Re: Orthopedic Tech
Baxter, Steve
Description
Collection
Title:
Re: Orthopedic Tech
Creator:
Baxter, Steve
Date:
6/11/2002
Text:
I think this all started with a post about an open Tech position, and has
now become a whose more important, who should do what for who, and when
exchange. I would think that after this that some folks will think twice
about posting an open position for fear of being pounced on by people who
will correct the ad as to wording, job description, and what is morally and
professionally correct. Not quite sure what makes these people right, but I
guess we at least know that they're not wrong. Thank goodness.
For me, think, create, and fit the best device that can be done for
the patient. Marshall your resources, regardless of who and what they are.
If your tech can do it better than you, great, have them teach you so you
can do it too. And visa/versa. It's called education. I haven't reached a
point where I think I know everything, because if you can't learn then you
can't teach, and thus no one including the patient benefits.
Steve Baxter, C.O.
Director, Dept. of Orthotics
Shriners Hospital, Houston
-----Original Message-----
From: Cobb James P SSgt 81 MSGS/SGCO
[SMTP: <Email Address Redacted> ]
Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2002 9:39 AM
To: <Email Address Redacted>
Subject: Re: [OANDP-L] Orthopedic Tech
I set back in my chair and read these posts almost everyday. Some
posts are
useful and some posts are not. There are various types of members
in our
field who use this forum as a tool for education, advice, and
occasionally
camaraderie . There are members who read these posts who scrutinize
every
post and are ready to pounce. This in itself is fine because it
keeps
everyone on their toes and hopefully a bit more professional. We
have
members who are only concerned about the acronyms after other
members names.
Some members believe that some schools and avenues of education and
credentialing are superior to others. We have members who are
patients. We
have members who are political officials who read the posts. We
have
vendors, business owners, and also charitable organizations.
If you read all the above different variables and possible inputs
you can
see that this forum is just like our country. Different
backgrounds, goals,
personalities all living and working together to better themselves
and the
ones around them. What would our country be without out free
speech, ethnic
and political diversity and democracy. You are asking yourself and
me to
make the connection I'm sure. Well here it is. With all the
different
experiences and backgrounds and diversities; our industry has the
potential
to be very strong, stable, and well versed. Every one helps
everyone and
correct members when they are wrong (like a peer group). The United
States
has a standard that everyone lives by. The Constitution, and the
Bill of
Rights. Our industry should also have a standard. This should be
education, credentialing, and the same standard of care from one
state to
the next.
I read these Orthotech Posts. There are some orthotists that
think
orthotics are more difficult than prosthetics, there are some
prosthetists
that think prosthetics is more difficult then orthotics, and a few
who see
them as equal.
There are differences other then the obvious loss of limb issue.
Prosthetics has always been more high tech, orthotics seems to
progress as
materials and medical science progress. I have heard prosthetists
say that
other than a halo, orthotics have more graces then prosthetics. I
have
heard orthotists say, you take a cast, work the mold, laminate, and
the
rest is out of the box, kind of like legos.
Now, I am not stirring up a nest. If you get stirred up that is
good. That
is pride and passion for your job and business. That is exactly
what this
industry needs. However it needs to be focused more at the total
patient
care concept and progressing our field not tearing down what we
already
have. The fact is, every patient is different. All build ups will
be
different, all modifications will be different. On AFO's all
negative molds
will get corrected if needed, plaster build ups and other
modifications
added to positive molds every time, every patient. On a BK socket
we will
have a negative mold, a positive mold with plaster buildups and
modifications on every patient, every time. These two processes
sound very
close to the same. My point is that there are standards within both
disciplines and both molds should have attention to detail with the
patient
in mind and not treated as just another mold modification!
I think that everyone involved in patient care from the practitioner
to the
tech needs to be educated and credentialed. If a practitioner casts
for a
device, hands it to a tech, and the device is fabricated
incorrectly; it the
practitioners fault. It's all about communication and reliability.
If you
have a tech you can depend on and is your right hand and you
effectively
communicate your goals, the device should come out perfect. If you
feel you
have to hook on phonics something then you tech needs more
education. I
have actually seen a tech hook on phonics something to a
practitioner.
This shows you that both practitioners and techs can still learn
something
everyday.
I just hope that who ever responds to this please do it
respectfully. I
respect everyone who has made ANY accomplishment even it is just a
CPR
card. If we slam everyone every time it is oppressive and stops
motivation,
which stops progression. That the last thing we need is for our
industry to
slow down in a time of cutting of benefits. We all have to work
with the
laws above us or lobby to get them changed if we need to.
There are allot of young impressionable members of our community who
have
just started out in our industry or who want to. Let's help educate
them
and motivate them to attain the highest they can. Let's not
bastardize them
for trying.
Thank you for reading
James P. Cobb
BOC Orthotist
now become a whose more important, who should do what for who, and when
exchange. I would think that after this that some folks will think twice
about posting an open position for fear of being pounced on by people who
will correct the ad as to wording, job description, and what is morally and
professionally correct. Not quite sure what makes these people right, but I
guess we at least know that they're not wrong. Thank goodness.
For me, think, create, and fit the best device that can be done for
the patient. Marshall your resources, regardless of who and what they are.
If your tech can do it better than you, great, have them teach you so you
can do it too. And visa/versa. It's called education. I haven't reached a
point where I think I know everything, because if you can't learn then you
can't teach, and thus no one including the patient benefits.
Steve Baxter, C.O.
Director, Dept. of Orthotics
Shriners Hospital, Houston
-----Original Message-----
From: Cobb James P SSgt 81 MSGS/SGCO
[SMTP: <Email Address Redacted> ]
Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2002 9:39 AM
To: <Email Address Redacted>
Subject: Re: [OANDP-L] Orthopedic Tech
I set back in my chair and read these posts almost everyday. Some
posts are
useful and some posts are not. There are various types of members
in our
field who use this forum as a tool for education, advice, and
occasionally
camaraderie . There are members who read these posts who scrutinize
every
post and are ready to pounce. This in itself is fine because it
keeps
everyone on their toes and hopefully a bit more professional. We
have
members who are only concerned about the acronyms after other
members names.
Some members believe that some schools and avenues of education and
credentialing are superior to others. We have members who are
patients. We
have members who are political officials who read the posts. We
have
vendors, business owners, and also charitable organizations.
If you read all the above different variables and possible inputs
you can
see that this forum is just like our country. Different
backgrounds, goals,
personalities all living and working together to better themselves
and the
ones around them. What would our country be without out free
speech, ethnic
and political diversity and democracy. You are asking yourself and
me to
make the connection I'm sure. Well here it is. With all the
different
experiences and backgrounds and diversities; our industry has the
potential
to be very strong, stable, and well versed. Every one helps
everyone and
correct members when they are wrong (like a peer group). The United
States
has a standard that everyone lives by. The Constitution, and the
Bill of
Rights. Our industry should also have a standard. This should be
education, credentialing, and the same standard of care from one
state to
the next.
I read these Orthotech Posts. There are some orthotists that
think
orthotics are more difficult than prosthetics, there are some
prosthetists
that think prosthetics is more difficult then orthotics, and a few
who see
them as equal.
There are differences other then the obvious loss of limb issue.
Prosthetics has always been more high tech, orthotics seems to
progress as
materials and medical science progress. I have heard prosthetists
say that
other than a halo, orthotics have more graces then prosthetics. I
have
heard orthotists say, you take a cast, work the mold, laminate, and
the
rest is out of the box, kind of like legos.
Now, I am not stirring up a nest. If you get stirred up that is
good. That
is pride and passion for your job and business. That is exactly
what this
industry needs. However it needs to be focused more at the total
patient
care concept and progressing our field not tearing down what we
already
have. The fact is, every patient is different. All build ups will
be
different, all modifications will be different. On AFO's all
negative molds
will get corrected if needed, plaster build ups and other
modifications
added to positive molds every time, every patient. On a BK socket
we will
have a negative mold, a positive mold with plaster buildups and
modifications on every patient, every time. These two processes
sound very
close to the same. My point is that there are standards within both
disciplines and both molds should have attention to detail with the
patient
in mind and not treated as just another mold modification!
I think that everyone involved in patient care from the practitioner
to the
tech needs to be educated and credentialed. If a practitioner casts
for a
device, hands it to a tech, and the device is fabricated
incorrectly; it the
practitioners fault. It's all about communication and reliability.
If you
have a tech you can depend on and is your right hand and you
effectively
communicate your goals, the device should come out perfect. If you
feel you
have to hook on phonics something then you tech needs more
education. I
have actually seen a tech hook on phonics something to a
practitioner.
This shows you that both practitioners and techs can still learn
something
everyday.
I just hope that who ever responds to this please do it
respectfully. I
respect everyone who has made ANY accomplishment even it is just a
CPR
card. If we slam everyone every time it is oppressive and stops
motivation,
which stops progression. That the last thing we need is for our
industry to
slow down in a time of cutting of benefits. We all have to work
with the
laws above us or lobby to get them changed if we need to.
There are allot of young impressionable members of our community who
have
just started out in our industry or who want to. Let's help educate
them
and motivate them to attain the highest they can. Let's not
bastardize them
for trying.
Thank you for reading
James P. Cobb
BOC Orthotist
Citation
Baxter, Steve, “Re: Orthopedic Tech,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 14, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/219114.
