Re: Open Letter to the President of Ossur

Re: Open Letter to the President of Ossur

Jan Stokosa

6/16/2003

Justin Foster,
    From where do you receive your Resident training?
Jan Stokosa, C.P.



----- Original Message -----
From: Justin Foster < <Email Address Redacted> >
To: < <Email Address Redacted> >
Sent: Monday, June 16, 2003 3:17 PM
Subject: Re: [OANDP-L] Open Letter to the President of Ossur


> Dr. Smith & list members,
>
> I must first say that I agree with much of your letter, however I take
> exception to the following paragraph. This whole situation would be easily
> remedied but for the fact that Ossur happens to make or control
distribution
> of some of the best prosthetic solutions for our patients. I do not like
> being rail-roaded into purchasing items, (and support whole-heartedly
> COMPLETE INDEPENDENCE in all purchasing decisions) but should an Ossur
> product happen to be the best functional solution for a patient/client,
that
> will be my choice. I expect all professionals to choose componentry based
on
> the best available option criteria, and that includes the concept of
value
> (NOT price). We will be faced with more and more of these tough issues
in
> the coming years, and I think it would be a shame to deny the best product
> based on politics (sometimes Ossur is the best choice, sometimes not). I
> hope Dr. Smith, that you will continue your tough stance on the happenings
> of the prosthetic profession, and inspire more of your peers to do the
> same. I do also hope that you will see that the ethical choice of
components
> for a prosthesis sometimes requires blinders to tertiary concerns so that
> the patient/client will get the most functional limb possible. I always
hate
> to see good products become taboo, the only ones hurt are the people who
> make use of those items!!! I think we can encourage Ossur to eliminate or
> modify the OAF program, while maintaining quality and reasonable choice
for
> the end-users. Thank you for your time.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Justin Foster
> Prosthetic Resident
>
> >From: WSmithMD < <Email Address Redacted> >
> >Reply-To: WSmithMD < <Email Address Redacted> >
> >To: <Email Address Redacted>
> >Subject: [OANDP-L] Open Letter to the President of Ossur
> >Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2003 16:52:16 -0000
> >
> ...
> >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.
>
> >
> >William Smith, MD
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> The new MSN 8: advanced junk mail protection and 2 months FREE*
> <URL Redacted>
>
>