery and a reduction of the right foot to help it to fit into a shoe. In the past, I'd completed two New York City marathons as well as a Half Ironman in Florida. But now I just dreamed of getting back into a pair of Nike sneakers for running, bike shoes for racing and dress shoes for work.
Before deciding on an elective amputation of my right leg in June 2006, I interviewed dozens of amputees, who convinced me that the operation would enhance my mobility and improve my quality of life. After the surgery, I was fitted with two customized running legs and a customized cycling prosthetic.
I'll never know exactly how I contracted meningococcemia. The evening before that New Year's Eve, we were in a crowded auditorium for a show with my family. It could have been something as innocuous as standing next to an asymptomatic infected person who coughed or sneezed on me in a crowded room.
One of the gifts that came from this vicious disease: I've achieved a better balance in my life, between work, home and community. Also, I always knew that Donna was a remarkably capable and strong woman. But after this experience, I realized that relationships aren't measured by just the good times. How you respond to great challenges, even to loss, can define a relationship. It certainly strengthened the already strong bond between us.
I've got my athletic spirit back, but now I compete in 10K's or triathlons to raise awareness and funding for challenged athletes. I'm also active on the advisory board of the National Meningitis Association, a nonprofit organization founded by five parents whose children died or live with permanent disabilities from the disease. If I can prevent one other person from suffering from this, it will be worth it. I also hope to use my return to running and biking to raise awareness about meningococcal disease and the new vaccine that can help prevent it.
For more information about the symptoms and effects of deadly meningococcal disease, who's at risk, and how you can prevent it with the vaccine, go to rd.com/meningitis.
An Expert's View of This Case
This is a classic, not so rare, example of how tough it can be to definitively diagnose meningococcal disease. When someone has disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and goes into septic shock, there is often no time to do a spinal tap. To preserve life, the acceptable medical practice is to administer broad-spectrum antibiotics as rapidly as possible," says Paul A. Offit, MD, chief of infectious diseases at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and author of Vaccinated: One Man's Quest to Defeat the World’s Deadliest Diseases.
A New Way to Run:
After additional elective amputations on both legs to improve his mobility, Mike LaForgia was not only on his feet again only six months after surgery, but he was running and cycling with the help of high-tech prosthetics. Erik Schaffer, CP (certified prosthetist), owner of A Step Ahead Prosthetics & Orthotics in Hicksville, New York, helped fit Mike with custom-fabricated carbon graphite legs that enable him to compete once again in running and triathlons. Mike is a member of Team A Step Ahead, a team of challenged athletes who receive specialized coaching and physical therapy from the company.
Comments :
By C Evans, 10/15/2009, 6:45 PM EDT
My father died November 1990 of Septic/Meningitis, the only thing he had did was he had just taken a flu shot.Can you please tell me if the iron man in this article had a flu shot. I know of another case where a young man had also just had a flu shot and developed meningitis and died.I will never have a flu shot but I am interested to know if this is more common then we know. Thanks you, for sharing this story. C Evans
By blevinse, 09/04/2008, 3:48 PM EDT
This story mirrors one that, sadly, did not end in a miracle. My 39-year-old brother died in the ICU from sepsis. His symptoms were identical. It appeared to be the flu. These strains of infection are very deadly, yet we seldom hear about them. It was, and continues to be, a shock to our family.
By Mike LaForgia, as told to Irene S. Levine, PhD From Reader's Digest
Fighting a Rare and Deadly Disease
I hold a special place in my close-knit Italian family. At 42, I'm the baby brother of three older sisters. My folks retired to Maine more than 20 years ago, and two of my sisters followed them. Since then, all of us get together with our families each year after Christmas Day. My wife, Donna, and I drive up and rent a big hotel suite in the coastal community of South Portland, where about 20 of us have dinner and usher in the New Year.
On December 31, 2004, after dinner, we were swimming in the indoor pool, just fooling around, playing hide-and-seek and having fun. At midnight, we gathered around the TV to watch the ball drop, kissed and hugged, and said goodbye to those who were leaving. Donna and I were exhausted after we got the kids to bed. Nine-year-old Michael and six-year-old Jenna had made the trip (12-year-old Kaelyn lives in Georgia with her mom). I think we fell asleep the minute we hit our pillows.
But I awoke just after 2 a.m. with what seemed like a nasty case of the flu. I had an excruciating headache and terrible chills. My body was shaking so violently that I was literally bouncing on the bed. Overcome by nausea, I spent the early-morning hours dragging back and forth to and from the bathroom.
We decided to cut our holiday short and head home to Smithtown, Long Island. Donna called my mom and dad to let them know that we were all leaving.
Donna loaded our bags into the SUV and got in the driver's seat while I sat next to her, knuckling down for the seven-hour trip. Michael, Jenna and our dog, Chip, a King Charles spaniel, were in the backseat. At one point, I threw up into a plastic bag. I knew it was horrifying for Donna and the kids to see me so sick and weak. I was an avid runner and athlete who prided himself in being strong and physically fit.
By the time we made it home, at around five that evening, I was barely able to drag myself upstairs to bed. It never occurred to us to go to a hospital, because we were so sure this was only the flu.
Last-Ditch Effort
At about 2 a.m. on January 2, I woke up and headed for the bathroom. Donna must have been sleeping with one eye open. When I returned to bed, she turned a light on and was shocked to see deep purple blotches that looked like broken blood vessels all over my face. She quickly threw on some clothes and phoned her older brother to ask if he could stay with the kids. Soon I wasn't able to stand on my own, so my strong-willed five-foot-four wife heaped my 200-pound body on her back with strength even she didn't know she possessed and, like a firefighter, got me downstairs and into the car. We sped off to a local hospital.
Soon after we arrived, the ER staff tried hooking me up to IVs, but my veins kept collapsing and the staff couldn't insert the needles. My heartbeat and respiration were extremely rapid. A specialist was called to put in a central IV for antibiotics and fluids. The doctors didn't know what was wrong, but they wondered if I'd developed a pulmonary embolism as a result of the long car trip.
More specialists were called in around 4 a.m. as Donna and several nurses circled around, trying to make me more comfortable. Later that morning, I had a CAT scan, to look for an embolism, and a VQ scan, which shows whether blood is circulating freely through the lungs. The results of both were negative, but an echocardiogram showed some weakening of my heart. Suddenly I went into severe septic shock with multiple organ failure: My liver, kidneys and other organs were shutting down. Donna followed as I was wheeled into the ICU. A hematologist was brought in to consult. He told Donna that I had disseminated intravascular coagulation, or DIC, a condition that causes blood to coagulate irregularly, leading to bleeding throughout the body. Over the next week, Donna watched helplessly as my nose, arms and limbs all turned from purple to black. We later learned that this was my body's way of preserving the really important stuff, like my heart and brain, by decreasing the blood flow to my extremities. A staffer asked Donna, as my health care proxy, for permission to place me under heavy sedation and hook me up to a respirator to help me breathe more easily. She had no choice but to agree to what sounded like a last-ditch effort.
The rest of the LaForgia clan arrived from Maine by one that afternoon. Each person was allowed in my room for a few minutes before I was placed on the respirator. At four, the medical staff told Donna she had to leave while they got me ready. She kissed my cheek and whispered that she would be back soon. Most of my memories from then on are based on Donna's retelling of the story. One of the doctors told Donna there was nothing else they could do—and that I probably wouldn't make it through the night. Still, there was no definitive diagnosis of what had made a young, healthy man so sick in such a short time.
The only hope was to have me transferred to another hospital, though the staff felt strongly that I wouldn't survive the trip. They were willing to release me, but Donna had to be the one to find a hospital that would take someone so critically ill.
Scrambling for Help
Donna mobilized the group in the waiting room to contact different hospitals. But after learning of my vitals, none would accept me. My sister Teresa calls the waiting room scenario my "big fat Italian hospital scene." My sisters are very emotional, and they were all crying. Adding to the confusion, everyone had a different opinion about what to do next. Donna remained calm and steady, making one last call for advice to a doctor we knew, who suggested Stony Brook University Medical Center. The hospital sent an ambulance and rushed me to the ER.
Donna was told she couldn't go with me. What if I died in the ambulance, she worried, and she couldn't be with me at the end, holding my hand? By that time, Donna had been awake for more than 20 hours straight. When she arrived at the ER at 10:30 that night, she was totally exhausted and finally broke down crying.
At Stony Brook, several doctors examined me and reviewed my records. Things were so grim that they urged Donna to call a priest to administer last rites. They told her they weren't certain about what had caused the septic shock, but felt that rapid and aggressive treatment with antibiotics was the only way to face down the unknown attackers. Because of the DIC and the risk of uncontrolled bleeding, they'd been unable to do a spinal tap, which may have aided in making a conclusive diagnosis.
The IV fluids and the fact that my kidneys weren't working caused me to balloon more than 60 pounds overnight. Donna says I was completely unrecognizable. Every feature of my face was swollen—it looked like I was turned inside out.
My fever spiked to 105.7. Donna told me that one by one, family members came to say their farewells. After rubbing me down with alcohol, she and Teresa put chairs together in the waiting room to catch some sleep. Miraculously, I survived the night.
I remained in critical condition for the next seven days. I was placed on dialysis, and the doctors suspected that my kidney function wouldn't return. Donna and my family were worried about brain damage. The doctors were concerned that if I was lucky enough to survive, I'd lose my nose, hands and feet from the prolonged loss of blood flow.
On January 3, my second day at Stony Brook, the hospital asked for Donna's permission to use a special new medication to treat the inflammation from the infection that was raging through my bloodstream. She gave the go-ahead.
Out of The Dark
On January 9, after I'd spent eight days sedated with Donna at my bedside, suddenly I moved my arm. Excited, Donna took the movement as a sign that things had changed and that I might actually make it through this nightmare. The next morning, I opened my eyes for the first time. Two hours later, the respirator was removed, and I was breathing on my own.
No one is positive about what made me so sick or what finally triggered my recovery. But I now believe that I had meningococcal sepsis, also called meningococcemia, a bacterial infection of the blood that is frequently hard to diagnose and difficult to treat. Although my doctors at Stony Brook had no way to confirm it definitively, they do say the infection was aggressive enough to have been this type of rare and often deadly meningitis. I remained in the hospital for two months and spent five more months in physical rehab.
Because I'd been a runner and triathlete since my early 30s, I was in excellent condition, and the doctors say that contributed to my ability to recover. They were able to save my hands, although my nose has some scarring. I lost all the toes on both feet and the arch and heel of my right foot. On Valentine's Day, 2005, the doctors worked nine hours to use my right lat muscle to rebuild my right foot, which they covered with a skin graft from my thigh.
With great effort, I slowly progressed from a wheelchair to a walker, then to crutches and finally a cane. I left the hospital in March 2005, and in late May, I returned to work as a vice president and program manager for technology with JP MorganChase.
Since then, I've had several more reconstructive operations, including a knee surgery and a reduction of the right foot to help it to fit into a shoe. In the past, I'd completed two New York City marathons as well as a Half Ironman in Florida. But now I just dreamed of getting back into a pair of Nike sneakers for running, bike shoes for racing and dress shoes for work.
Before deciding on an elective amputation of my right leg in June 2006, I interviewed dozens of amputees, who convinced me that the operation would enhance my mobility and improve my quality of life. After the surgery, I was fitted with two customized running legs and a customized cycling prosthetic.
I'll never know exactly how I contracted meningococcemia. The evening before that New Year's Eve, we were in a crowded auditorium for a show with my family. It could have been something as innocuous as standing next to an asymptomatic infected person who coughed or sneezed on me in a crowded room.
One of the gifts that came from this vicious disease: I've achieved a better balance in my life, between work, home and community. Also, I always knew that Donna was a remarkably capable and strong woman. But after this experience, I realized that relationships aren't measured by just the good times. How you respond to great challenges, even to loss, can define a relationship. It certainly strengthened the already strong bond between us.
I've got my athletic spirit back, but now I compete in 10K's or triathlons to raise awareness and funding for challenged athletes. I'm also active on the advisory board of the National Meningitis Association, a nonprofit organization founded by five parents whose children died or live with permanent disabilities from the disease. If I can prevent one other person from suffering from this, it will be worth it. I also hope to use my return to running and biking to raise awareness about meningococcal disease and the new vaccine that can help prevent it.
For more information about the symptoms and effects of deadly meningococcal disease, who's at risk, and how you can prevent it with the vaccine, go to rd.com/meningitis.
An Expert's View of This Case
This is a classic, not so rare, example of how tough it can be to definitively diagnose meningococcal disease. When someone has disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and goes into septic shock, there is often no time to do a spinal tap. To preserve life, the acceptable medical practice is to administer broad-spectrum antibiotics as rapidly as possible," says Paul A. Offit, MD, chief of infectious diseases at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and author of Vaccinated: One Man's Quest to Defeat the World’s Deadliest Diseases.
A New Way to Run:
After additional elective amputations on both legs to improve his mobility, Mike LaForgia was not only on his feet again only six months after surgery, but he was running and cycling with the help of high-tech prosthetics. Erik Schaffer, CP (certified prosthetist), owner of A Step Ahead Prosthetics & Orthotics in Hicksville, New York, helped fit Mike with custom-fabricated carbon graphite legs that enable him to compete once again in running and triathlons. Mike is a member of Team A Step Ahead, a team of challenged athletes who receive specialized coaching and physical therapy from the company.
Comments :
By C Evans, 10/15/2009, 6:45 PM EDT
My father died November 1990 of Septic/Meningitis, the only thing he had did was he had just taken a flu shot.Can you please tell me if the iron man in this article had a flu shot. I know of another case where a young man had also just had a flu shot and developed meningitis and died.I will never have a flu shot but I am interested to know if this is more common then we know. Thanks you, for sharing this story. C Evans
By blevinse, 09/04/2008, 3:48 PM EDT
This story mirrors one that, sadly, did not end in a miracle. My 39-year-old brother died in the ICU from sepsis. His symptoms were identical. It appeared to be the flu. These strains of infection are very deadly, yet we seldom hear about them. It was, and continues to be, a shock to our family.
Information on Meningitis from www.Disease.com
Last year, 850 United States citizens woke up with a slightly stiff neck and the hint of a headache. A day or so later, they contracted a fever. Four days later, the individual is experiencing insensate vomiting and even the occasional seizure. Two weeks, after all the symptoms began; they are dead. This is the haunting journey of meningitis; a disease which claims over 200,000 deaths a year.
1. Meningitis is fast acting infection, which mainly affects children and individuals with a weak immune system. There are two separate kinds of meningitis; viral and bacterial. Viral meningitis is actually quite common. Although in rare cases, it has caused fevers and seizures, it is not a serious illness. Bacterial meningitis, on the other hand, is an extremely serious disease. If not immediately treated, the disease can cause brain damage, and death.
2. The disease, Meningitis, is an inflammation in lining of the spine and the brain.
3. The bacteria surrounding the cause of bacterial meningitis are very common. Each bacteria, can be naturally be found in the nose and throat, in mainly young adults and children. The Meningitis bacteria is spread through coughing, sneezing, and kissing. It is extremely rare that the bacteria actually becomes viral; damaging the immune system.
4. Initially, the symptoms of meningitis will be directly correlated to the inflammation (eg. stiff neck or headaches). Eventually the individual will begin to experience vomiting, and even seizures.
5. If you or a loved one begins to experience symptoms of meningitis, make sure to contact a doctor immediately. Depending on whether the patient is a child or an adult, the doctor will prescribe a different injection. The meningitis C is the vaccination for children, and the pneumococcal vaccin, for adults.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
A Small Town Musician Becomes the Standard Bearer for Victims of Drug Company Negligence - Diana Winn Levine
—Diana Winn Levine
I lost my right hand due to a faulty prescription drug label. Now we may all be on the brink of losing our rights to hold drug companies accountable through the state court system when things go horribly wrong due to their products.
Wyeth v. Levine, which the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear in November, is a case that has forced me into the position of defending the rights of all consumers against a pharmaceutical giant. Wyeth wants the court to decide that drug companies cannot be held accountable for their products – even when they hurt or kill someone – so long as those products have received FDA approval. If the Supreme Court accepts Wyeth’s claims that the approval of the FDA, however ill-informed in this instance, trumps the judgment of a citizen jury regarding corporate negligence, it will be upending a very basic foundation of justice in this country. Such a result could make the big drug companies — and, by extension, all other regulated companies — immune to all future claims by injured parties.
How It All Came To This
In April 2000, I went to my local health clinic in Plainfield, Vermont, suffering from a severe migraine. There a physician’s assistant gave me a shot of Demerol for the pain and, to curb the nausea, an IV injection of Phenergan, a drug made by the major pharmaceutical company Wyeth. While it was administered in a way allowed by Wyeth, per the instructions on their labeling for the drug, the Phenergan entered my artery rather than my vein. The consequence of this simple mishap? — within six weeks my right hand had turned black, swollen up, and died. I went through two amputations and ended up losing my right hand and forearm.
This would have been devastating for anybody. It was catastrophic for me. I had played bass, guitar and piano, and had been a professional musician for over 30 years. Up until that day I had an active performing career and a successful music production business. Music was my life.
It turns out that what happened to me was completely avoidable. Wyeth knew that Phenergan — the sole benefit of which is to prevent vomiting — can cause gangrene and tissue death if it is accidentally injected into an artery. This is possible if the drug is administered via the “IV-Push” method, as it was with me. And yet, inexplicably, the instructions that Wyeth provides with their product include this method as an option, along with other perfectly safe modes of administration. The company knew that a simple change in their instructions on how to administer the drug would prevent an injury like mine... knew it, and did nothing.
As a result of the loss of my hand, I suffered huge medical bills and a crippling blow to my music business. I decided to sue to try to recover some measure of compensation for all I had lost. Wyeth sent in five lawyers to defend themselves from my claim, but I and my local attorney helped the jury see that Wyeth was negligent and my loss avoidable; that they were knowingly providing their product with a label that could lead it to being administered in an extremely dangerous — and utterly unnecessary — manner.
Following the jury trial, Wyeth did not appeal the amount of the award or even the decision that it was at fault. Nor did they pay so much as a penny to help me recover from my injury. Instead, they pursued their position that, because the federal Food and Drug Administration had approved the informational label they were using for their drug, they could not be held accountable for any damages that resulted from following that label. Our Supreme Court in Vermont, like every other appeals court in America that has faced such a claim, rejected it. They affirmed that Wyeth is responsible for its own negligence, and that people can sue drug companies when their products cause injuries. Nevertheless, Wyeth appealed this decision to the U. S. Supreme Court. And stunningly, although the Court takes up just a tiny fraction of the cases that are submitted to it, they have decided to hear Wyeth’s appeal this fall.
This is deeply disturbing to me. For 70 years individuals have been able to seek compensation in cases like mine, and neither Congress nor the Courts have ever considered changing this fundamental rule. But now I am afraid that, in their willingness to review this case, the Supreme Court may be prepared to take a very radical step...
The FDA clearly did not appreciate the risks when it approved the label that Wyeth includes with Phenergan. But Wyeth did, which is why the jury found them responsible for the very real damage that resulted. I lost my right hand and my livelihood because of Wyeth — and if the mere fact of FDA oversight means that a company like Wyeth does not have to face the consequences of its own failings, that does not bode well for the future safety of any of us. I hope that the Court will reject this attempt to strip us of our rights, and leave intact the jury system for determining justice in matters of corporate negligence. And I hope my own disfigurement may serve as a reminder of what’s at stake.
Diana with sister Liz, daughter Jessamine, and attorney David Frederick at the Supreme Court, November 3, 2008
(photo by Gerald Herbert, Associated Press)
Diana Winn's recent Supreme Court Case
Diana Winn is a musician who lost her arm due to under-labeled migraine drug.
Follow link to story.
Follow link to story.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Surf's up, even for amputees
Surfing is an inclusive sport not limited to the young, tan, tall and lovely. All kinds of people get on surfboards and ride the waves -- even amputees.
Brothers' orthotics firm earns statewide honors
Paul and Edward De La Torre expanded the braces shop their parents started in the family's Hampton home in 1962 into an orthotics and prosthetics business that today has eight clinical offices, plus a headquarters and manufacturing site in Blawnox............................
Monday, May 11, 2009
Disabled Sports USA
What is Disabled Sports USA?
A national nonprofit, 501(c)(3), organization established in 1967 by disabled Vietnam veterans to serve the war injured. DS/USA now offers nationwide sports rehabilitation programs to anyone with a permanent disability. Activities include winter skiing, water sports, summer and winter competitions, fitness and special sports events. Participants include those with visual impairments, amputations, spinal cord injury, dwarfism, multiple sclerosis, head injury, cerebral palsy, and other neuromuscular and orthopedic conditions.
This is a wonderful nonprofit with an on-line events calendar which is worth taking a good look at; they have sometime very just about everybody. http://www.dsusa.org/calendars-summer-5.html
Happy Surfing!
Friday, May 08, 2009
Prosthetic Parity Signing Ceremony!
Governor O'Malley will be signing the Maryland Prosthetic Parity Bill into
law and he is holding a signing ceremony for everyone to attend! The
special signing ceremony will be held tomorrow morning, May 7, at 10 am in
the second floor of the Maryland House Building in Annapolis, Maryland.
Everyone is welcome to attend the ceremony and thank the Governor for making
prosthetic parity law in Maryland. This will help to provide amputees the
fair prosthetic coverage they deserve!
The address of the Maryland House Office Building is 6 Bladen Street,
Annapolis, Maryland.
The ceremony will not take long, but it will give us the opportunity to
thank the Governor and show everyone why this legislation is so important.
We hope you will be able to attend this wonderful event that will help
amputees throughout Maryland!
You can also contact Dan Ignaszewski at 202.742.1885 or
state@amputee-coalition.org if you have any questions or would like any
additional information.
law and he is holding a signing ceremony for everyone to attend! The
special signing ceremony will be held tomorrow morning, May 7, at 10 am in
the second floor of the Maryland House Building in Annapolis, Maryland.
Everyone is welcome to attend the ceremony and thank the Governor for making
prosthetic parity law in Maryland. This will help to provide amputees the
fair prosthetic coverage they deserve!
The address of the Maryland House Office Building is 6 Bladen Street,
Annapolis, Maryland.
The ceremony will not take long, but it will give us the opportunity to
thank the Governor and show everyone why this legislation is so important.
We hope you will be able to attend this wonderful event that will help
amputees throughout Maryland!
You can also contact Dan Ignaszewski at 202.742.1885 or
state@amputee-coalition.org if you have any questions or would like any
additional information.
PolyU garners more momentum in supporting reconstruction in Sichuan
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has recently received a total of over HK$10 million in government funding to launch two training projects in Sichuan in support of rehabilitation and reconstruction in the areas stricken by the 512 earthquake.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
AMNews: May 4, 2009
GOVERNMENT & MEDICINE
Medicare DME bidding program set to relaunch in 2010
The White House gives the green light to competitive bidding over vigorous objections from equipment suppliers and some lawmakers.
Medicare DME bidding program set to relaunch in 2010
The White House gives the green light to competitive bidding over vigorous objections from equipment suppliers and some lawmakers.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)