Re: Message from President of Ossur North America
MBSCPO
Description
Collection
Title:
Re: Message from President of Ossur North America
Creator:
MBSCPO
Date:
6/23/2003
Text:
Funny that we havn't seen any letters of support for Ossur on the list-server. You hit the nail right on the head. Ossur has become the competition.
I beleive that their policy of contacting patients in the past, before HIPPA probably was legal, although in the gray area, however all contacts made since the HIPPA laws need those multiple sheets of paper we're all required to give to the patients-including the patients in their past database. Otherwise, drop a dime on them and expose them to the Feds. Their lawyer doesn't obviously know the new extent to which he's allowed their exposure.
I guess I'll look elsewhere now for components, they forget that that's the one thing that being a practitioner we can do-LOOK ELSEWHERE. If they stick with this failed marketing strategy, their shareholders will really be upset. I don't plan to buy from them until this stops completely.
I think that the Prez's letter needs to be posted on amputee related websites to get the word out on their corporate greed scheme. I can only imagine the shock the patients will have.
M. Britt Spears CPO
R Miller < <Email Address Redacted> > wrote:
In other words, the only thing Ossur appears to have changed to the program
is to adust the 10% miniumum sales per category to a minimum of $1200 per
year.
This new posting is mearly a copy of all the other propoganda that Ossur has
been spinning on the web and in the Ossur mailings to our patinets and our
referrals. Note, these are OUR patients and OUR referrals, not yours.
You say this program will benefit the entire industry and benefit all the
patients, but you do not say how. Ossur has changed nothing, this program
is about Ossur sales, this is about Ossur falling stock price and this is
about Ossur profits. The only person that benefits here is Ossur.
I do not think are listening Ossur. You say that people like the program, I
know of 5 OAF memebers that have quite the program in the past week because
they say they were mis-lead to joining, now they know the details, they are
walking away. You forgot to mention that in your posting.
You have now made your position very clear, if we do not join your program
than you are going to compete with me. I hear you loud and clear, and you
are now my official competition, do not expect any further sales from my
office.
In addition, I will attach your latest e-mail to the letters I am sending to
all my referrals, they need to understand the specifics of the Ossur pay for
referral program and need to understand the basic financial qualifications
to be a special Ossur provider. Your standards to be in the OAF are based
upon sales and paying the Ossur ransom.
R Miller, CP
>From: Michelle Hamilton
>Reply-To: Michelle Hamilton
>To: <Email Address Redacted>
>Subject: [OANDP-L] Message from President of Ossur North America
>Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2003 10:58:57 -0700
>
>This is a re-posting of a previous message. Some of the characters were not
>processed by the listserv correctly and were displayed as question marks.
>Here is the corrected version.
>
>June 18, 2003
>
>Dear Listserv Participants and All Who May Be Interested:
>
>I would like to take this opportunity to present information about the
>Ossur Affiliated Facilities program, which was recently announced by Ossur
>North America. Ossur Affiliated Facilities is the first U.S.-based
>orthotic and prosthetic practitioner network created for independent O&P
>practitioners. We firmly believe that this program will benefit the entire
>industry and, most importantly, the amputees who rely on us. If this is
>the first time you are hearing about Ossur Affiliates Facilities, please
>feel free to visit our website at www.Ossur.com/affiliates for more
>information.
>
>This will be my only communication on the listserv, but I encourage you to
>contact us directly should you have any remaining doubts or concerns after
>reviewing this letter. Since many of you have not identified yourselves,
>it has been impossible to get in touch with you directly to discuss any
>misgivings you may have about the program. Therefore, I ask you to be
>open-minded and review the facts.
>
>First of all, I regret any confusion related to the announcement of Ossur
>Affiliated Facilities, particularly to those of you who were not yet aware
>of the program. Ossur is still in the process of working with all
>facilities that might be interested in participating in the Ossur
>Affiliated Facilities program. If you are in the United States and
>interested in becoming a member and have not yet been contacted by Ossur,
>please call us at 800-233-6263.
>
>Secondly, Ossur is confident that the Ossur Affiliated Facilities program
>is lawful. Ossur consulted with counsel and carefully considered all
>issues, including regulatory questions in designing the program, and
>structured the program in compliance with all applicable laws, such as
>HIPAA, Medicare, and antitrust laws. The creation of networks such as
>Ossur Affiliated Facilities is common in many industries to promote the
>products of a company and those persons who are qualified to provide and
>service those products, through professional quality marketing outreach and
>the sharing of information. The overriding goal of Ossur Affiliated
>Facilities is to provide the most appropriate and effective solution for
>every individual amputee.
>
>Now, let me turn to the use of Ossur Affiliated Facilities membership fees.
>All organization funds will be used directly to advertise and promote the
>Ossur Affiliated Facilities to referral audiences. Every dollar paid in
>membership fees will be used to promote member practices, and they will be
>supplemented with additional funds contributed by Ossur to promote the
>organization and its members.
>
>Ossur will use membership funds to represent Ossur Affiliated Facilities at
>conventions of all referring audiences, deliver lectures, promote Ossur
>Affiliated Facilities through print advertising and mailers, provide
>brochures, maintain an online Geographic Locator, and provide facilities
>with patient financing and reduced reimbursement assistance. Ossur
>Affiliated Facilities' membership funds also will be used to distribute
>program information and a list of members to physical medicine and
>rehabilitation physicians, physical therapists, orthopedic and vascular
>surgeons throughout the United States, as well as to interested amputees.
>
>Any independent O&P practitioners can join the Ossur Affiliates Facilities
>network, provided they meet certain attainable criteria. These criteria
>have included a modest total amount of facility net sales of Ossur products
>($12,000 per year) and a requirement that 10% of those sales of Ossur
>products - not total clinic sales - be from each of the knee, feet and
>liner categories. The 10% criterion has been misunderstood. We have
>therefore revised it to merely require $1,200 (i.e., 10% of the $12,000
>minimum) of net Ossur sales in each of the knee, feet and liner product
>categories.
>
>To qualify for the program, practitioners must also have participated in an
>Ossur Academy technical course within the previous 24 months. The
>objective here is to ascertain that member facilities are committed to
>building upon their clinical expertise.
>
>These requirements enable the practitioner to demonstrate that he or she
>has gained a familiarity with the entire range of Ossur products, not just
>in one specific category. For example, a prosthetist who is not as
>familiar as he could be with Ossur's products might fit an inappropriate
>Ossur product on an amputee because he didn't take into account all of the
>factors that should be considered in determining the right product for that
>patient (such as weighing the patient or assessing their impact level). As
>a result, the amputee in question could have an ongoing problem with that
>product that cannot be corrected because it was unsuitable from the start.
>Because many of Ossur's products are technologically advanced, maintaining
>this knowledge base on an ongoing basis will help practitioners select the
>appropriate products based on individual patient needs.
>
>There are numerous benefits to becoming an Ossur Affiliated Facilities
>member. Through Ossur Affiliated Facilities, practitioners can achieve
>economies of scale and collective marketing power for their dollars,
>resulting in a consistent program that provides broader and deeper reach to
>the referral market. There has never been a communications program in the
>O&P industry as comprehensive as Ossur Affiliated Facilities. In addition,
>O&P facilities that are part of the Ossur Affiliated Facilities network
>gain access to special training and extensive information about advanced
>technology.
>
>The Ossur Affiliated Facilities network helps referring professionals
>identify practitioners that provide a high level of service as well as
>quality products from a wide range of manufacturers. But I believe that
>there is no substitute for personalized service and high-quality care,
>which play a significant role in an amputee's selection of an O&P
>practitioner.
>
>We recognize that Ossur products are not always the right choice for a
>patient. However, when they are the right choice for that individual, I
>hope that most of you will agree that they ought to be prescribed. Again,
>I would like to stress that Ossur Affiliated Facilities' practitioners are
>not limited to the use of Ossur products. All network members may offer
>products from any manufacturer of their choice. Of course, Ossur is proud
>of its products and the outstanding reputation they have earned amongst
>practitioners and amputees, and we believe that Ossur products are ideal
>for many amputees.
>
>Should facilities choose not to participate in the network but continue to
>purchase Ossur products, Ossur will of course continue to provide
>meaningful support to those customers in their marketing and promotional
>efforts. We appreciate the ongoing relationship with all of our customers,
>and although we believe that the network will be of value to facilities
>that carry Ossur products, we respect the decisions of those practitioners
>who decide not to participate.
>
>In addition, Ossur has always held fast to its core value of encouraging
>the growth and excellence of the industry. For instance, when California
>State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) was about to close its
>baccalaureate program in Prosthetic and Orthotic Education in January 2003,
>we stepped in to provide, rent free, a newly built school and laboratory
>facilities on our headquarters' premises. Some of you may not be aware
>that Ossur purchased nearly all of the remaining copies of the final
>printing of The Atlas of Limb Prosthetics, often referred to as the bible
>of prosthetics, and distributed them free of charge to every student
>enrolled by fall 2002 in all twelve North American prosthetic training
>institutions. The next edition will not be available until 2004. Ossur is
>also one of the biggest supporters of the National Association for the
>Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics (NAAOP).
>
>Finally, some of you have expressed concern about Ossur's direct
>communications with amputees. Ossur takes patient privacy requirements
>very seriously, and we have spent considerable time and effort ensuring
>that the company's mailing list is in full compliance with all HIPAA
>privacy regulations regarding direct communication with patients.
>Following both the letter and the overall intent of the law is of critical
>importance to Ossur.
>
>Ossur obtains the information for its amputee database through amputee
>sign-ups at consumer trade shows and our Web site, as well as incoming
>phone calls, and we give amputees the opportunity to opt-out of future
>mailings. Of the amputees on Ossur's mailing list, only a small percentage
>(2.5%) requested that they not be sent information.
>
>Ossur Affiliated Facilities was created with the best interest of the
>amputee in mind and with the desire that amputees should have access to the
>best products for their needs. It is also a powerful opportunity that
>gives participating members the ability to pool their marketing resources
>and gain a level of exposure that would be too cost-prohibitive on an
>individual basis.
>
>We want to maintain a two-way communication with all interested parties,
>and we will always welcome feedback on the Ossur Affiliated Facilities
>program. We have already received numerous positive calls about the
>program, and more than 640 facilities have already seen the value and
>joined the network. We have heard from many prosthetists, technicians, and
>amputees who are in support of the program, even though they may not be
>posting their messages on the listserv.
>
>If you have any questions or concerns about this program, please don't
>hesitate to call us directly at 800-233-6263.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Gary F. Wertz
>President
>Ossur North America
>
>(Embedded image moved to file: pic05002.pcx)
>
>
I beleive that their policy of contacting patients in the past, before HIPPA probably was legal, although in the gray area, however all contacts made since the HIPPA laws need those multiple sheets of paper we're all required to give to the patients-including the patients in their past database. Otherwise, drop a dime on them and expose them to the Feds. Their lawyer doesn't obviously know the new extent to which he's allowed their exposure.
I guess I'll look elsewhere now for components, they forget that that's the one thing that being a practitioner we can do-LOOK ELSEWHERE. If they stick with this failed marketing strategy, their shareholders will really be upset. I don't plan to buy from them until this stops completely.
I think that the Prez's letter needs to be posted on amputee related websites to get the word out on their corporate greed scheme. I can only imagine the shock the patients will have.
M. Britt Spears CPO
R Miller < <Email Address Redacted> > wrote:
In other words, the only thing Ossur appears to have changed to the program
is to adust the 10% miniumum sales per category to a minimum of $1200 per
year.
This new posting is mearly a copy of all the other propoganda that Ossur has
been spinning on the web and in the Ossur mailings to our patinets and our
referrals. Note, these are OUR patients and OUR referrals, not yours.
You say this program will benefit the entire industry and benefit all the
patients, but you do not say how. Ossur has changed nothing, this program
is about Ossur sales, this is about Ossur falling stock price and this is
about Ossur profits. The only person that benefits here is Ossur.
I do not think are listening Ossur. You say that people like the program, I
know of 5 OAF memebers that have quite the program in the past week because
they say they were mis-lead to joining, now they know the details, they are
walking away. You forgot to mention that in your posting.
You have now made your position very clear, if we do not join your program
than you are going to compete with me. I hear you loud and clear, and you
are now my official competition, do not expect any further sales from my
office.
In addition, I will attach your latest e-mail to the letters I am sending to
all my referrals, they need to understand the specifics of the Ossur pay for
referral program and need to understand the basic financial qualifications
to be a special Ossur provider. Your standards to be in the OAF are based
upon sales and paying the Ossur ransom.
R Miller, CP
>From: Michelle Hamilton
>Reply-To: Michelle Hamilton
>To: <Email Address Redacted>
>Subject: [OANDP-L] Message from President of Ossur North America
>Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2003 10:58:57 -0700
>
>This is a re-posting of a previous message. Some of the characters were not
>processed by the listserv correctly and were displayed as question marks.
>Here is the corrected version.
>
>June 18, 2003
>
>Dear Listserv Participants and All Who May Be Interested:
>
>I would like to take this opportunity to present information about the
>Ossur Affiliated Facilities program, which was recently announced by Ossur
>North America. Ossur Affiliated Facilities is the first U.S.-based
>orthotic and prosthetic practitioner network created for independent O&P
>practitioners. We firmly believe that this program will benefit the entire
>industry and, most importantly, the amputees who rely on us. If this is
>the first time you are hearing about Ossur Affiliates Facilities, please
>feel free to visit our website at www.Ossur.com/affiliates for more
>information.
>
>This will be my only communication on the listserv, but I encourage you to
>contact us directly should you have any remaining doubts or concerns after
>reviewing this letter. Since many of you have not identified yourselves,
>it has been impossible to get in touch with you directly to discuss any
>misgivings you may have about the program. Therefore, I ask you to be
>open-minded and review the facts.
>
>First of all, I regret any confusion related to the announcement of Ossur
>Affiliated Facilities, particularly to those of you who were not yet aware
>of the program. Ossur is still in the process of working with all
>facilities that might be interested in participating in the Ossur
>Affiliated Facilities program. If you are in the United States and
>interested in becoming a member and have not yet been contacted by Ossur,
>please call us at 800-233-6263.
>
>Secondly, Ossur is confident that the Ossur Affiliated Facilities program
>is lawful. Ossur consulted with counsel and carefully considered all
>issues, including regulatory questions in designing the program, and
>structured the program in compliance with all applicable laws, such as
>HIPAA, Medicare, and antitrust laws. The creation of networks such as
>Ossur Affiliated Facilities is common in many industries to promote the
>products of a company and those persons who are qualified to provide and
>service those products, through professional quality marketing outreach and
>the sharing of information. The overriding goal of Ossur Affiliated
>Facilities is to provide the most appropriate and effective solution for
>every individual amputee.
>
>Now, let me turn to the use of Ossur Affiliated Facilities membership fees.
>All organization funds will be used directly to advertise and promote the
>Ossur Affiliated Facilities to referral audiences. Every dollar paid in
>membership fees will be used to promote member practices, and they will be
>supplemented with additional funds contributed by Ossur to promote the
>organization and its members.
>
>Ossur will use membership funds to represent Ossur Affiliated Facilities at
>conventions of all referring audiences, deliver lectures, promote Ossur
>Affiliated Facilities through print advertising and mailers, provide
>brochures, maintain an online Geographic Locator, and provide facilities
>with patient financing and reduced reimbursement assistance. Ossur
>Affiliated Facilities' membership funds also will be used to distribute
>program information and a list of members to physical medicine and
>rehabilitation physicians, physical therapists, orthopedic and vascular
>surgeons throughout the United States, as well as to interested amputees.
>
>Any independent O&P practitioners can join the Ossur Affiliates Facilities
>network, provided they meet certain attainable criteria. These criteria
>have included a modest total amount of facility net sales of Ossur products
>($12,000 per year) and a requirement that 10% of those sales of Ossur
>products - not total clinic sales - be from each of the knee, feet and
>liner categories. The 10% criterion has been misunderstood. We have
>therefore revised it to merely require $1,200 (i.e., 10% of the $12,000
>minimum) of net Ossur sales in each of the knee, feet and liner product
>categories.
>
>To qualify for the program, practitioners must also have participated in an
>Ossur Academy technical course within the previous 24 months. The
>objective here is to ascertain that member facilities are committed to
>building upon their clinical expertise.
>
>These requirements enable the practitioner to demonstrate that he or she
>has gained a familiarity with the entire range of Ossur products, not just
>in one specific category. For example, a prosthetist who is not as
>familiar as he could be with Ossur's products might fit an inappropriate
>Ossur product on an amputee because he didn't take into account all of the
>factors that should be considered in determining the right product for that
>patient (such as weighing the patient or assessing their impact level). As
>a result, the amputee in question could have an ongoing problem with that
>product that cannot be corrected because it was unsuitable from the start.
>Because many of Ossur's products are technologically advanced, maintaining
>this knowledge base on an ongoing basis will help practitioners select the
>appropriate products based on individual patient needs.
>
>There are numerous benefits to becoming an Ossur Affiliated Facilities
>member. Through Ossur Affiliated Facilities, practitioners can achieve
>economies of scale and collective marketing power for their dollars,
>resulting in a consistent program that provides broader and deeper reach to
>the referral market. There has never been a communications program in the
>O&P industry as comprehensive as Ossur Affiliated Facilities. In addition,
>O&P facilities that are part of the Ossur Affiliated Facilities network
>gain access to special training and extensive information about advanced
>technology.
>
>The Ossur Affiliated Facilities network helps referring professionals
>identify practitioners that provide a high level of service as well as
>quality products from a wide range of manufacturers. But I believe that
>there is no substitute for personalized service and high-quality care,
>which play a significant role in an amputee's selection of an O&P
>practitioner.
>
>We recognize that Ossur products are not always the right choice for a
>patient. However, when they are the right choice for that individual, I
>hope that most of you will agree that they ought to be prescribed. Again,
>I would like to stress that Ossur Affiliated Facilities' practitioners are
>not limited to the use of Ossur products. All network members may offer
>products from any manufacturer of their choice. Of course, Ossur is proud
>of its products and the outstanding reputation they have earned amongst
>practitioners and amputees, and we believe that Ossur products are ideal
>for many amputees.
>
>Should facilities choose not to participate in the network but continue to
>purchase Ossur products, Ossur will of course continue to provide
>meaningful support to those customers in their marketing and promotional
>efforts. We appreciate the ongoing relationship with all of our customers,
>and although we believe that the network will be of value to facilities
>that carry Ossur products, we respect the decisions of those practitioners
>who decide not to participate.
>
>In addition, Ossur has always held fast to its core value of encouraging
>the growth and excellence of the industry. For instance, when California
>State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) was about to close its
>baccalaureate program in Prosthetic and Orthotic Education in January 2003,
>we stepped in to provide, rent free, a newly built school and laboratory
>facilities on our headquarters' premises. Some of you may not be aware
>that Ossur purchased nearly all of the remaining copies of the final
>printing of The Atlas of Limb Prosthetics, often referred to as the bible
>of prosthetics, and distributed them free of charge to every student
>enrolled by fall 2002 in all twelve North American prosthetic training
>institutions. The next edition will not be available until 2004. Ossur is
>also one of the biggest supporters of the National Association for the
>Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics (NAAOP).
>
>Finally, some of you have expressed concern about Ossur's direct
>communications with amputees. Ossur takes patient privacy requirements
>very seriously, and we have spent considerable time and effort ensuring
>that the company's mailing list is in full compliance with all HIPAA
>privacy regulations regarding direct communication with patients.
>Following both the letter and the overall intent of the law is of critical
>importance to Ossur.
>
>Ossur obtains the information for its amputee database through amputee
>sign-ups at consumer trade shows and our Web site, as well as incoming
>phone calls, and we give amputees the opportunity to opt-out of future
>mailings. Of the amputees on Ossur's mailing list, only a small percentage
>(2.5%) requested that they not be sent information.
>
>Ossur Affiliated Facilities was created with the best interest of the
>amputee in mind and with the desire that amputees should have access to the
>best products for their needs. It is also a powerful opportunity that
>gives participating members the ability to pool their marketing resources
>and gain a level of exposure that would be too cost-prohibitive on an
>individual basis.
>
>We want to maintain a two-way communication with all interested parties,
>and we will always welcome feedback on the Ossur Affiliated Facilities
>program. We have already received numerous positive calls about the
>program, and more than 640 facilities have already seen the value and
>joined the network. We have heard from many prosthetists, technicians, and
>amputees who are in support of the program, even though they may not be
>posting their messages on the listserv.
>
>If you have any questions or concerns about this program, please don't
>hesitate to call us directly at 800-233-6263.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Gary F. Wertz
>President
>Ossur North America
>
>(Embedded image moved to file: pic05002.pcx)
>
>
Citation
MBSCPO, “Re: Message from President of Ossur North America,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 6, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/221259.
