Re: Response to Northwestern Educator

Re: Response to Northwestern Educator

M. Britt Spears CPO

8/15/2003

The part that Mr. Karolewski doesn't see in his capacity is the fact that Ossur is setting themselves up to have regional centers for prosthetic care. They are eventually going to be in direct competition with their precious OAFs. The OAFs don't understand that for their own survival they need to cut out Ossur's patient contact.
Just food for thought,
M. Britt Spears CPO
Spears Prosthetics and Orthotics

James Addams < <Email Address Redacted> > wrote:
Just a question to the list serve and Tom, but what would a educator from an
institute know about real world business? Having meet you at an academy
meeting Tom, I believe I am correct that you have never left Northwestern,
when you graduated you stayed on site and started teaching? Correct the
list serve if I am wrong.

So how does someone who has never worked outside of an edcuaitonal institute
have any idea of what the real world is all about. Tom, you need to get out
from behind the teachers desk. In the real world you need to build a
buisiness, find referrals and maintain your lively hood to keep food on the
table. This Ossur debate is effecting the industry, your pompous response
by concluding with Next Discussion shows that you are really out of touch
with what is going on in the profession.

I hope you are not in charge of teaching the business or ethics portion of
the program at Northwestern, if you are, our industry is in even more
trouble than we think.


Dear James,
Isn't this the same thing Hanger has been doing for the last
few years. We have model patients come into Northwestern with Hanger
brochures for a patient clinic and wondering how Hanger got their
names. When they do attend they find out that EVERYBODY there needs a
new socket...a Hanger socket for more comfort. How is Ossur so
different?

Ossur has been competing with Hanger since the big fallout between
the two. Let the Ossur and Hanger conflict run its course. Hopefully
for the sake of the profession, they put the ego's aside and make up.

Please let's not get this argument started again.

Bottom line, if your secure in your abilities as a practitioner, your
good, and your patients are happy they will not leave you.

Next discussion!


Thanks,
Thomas Karolewski, CP, FAAOP

--
Thomas Karolewski, C.P.,FAAOP
Assistant Director of Prosthetics Education
Northwestern University Prosthetics- Orthotics Center
1(312)238-1182

_________________________________________________________________
The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE*
<URL Redacted>