The Orthopedic Team is eagerly anticipating the launch of the LifeWings Patient Safety Program at St. Joseph’s Hospital in early June. Through our organized service line efforts we have made tremendous progress in improving operational efficiencies and patient outcomes over the years but also recognize that continued and sustained improvement requires ongoingeffort and intervention.
Necessary evils of all surgical subspecialties are important medical conditions that don’t require surgery but require other intervention. One such condition is osteoporosis, a problem responsible for contributing to more than 1.5 million fractures each year. Orthopedists are in the frontline in this battle so we unfortunately must deal with it.
The treatment of osteoarthritis is progressive in nature and begins with nonsurgical interventions such as changing activity levels, physical therapy, occupational therapy, heat/ice, pain medications such as ibuprofen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and injections.
The materials we use are constantly being refined and perfected. Different metal alloys, ceramic, highly cross linked polyethylene, and porous metals that imitate bone are just a few examples of these materials.
There are some people who are truly special – I was fortunate enough to personally know one. Rick and I were more then acquaintances, but less then close friends. I have known him for over 30 years. We shared the same medical school; the same Orthopedic residency; we practiced in the samecity; and ultimately in the same practice.
