Barr Foundation's Weekly Salute to Ertl Supporter and Advocate Charles King, C.P.
Tony Barr
Description
Collection
Title:
Barr Foundation's Weekly Salute to Ertl Supporter and Advocate Charles King, C.P.
Creator:
Tony Barr
Date:
6/10/2005
Text:
The recent post received by O&P Listserve subscribers today (below)
indicates the success of one of your practitioner members,Charles King,CP.
This is terrific break through for all of those in support of surgeons
performing proper amputation surgery and to further advance the credibility
of the Ertl Procedure.
Thank you Charles for your support and efforts in getting this before the
Independent Medical Exam Board.
Many thanks also to the registered nurse whom was facing amputation surgery
and recognized the benefits of the Ertl osteomyoplastic amputation and
reconstruction procedure enough to fight the fight and take it all the way
to the Workman's Compensation Commission along side her prosthetist.
Fortunately the IME recognized the benefits of the procedure.
Although, all of the hundreds of Ertl procedure supporters i.e. amputees,
prosthetists and surgeons, can pat themselves on the back with this victory
and this case will set a positive precedent for future patients facing
amputation reconstruction, we need to focus on the procedure being properly
performed by the surgeon on this specific patient and her subsequent
prosthetic rehabilitation to a classic Ertl limb to drive the message
home.
Each Friday we send a post and similar salute to a person or Hope Donor
whom has made a great difference in a life.
Such Whole Again stories hopefully will help make your weekend and to remind
you, knowing that most of you whom became professionals and industry
providers, got into this business to help people, and that you are
accomplishing allot and are appreciated.
Have a great weekend,
Tony Barr
Barr Foundation
www.oandp.com/barr
www.ertlreconstruction.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Orthotics and Prosthetics List [mailto:<Email Address Redacted>] On
Behalf Of Charles King
Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2005 6:54 PM
To: <Email Address Redacted>
Subject: [OANDP-L] Ertl Issues Update
A while back I asked the list for assistance with a patient and friend who
was facing an independent medical (IME) exam for approval for a bone bridge
procedure. The challenge facing us was to gather information about the Ertl
procedure to present to the doctor performing the IME, because familiarity
with the surgery was not guaranteed. Today we have just received word that
the surgery has been approved. The case did not have to go to an official
hearing because the doctor performing the IME (read insurance company's
doctor) agreed with the evidence presented. I wish to sincerely thank all
who responded.
I received several queries from practitioners with patients in similar
situations who asked to be kept updated. It is because of those requests
that I outline what I believe assisted in approval process.
First off, it helps to a world class surgeon with an excellent support staff
as the attending physician. The approval process is a paperwork game and it
certainly helps if the doctor's office produces excellent documentation.
Tony Barr, of the Barr foundation was an excellent resource. He was prompt
and helpful in sending both the patient and physician version of the Ertl
instructional video, Beyond the Bridge. This video was given to the doctor
who preformed the IME.
Ohio Willow Wood provided an excellent folder of succinct information about
the Ertl procedure that was given to the doctor performing the IME. In this
folder were printouts of X-rays that showed the bone bridge. I would have
preferred to have actual X-ray film to show but the paper printouts were
sufficient.
I purposefully avoided including anecdotal evidence, uncited claims and
unreferenced studies, even avoided supportive letters from prosthetists. As
persuasive as those things may be, I wanted the documentation to be a
clinical and concise as possible for review by a busy medical doctor.
Patient documentation was the final key to getting approval. We have been
involved in this worker compensation case for twelve years. Independent
medical exams are an accepted part of our lives. We no longer view them as
an adversarial encounter. We now try to assist the IME doctor in navigating
the huge mound of patient charts related to this case. One of the most
effective things that we did about six years ago was to create a brief
outline of everything related to this case. It is a document, with selected
color photographs, that details and dates every doctor's visit, prosthesis,
surgery, approval difficulties, etc. It started out as a seven page
document and now runs about thirty. The IME doctors look relieved when this
document is handed to them as it is certainly an easier read (and probably
more accurate) then the multitude of disjointed charts from multiple
physicians. Long term complaints, such as related to the bone bridge
revision, are tracked over time in this outline.
Suffice it to say that we have never lost an issue with the insurance
company. It is completely a documentation game.
I should probably add that a lawyer is an absolute necessity in a workers
compensation case. It is the lawyer's support staff that is most important
asset a long term workers compensation case. The paralegals assist in all
the paperwork. It is a long drawn out process and nothing happens fast.
The original post, which seems like an eternity ago, is copied below.
Regards,
Charles King, C.P.
Ertl Issues
In approximately one week a friend and patient will be having an independent
medical exam (IME) to determine if the workers compensation insurance
company will authorize the Ertl procedure as recommended by her attending
physician. This may ultimately end up in a hearing judged by a Commissioner
of the Workers Compensation Commission (WCC). It is important to make sure
that all the physicians who offer an opinion in this case are fully informed
and hopefully agree.
This is an obscure operation in our state as only one physician does the
procedure. The question I would like to ask the list is what documentation
would you recommend bringing to the IME and possibly a WCC hearing, for a
physician who most likely would not be familiar with the procedure?
Thank you,
Charles King, C.P.
indicates the success of one of your practitioner members,Charles King,CP.
This is terrific break through for all of those in support of surgeons
performing proper amputation surgery and to further advance the credibility
of the Ertl Procedure.
Thank you Charles for your support and efforts in getting this before the
Independent Medical Exam Board.
Many thanks also to the registered nurse whom was facing amputation surgery
and recognized the benefits of the Ertl osteomyoplastic amputation and
reconstruction procedure enough to fight the fight and take it all the way
to the Workman's Compensation Commission along side her prosthetist.
Fortunately the IME recognized the benefits of the procedure.
Although, all of the hundreds of Ertl procedure supporters i.e. amputees,
prosthetists and surgeons, can pat themselves on the back with this victory
and this case will set a positive precedent for future patients facing
amputation reconstruction, we need to focus on the procedure being properly
performed by the surgeon on this specific patient and her subsequent
prosthetic rehabilitation to a classic Ertl limb to drive the message
home.
Each Friday we send a post and similar salute to a person or Hope Donor
whom has made a great difference in a life.
Such Whole Again stories hopefully will help make your weekend and to remind
you, knowing that most of you whom became professionals and industry
providers, got into this business to help people, and that you are
accomplishing allot and are appreciated.
Have a great weekend,
Tony Barr
Barr Foundation
www.oandp.com/barr
www.ertlreconstruction.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Orthotics and Prosthetics List [mailto:<Email Address Redacted>] On
Behalf Of Charles King
Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2005 6:54 PM
To: <Email Address Redacted>
Subject: [OANDP-L] Ertl Issues Update
A while back I asked the list for assistance with a patient and friend who
was facing an independent medical (IME) exam for approval for a bone bridge
procedure. The challenge facing us was to gather information about the Ertl
procedure to present to the doctor performing the IME, because familiarity
with the surgery was not guaranteed. Today we have just received word that
the surgery has been approved. The case did not have to go to an official
hearing because the doctor performing the IME (read insurance company's
doctor) agreed with the evidence presented. I wish to sincerely thank all
who responded.
I received several queries from practitioners with patients in similar
situations who asked to be kept updated. It is because of those requests
that I outline what I believe assisted in approval process.
First off, it helps to a world class surgeon with an excellent support staff
as the attending physician. The approval process is a paperwork game and it
certainly helps if the doctor's office produces excellent documentation.
Tony Barr, of the Barr foundation was an excellent resource. He was prompt
and helpful in sending both the patient and physician version of the Ertl
instructional video, Beyond the Bridge. This video was given to the doctor
who preformed the IME.
Ohio Willow Wood provided an excellent folder of succinct information about
the Ertl procedure that was given to the doctor performing the IME. In this
folder were printouts of X-rays that showed the bone bridge. I would have
preferred to have actual X-ray film to show but the paper printouts were
sufficient.
I purposefully avoided including anecdotal evidence, uncited claims and
unreferenced studies, even avoided supportive letters from prosthetists. As
persuasive as those things may be, I wanted the documentation to be a
clinical and concise as possible for review by a busy medical doctor.
Patient documentation was the final key to getting approval. We have been
involved in this worker compensation case for twelve years. Independent
medical exams are an accepted part of our lives. We no longer view them as
an adversarial encounter. We now try to assist the IME doctor in navigating
the huge mound of patient charts related to this case. One of the most
effective things that we did about six years ago was to create a brief
outline of everything related to this case. It is a document, with selected
color photographs, that details and dates every doctor's visit, prosthesis,
surgery, approval difficulties, etc. It started out as a seven page
document and now runs about thirty. The IME doctors look relieved when this
document is handed to them as it is certainly an easier read (and probably
more accurate) then the multitude of disjointed charts from multiple
physicians. Long term complaints, such as related to the bone bridge
revision, are tracked over time in this outline.
Suffice it to say that we have never lost an issue with the insurance
company. It is completely a documentation game.
I should probably add that a lawyer is an absolute necessity in a workers
compensation case. It is the lawyer's support staff that is most important
asset a long term workers compensation case. The paralegals assist in all
the paperwork. It is a long drawn out process and nothing happens fast.
The original post, which seems like an eternity ago, is copied below.
Regards,
Charles King, C.P.
Ertl Issues
In approximately one week a friend and patient will be having an independent
medical exam (IME) to determine if the workers compensation insurance
company will authorize the Ertl procedure as recommended by her attending
physician. This may ultimately end up in a hearing judged by a Commissioner
of the Workers Compensation Commission (WCC). It is important to make sure
that all the physicians who offer an opinion in this case are fully informed
and hopefully agree.
This is an obscure operation in our state as only one physician does the
procedure. The question I would like to ask the list is what documentation
would you recommend bringing to the IME and possibly a WCC hearing, for a
physician who most likely would not be familiar with the procedure?
Thank you,
Charles King, C.P.
Citation
Tony Barr, “Barr Foundation's Weekly Salute to Ertl Supporter and Advocate Charles King, C.P.,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 25, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/224949.
