Re: Open Letter to the President of Ossur
Bernard Hewey
Description
Collection
Title:
Re: Open Letter to the President of Ossur
Creator:
Bernard Hewey
Date:
6/17/2003
Text:
Two points:
- The O&P profession should not be confused with manufacturers of
products used by the profession.
- The O&P profession, for better or for worse, utilizes trial and
erroroccasionally when determining the best design/componentry for a
particular patient's needs. This is not unlike other allied health care
professionals using several different modalities on a patient when they
don't initially respond. Ethics, necessity and managed care often do mean
costly, time-consuming, and unreimbursed efforts on the part of the O&P
professional.
The comments by Carol Sheredos might be well-intended but need to be
better-focused.
Bernard Hewey, CO, LO
----- Original Message -----
From: Sheredos, Carol (NIH/NICHD) < <Email Address Redacted> >
To: < <Email Address Redacted> >
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 12:48 PM
Subject: Re: [OANDP-L] Open Letter to the President of Ossur
> Way to go, Dr. Smith! I hope other M.D.s see your message and concur -- I
> feel that this issue just emphasizes the need for research to identify
> specific criteria (cold-hearted data) to assist in identifying what IS
the
> best for the patient. I have had enough of the O&P profession, adopting
a
> likewise-distasteful product promotion assumed by the pharmaceutical
> industry, taking their products directly to the clients. We need specific
> criteria that will assist the prescribing physician/team in identifying
> exactly what is most appropriate for their patients. Enough of this trial
> and error -- often costly, time-consuming, and prone to filling the
pockets
> of people like Ossur!
>
> Carol A. Sheredos, PT, MA
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: WSmithMD [mailto:<Email Address Redacted>]
> Sent: Monday, June 16, 2003 12:52 PM
> To: <Email Address Redacted>
> Subject: [OANDP-L] Open Letter to the President of Ossur
>
>
> Dear Mr. Wertz
>
> I have been practicing rehabilitation medicine and have been prescribing
> prosthetics for over 30 years. I was provided a copy of the recent article
> in the O&P Business News by a prosthetist that participates in one of my
> amputee clinics. The article was an overview of the new Ossur Associate
> Facilities program and I felt it was appropriate to share my insights in
> this open letter to fellow rehab professionals and associates.
>
> Mr. Wertz, you were quoted numerous times in this article that you felt
the
> ultimate customer, the amputee, should have access to the best products
and
> you stated you have the best interest of the amputee in mind. After
> reviewing the article and learning more about your program I want to
> publicly state that I am personally and professionally offended that you
> would attempt to promote such a transparent, shallow and profit driven
> program in the name of patient care.
>
> I was astounded at the criteria for a prosthetist to join the Ossur
> Associated Facility program. I will now always doubt the credibility and
> ethics of any prosthetist that recommends an Ossur Liner, Flex Foot or
Total
> Knee in any clinic. I will be putting all prosthetic facilities that
attend
> my clinics on notice, if they have joined the OAF, they had better not be
> suggesting or pushing any Ossur products for any of my patients. How am I
to
> know if they are recommending the product because it is good for the
patient
> or is it because they need the sale to obtain their 10% net sales in each
> product line. I defy any practitioner in the OAF to explain how they will
> maintain professional integrity while recommending an Ossur product
knowing
> that they have to maintain minimum sales quotas with Ossur.
>
> The Ossur Affiliate Facility program is an embarrassment to you
personally,
> your company and any prosthetist that was too shortsighted and money
hungry
> join the Ossur program. Mind you, the one positive aspect of the Ossur
> program is that it has identified and exposed those prosthetists that have
> decided to put profits and revenue ahead of quality patient care by
joining
> the Ossur program. How can any prosthetist, with a straight face and clear
> conscience, pay a yearly fee and agree to minimum sales quotas with Ossur
> while at the same time state they are interested in quality patient care.
It
> is very clear; Ossur Affiliated Facility practitioners have sold their
sole
> and their credibility to Ossur.
>
> My nurse will be notifying all prosthetic providers this week that OAF
> members will no longer be welcome to attend any of my amputee clinics.
Thank
> you for making the list so easily available on the web site so I can
> identify which practitioners are in this business solely for the money. In
> addition, any scripts that are sent to me for signature will now be
closely
> scrutinized and I will be demanding that all L-Code recommendations be
> product specific, I now want to know exactly what products are being put
on
> my patients. My clinics focus on what is best for my patients, not what is
> best for Ossur sales quotas and product lines.
>
> A program like this would not survive the scrutiny of an ethics committee
in
> any medical association. I am dismayed and disappointed that the
prosthetic
> association would allow such a blatant profit driven process to exist. The
> fact that you are publicly promoting this program, you have articles
> published with the revenue goals, subscription fees and minimum purchasing
> details combined with a list of prosthetists promoting their involvement
on
> your web site is astounding. The fact that you are willing and able to
> promote this publicly in a trade magazine without any sanctions from the
> industry puts the integrity of the entire prosthetic profession,
accrediting
> body and association into question. I will be bringing this program and
the
> names of all practitioners that have joined the Ossur Associated
Facilities
> program to the attention Medicare and the Medical Directors of major
> insurance carriers my region.
>
> Mr. Wertz, I demand you to immediately discontinue and dismantle this
> program. The damage you have done to the good name Flex Foot had before it
> became part of Ossur may be irreparable, and the black mark you have
etched
> on the prosthetic industry as a whole is most likely indelible. As long as
> this program is in place, I cannot in good conscience prescribe any Ossur
> product on the recommendation of any prosthetist, as I will now always
> question the motivation and integrity of the practitioner.
>
> According to your web site Ossur is a public company in Iceland and I
could
> not help but notice that the stock price has dropped significantly over
the
> 6 months. Perhaps in Iceland you create revenue programs to prop up your
> stock price and push sales while pretending it is all done in the name of
> patient care. Be advised, that is not the way we treat people here in the
> United States. In my clinics, the patient, quality care and my patients
well
> being come first, not Ossur profits.
>
> William Smith, MD
>
>
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> You Rock! Your E-mail should, too. Visit Rock.com!
>
>
- The O&P profession should not be confused with manufacturers of
products used by the profession.
- The O&P profession, for better or for worse, utilizes trial and
erroroccasionally when determining the best design/componentry for a
particular patient's needs. This is not unlike other allied health care
professionals using several different modalities on a patient when they
don't initially respond. Ethics, necessity and managed care often do mean
costly, time-consuming, and unreimbursed efforts on the part of the O&P
professional.
The comments by Carol Sheredos might be well-intended but need to be
better-focused.
Bernard Hewey, CO, LO
----- Original Message -----
From: Sheredos, Carol (NIH/NICHD) < <Email Address Redacted> >
To: < <Email Address Redacted> >
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 12:48 PM
Subject: Re: [OANDP-L] Open Letter to the President of Ossur
> Way to go, Dr. Smith! I hope other M.D.s see your message and concur -- I
> feel that this issue just emphasizes the need for research to identify
> specific criteria (cold-hearted data) to assist in identifying what IS
the
> best for the patient. I have had enough of the O&P profession, adopting
a
> likewise-distasteful product promotion assumed by the pharmaceutical
> industry, taking their products directly to the clients. We need specific
> criteria that will assist the prescribing physician/team in identifying
> exactly what is most appropriate for their patients. Enough of this trial
> and error -- often costly, time-consuming, and prone to filling the
pockets
> of people like Ossur!
>
> Carol A. Sheredos, PT, MA
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: WSmithMD [mailto:<Email Address Redacted>]
> Sent: Monday, June 16, 2003 12:52 PM
> To: <Email Address Redacted>
> Subject: [OANDP-L] Open Letter to the President of Ossur
>
>
> Dear Mr. Wertz
>
> I have been practicing rehabilitation medicine and have been prescribing
> prosthetics for over 30 years. I was provided a copy of the recent article
> in the O&P Business News by a prosthetist that participates in one of my
> amputee clinics. The article was an overview of the new Ossur Associate
> Facilities program and I felt it was appropriate to share my insights in
> this open letter to fellow rehab professionals and associates.
>
> Mr. Wertz, you were quoted numerous times in this article that you felt
the
> ultimate customer, the amputee, should have access to the best products
and
> you stated you have the best interest of the amputee in mind. After
> reviewing the article and learning more about your program I want to
> publicly state that I am personally and professionally offended that you
> would attempt to promote such a transparent, shallow and profit driven
> program in the name of patient care.
>
> I was astounded at the criteria for a prosthetist to join the Ossur
> Associated Facility program. I will now always doubt the credibility and
> ethics of any prosthetist that recommends an Ossur Liner, Flex Foot or
Total
> Knee in any clinic. I will be putting all prosthetic facilities that
attend
> my clinics on notice, if they have joined the OAF, they had better not be
> suggesting or pushing any Ossur products for any of my patients. How am I
to
> know if they are recommending the product because it is good for the
patient
> or is it because they need the sale to obtain their 10% net sales in each
> product line. I defy any practitioner in the OAF to explain how they will
> maintain professional integrity while recommending an Ossur product
knowing
> that they have to maintain minimum sales quotas with Ossur.
>
> The Ossur Affiliate Facility program is an embarrassment to you
personally,
> your company and any prosthetist that was too shortsighted and money
hungry
> join the Ossur program. Mind you, the one positive aspect of the Ossur
> program is that it has identified and exposed those prosthetists that have
> decided to put profits and revenue ahead of quality patient care by
joining
> the Ossur program. How can any prosthetist, with a straight face and clear
> conscience, pay a yearly fee and agree to minimum sales quotas with Ossur
> while at the same time state they are interested in quality patient care.
It
> is very clear; Ossur Affiliated Facility practitioners have sold their
sole
> and their credibility to Ossur.
>
> My nurse will be notifying all prosthetic providers this week that OAF
> members will no longer be welcome to attend any of my amputee clinics.
Thank
> you for making the list so easily available on the web site so I can
> identify which practitioners are in this business solely for the money. In
> addition, any scripts that are sent to me for signature will now be
closely
> scrutinized and I will be demanding that all L-Code recommendations be
> product specific, I now want to know exactly what products are being put
on
> my patients. My clinics focus on what is best for my patients, not what is
> best for Ossur sales quotas and product lines.
>
> A program like this would not survive the scrutiny of an ethics committee
in
> any medical association. I am dismayed and disappointed that the
prosthetic
> association would allow such a blatant profit driven process to exist. The
> fact that you are publicly promoting this program, you have articles
> published with the revenue goals, subscription fees and minimum purchasing
> details combined with a list of prosthetists promoting their involvement
on
> your web site is astounding. The fact that you are willing and able to
> promote this publicly in a trade magazine without any sanctions from the
> industry puts the integrity of the entire prosthetic profession,
accrediting
> body and association into question. I will be bringing this program and
the
> names of all practitioners that have joined the Ossur Associated
Facilities
> program to the attention Medicare and the Medical Directors of major
> insurance carriers my region.
>
> Mr. Wertz, I demand you to immediately discontinue and dismantle this
> program. The damage you have done to the good name Flex Foot had before it
> became part of Ossur may be irreparable, and the black mark you have
etched
> on the prosthetic industry as a whole is most likely indelible. As long as
> this program is in place, I cannot in good conscience prescribe any Ossur
> product on the recommendation of any prosthetist, as I will now always
> question the motivation and integrity of the practitioner.
>
> According to your web site Ossur is a public company in Iceland and I
could
> not help but notice that the stock price has dropped significantly over
the
> 6 months. Perhaps in Iceland you create revenue programs to prop up your
> stock price and push sales while pretending it is all done in the name of
> patient care. Be advised, that is not the way we treat people here in the
> United States. In my clinics, the patient, quality care and my patients
well
> being come first, not Ossur profits.
>
> William Smith, MD
>
>
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> You Rock! Your E-mail should, too. Visit Rock.com!
>
>
Citation
Bernard Hewey, “Re: Open Letter to the President of Ossur,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 7, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/221282.
