April 2006

News

By Stephen Krcmar

ROMP cofounder, Eric Neufield, assists a young amputee adapt to his new prosthetic leg.

Donations Provide Limbs for Amputees
Hundreds of amputees in Pakistan, Ecuador, and Guatemala recently lined up to receive new artificial limbs at no cost as a result of the Chicago-based Range of Motion Project (ROMP) initiative in the developing world. With its all-volunteer team of prosthetists, the nonprofit charity has raised more than $60,000 in funds and $200,000 in kind donations in less than 1 year, to set up programs and fully functioning laboratories and clinics fabricating and fitting arms and legs to men, women, and young children who otherwise have no access to these services.

"Our success would not be possible without the generosity of companies like BSN medical Inc, which donated over $95,000 in supplies like plaster bandages and splinting materials used in the fabrication of prosthetic limbs and orthopedic braces," said ROMP's president and cofounder, Eric Neufeld.

A Pakistan project was launched following the October 2005 earthquake that left 5,000 new amputees. Also, ROMP launched a Guatemalan project, in the Department of Zacapa, as an extension of a greater commitment to the impoverished region where the organization built a permanent prosthetics laboratory in 2005. The group has committed to holding week-long clinics, treating up to 20 patients each visit every 2 months, while local practitioners are trained to replace the visiting teams on a full-time, sustainable basis.

ROMP has plans to build clinics in Jamaica, Honduras, and other developing countries in addition to continuing to support the initiatives in Guatemala, Ecuador, and Pakistan already in motion. Information for volunteers can be found at www.rompglobal.org.

Balance Disorder Conference
A 2-day conference that focuses on understanding and treating balance disorders will take place on the weekend of May 6 and May 7, at the Radisson Riverwalk Hotel, in Jacksonville, Fla. Anatomy, physiology, testing, diagnosis, and therapy will be discussed and certification is possible. For information, call Preferred Provider Care at (904) 346-0707.

Industry News

Conference Site in Sacramento
The Association of Children's Prosthetic-Orthotic Clinics (ACPOC) annual meeting will take place on May 17-20, 2006, at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento in California. It will feature lectures on orthopedics, spinal cord injury, emergent and urgent burn care, and the "bionic arm" that was developed within the Neural Engineering Center for Artificial Limbs (NECAL) at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Todd Kuiken, MD, PhD, pioneered the muscle reinnervation procedure, which takes an amputee's own nerves and connects them to a healthy muscle. The bionic arm was developed with the help of double amputee Jesse Sullivan. In Sullivan's case, his nerves were dissected from the shoulder and transferred to the muscles of his chest.

At the meeting, Craig McDonald, MD, medical director of the spinal cord injury program at local Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California, will lead a symposium on the care of the spinal cord injured patient; it complements the presentation by the Hector Kay Lecturer, Randal Betz, MD, who will present state of the art advances in spinal cord injury care. Betz is the chief of staff at Philadelphia Shriners Hospital. In addition, David Greenhalgh, MD, chief of burns at the Sacramento Shriners hospital, will chair a presentation on contracture prevention and management from surgical, orthotic, and rehabilitative perspectives.

Northern California Shriners Hospital is the flagship of the Shriners 22-hospital pediatric health care system and performs 1,000 orthopedic surgeries each year. Located minutes from downtown Sacramento, the medical complex includes facilities for treatment, teaching, and research, housed in an eight-story, state-of-the-art facility. A broad range of specialists work in concert to provide care in orthopedics, spinal cord injury treatment and rehabilitation, and emergent burn treatment and rehabilitation.

The hospital serves children throughout the western United States, Canada, and Mexico. There are no barriers to care, as admission is based on age and diagnosis. Any child younger than 18 is eligible for medical care as long as their condition is within the scope of services.

For more information on the conference, call (916) 453-200, or contact www.shrinershospitals.org.

VP of Customer Service Named
TiLite, the wheelchair division of TiSport, LLC, Kennewick, Wash, recently named Todd VanderHoogt as the Vice President of Customer Service. As vice president, VanderHoogt will provide oversight of the day-to-day operations within the department and guidance aligning the TiLite mission, values, and services. Additionally, VanderHoogt is working with TiLite staff members, sale reps, and dealers.

"Mobility is incredibly empowering. Often, we take it for granted, until it's no longer second nature. TiLite's intent to recreate the second nature of mobility is fused within each product we design and hand build. It's my intent to make TiLite service as impressive as the products," VanderHoogt says.

VanderHoogt is a Washington State native. He attended school in Colorado on a company-sponsored scholarship and worked as an environmental scientist and Nuclear Quality Assurance Auditor in the nuclear industry for 15 years. He then changed careers to pursue his interest in the health and fitness industry. VanderHoogt is certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and Body Training Systems in three different curriculums.

Ki (Alex) Kim, MD

Spinal Cord Surgeon Joins Staff
The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) announced the addition of Ki (Alex) Kim, MD, to the spinal cord injury program in February. Kim is returning to RIC, where he completed his residency training in physical medicine and rehabilitation.

"RIC's patients and staff are privileged to have Dr Kim on staff," said David Chen, MD, medical director of the spinal cord injury program.

After Kim received his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia, he trained at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine as well as the RIC.

Kim completed a spinal cord injury fellowship at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, NJ. Then, he served as a staff physician at Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland, where he led the spinal cord injury task force and developed a comprehensive spasticity clinic for patients with stroke, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury.

Board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation and spinal cord injury medicine, Kim is a member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, the American Paraplegia Society, and the American Spinal Injury Association.

Manufacturers Form Company
The Compass Group International, LLC and Hollywood Capital Inc announced in February the formation and capitalization of Anodyne Medical Device Inc to acquire leading manufacturers of medical support surfaces. The new company, headquartered in Los Angeles, also announced the acquisition of AMF Support Surfaces Inc and SenTech Medical Systems Inc.

AMF Support Surfaces Inc, Corona, Calif, manufactures a complete line of specialty medical devices for the treatment and prevention of pressure ulcers. SenTech Medical Systems Inc, Coral Springs, Fla, designs and manufactures advanced electronically controlled alternating pressure, low air loss, and lateral rotation specialty support surfaces for the wound care industry and was named "Manufacturer of the Year" by the South Florida Manufacturer's Association.

With the acquisition of AMF Support and SenTech Medical, Anodyne becomes the only developer and manufacturer of medical support surfaces with manufacturing facilities located on both coasts of the United States. "With expertise and manufacturing capabilities in both foam-based and air-based products, Anodyne will be focused on the research and development of new pressure reduction technologies. I am pleased to announce the retention of the exceptional management teams at both AMF Support and SenTech Medical as well as management's participation as partners with Compass and Hollywood in Anodyne's future growth," said Mark Bidner, chairman and CEO of Anodyne.

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