Re: Apology

Re: Apology

James Addams

8/19/2003

Just as I felt it appropriate to address the remarks Tom Karolewski made
last week, I feel it is now appropriate to acknowledge and applaud the
professional apology that Tom has posted.

Although I had numerous replies supporting my post, there were 5 residents
and previous students of Northwestern who replied to complain that my
posting was too aggressive and was a personal attack. That was neither my
intent nor my goal; I merely wanted to call attention to the practice of
making blanket accusations without cause or justification.

In the spirit of Tom�s leadership, after re-reading my posting, although I
stand by my opinions and comments, I acknowledge I could have conveyed my
point more eloquently and concede that my posting did have the flavor of a
personal attack, for this I apologize to the list serve and to Tom
Karolewski.

I also regret that the postings took the eye off the ball of the topic at
hand which was the Ossur practice of inviting our patients to Ossur clinics
to sell them Ossur products. Has anyone else had thier patients contacted
by Ossur to attend the Ossur lets move product clinics?

James Addams
Prosthetist


>From: Thomas Karolewski < <Email Address Redacted> >
>Reply-To: Thomas Karolewski < <Email Address Redacted> >
>To: <Email Address Redacted>
>Subject: [OANDP-L] Apology
>Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 11:51:59 -0500
>
>Dear List Serve,
>
>This posting is a formal apology to Northwestern University
>Prosthetics- Orthotics Center, Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics, this
>list serve and O & P Practitioners.
>
>My earlier posting suggested that Hanger had solicited Northwestern
>patient models by sending our patients an invitation to attend a
>Hanger patient clinic. I also claimed that the patients did not know
>how Hanger got their names for the invitation.
>
>I now understand that these patients were in fact Hanger patients and
>were receiving invitations from Hanger for routine follow up care. I
>was wrong in my accusation that Hanger was soliciting our patient
>models; Hanger was appropriately providing superior levels of
>clinical care by ensuring their patients were receiving ongoing care
>and services.
>
>In addition, I also claimed in my posting that Hanger routinely
>recommends that all patients receive replacement socket. Of course,
>this claim was illogical, without merit and unprofessional. To
>suggest that any prosthetic company would make blanket
>recommendations regarding patient care was an embarrassment to me and
>an insult to our entire profession.
>
>I also made disparaging remarks regarding the relationship between
>Hanger and Ossur. I confess that when I made my posting I was basing
>my comments on rumor and gossip. I have since learned that Hanger is
>actually the largest single provider of Ossur products in the world
>and Ossur's largest customer. I was wrong to make public statements
>regarding topics I knew nothing about.
>
>I apologize to Northwestern University for including my title and
>affiliation with Northwestern in my posting, my posting was
>unprofessional and inappropriate and do mot reflect the opinions or
>position of Northwestern University Prosthetics-Orthotics Center.
>
>I apologize to Hanger Prosthetic and Orthotics for making false and
>inappropriate comments.
>
>I apologize to this list serve for making an inaccurate and misleading
>posting.
>
>Lastly, I deeply apologize to my fellow clinical practitioners. As an
>associate affiliated with an educational institute and as an Academy
>member, I should be setting an example for our profession; I regret
>that my actions in my posting did not do so.
>
>
>Thomas Karolewski, CP, FAAOP
>--
>Thomas Karolewski, C.P.,FAAOP
>Assistant Director of Prosthetics Education
>Northwestern University Prosthetics- Orthotics Center
>1(312)238-1182
>
>