Redondo beach, ca
– July 28, 2010 – Advanced Arm Dynamics (AAD), the nation’s leading provider of
upper extremity prosthetic rehabilitation, announces the promotion of Rob
Dodson, CPO, LPO, to clinical manager of AAD’s Southwest Center of Excellence
in Dallas, Texas.He has been an upper
limb prosthetic specialist at the center since 2005.
"The
success of our patients is the most important aspect of my work at AAD,"
he said. "My expertise in the field of upper extremity prosthetics has
been greatly enhanced by numerous opportunities to present, publish, and
participate in research and development."
Before coming
to AAD, Mr. Dodson spent three years as a prosthetist /orthotist at the Center
for Independent Rehabilitative Services in San Jose, California.His prosthetic residency was performed at
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, and he completed prosthetic
and orthotic rotations with the Scottish Rite Hospital and Hanger Prosthetics
& Orthotics.
“Over the
past five years, Rob has been vital to the operation of our Southwest Center of
Excellence,” said John Miguelez, AAD president and senior clinical director. “He
is dedicated to the unique prosthetic needs of our patients, and consistently
reaches above and beyond in his pursuit of clinical excellence.”
Mr. Dodson’s
academic background includes a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science from
Texas A & M University, and a Bachelor of Science in Prosthetics and
Orthotics from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.He has co-authored a range of research case
studies published in the Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics, and given
presentations at professional conferences and in academic settings on both a
national and international level. About
Advanced Arm Dynamics
Advanced Arm
Dynamics (AAD) is the nation’s leading provider of upper extremity prosthetic
rehabilitation and has Centers of Excellence located across the United States.
Their comprehensive approach to patient care includes the most advanced technologies,
rehabilitation planning, occupational therapy, psychological counseling,
insurance authorization/negotiation, and a patient-to-patient mentoring
program. AAD is proud to be the exclusive provider of upper extremity
prosthetic care for wounded service members at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
For additional information, visit www.armdynamics.com
Contact: Carol Sorrels Advanced Arm Dynamics 405-250-8555
Dancers, performance artists, music, and multilevel product
display booths complete with bars, cafe tables, and mini-theaters set the tone for
the combined meeting of the International Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics
(ISPO) 13thWorld Congress and the ORTHOpADIE + REHA-TECHNIK 2010 International
Trade Show, held from May 10-15 in Leipzig, Germany.
But when Miguelez summed up
his experience at the record-setting event, he was referring to more than the electric
atmosphere created by exhibit hall booths the size of a small city block. He
was also referring to the palpable energy created by the global exchange of
ideas.The combined meeting "gives you the opportunity to
spend the day visiting the exhibit hall and listening to presenters, and then
in the evening go out in a group and ... share your clinical experience with
people from all over the globe;' Miguelez said. "That's so invigorating.
It's a really unique opportunity to extend past the borders of the United
States and open yourself up to new approaches, techniques and technologies.”
'Most Successful’ World
Congress Ever
Building on the theme, "Research and Innovation for
Human Technology;' the ISPO World Congress brought together 630 speakers from
55 countries. Presentations covered the latest developments and research
results in the fields of orthotics, prosthetics, orthopedic technology,
orthopedic footwear technology, and compression treatment, and drew in
approximately 2,600 visitors.Sessions focusing on neuroprosthetics were well received,
with one in five participants saying they were strongly interested in the
subject.
"It was our most
successful Congress ever;' said Dan Blocka, immediate past-president of ISPO.
"In some keynote presentations, all seats were taken.”
The l3th World Congress also marked the end of Blocka’s three-year
term as ISPO president. During the closing ceremonies, Blocka officially handed
over the baton to incoming president Ian Geertsen, MD, a specialist in physical
medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) at the Center for Rehabilitation,
Groningen, Netherlands.Exhibitors seized on the global marketing opportunity presented
in Leipzig.
More than 550 exhibitors from 45 countries filled 40,000 square
meters of exhibition area, presenting mobility aids in the fields of
prosthetics and orthotics technology, orthopedic and rehabilitation technology,
orthopedic footwear technology, medical foot care, and compression therapy.
ORTHOpADIE + REHA-TECHNIK drew in 21,200 visitors from 108 nations, according
to Area Manager Klaus Ernst.
More than 50 new products were launched at the trade fair,
including the world premier of the SacroLoc lower-back orthosis by Bauerfeind
AG, Zeulenroda-Triebes, Germany; the world premier of the PowerKnee by Ossur, Reykjavik, Iceland; the
world premier of the bebionic myoelectric hand system by RSLSTEEPER, Rochester,
Kent, England; the European premier of the Pro Digits partial hand system by
Touch Bionics, Livingston, Scotland; and the world premier of the Genium
lower-limb bionic prosthetic system and the Michelangelo Hand, both by Otto
Bock HealthCare, Duderstadt, Germany.
"This was the best ORTHOpADIE + REHA-TECHNIK we have
ever seen;' said Hans Georg Nader, CEO of Otto Bock HealthCare. "Combining
the ISPO Congress and Trade Fair is a model for the future. The world comes together
in Leipzig.”
“Regardless of what discipline a clinician specializes
in-upperlimb, lower-limb, orthotics, prosthetics, or pedorthics, “Miguelez said,
"The World Congress is an incredible, unparalleled educational opportunity.
The World congress offers a unique opportunity for clinicians to exchange ideas
with other experts from around the world.”
The next ORTHOpADIE + REHA-TECHNIK International Trade Show
will be held in Leipzig May 16-19, 2012. ISPO will hold its 14thWorld Congress
February 4-7, 2013, in Hyderabad, India.
Redondo Beach, CA
– June 24, 2010 – Advanced Arm Dynamics (AAD), the nation’s leading provider of
upper extremity prosthetic rehabilitation services, announces the addition of
Sherri Edge, writer/producer, to their marketing and communications team.Ms. Edge will work with AAD’s new national
director of communications and marketing, Carol Sorrels.
Ms. Edge has been a freelance writer and video producer for
15 years, specializing in visual media and print projects.She has provided writing and video production
services for Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics, Sabolich Prosthetics &
Research, and a broad range of other corporate clients.She was also a writer/producer at Grekel
Productions in Oklahoma City for 10 years. Ms Edge received a bachelor of
science in journalism at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
“I have relied on Sherri as a valuable creative resource for
more than 23 years,” said Sorrels.“She
brings considerable knowledge of prosthetics and adds needed depth and insight
to the media and marketing strategies we are developing for AAD.”
About Advanced Arm Dynamics dvanced Arm Dynamics (AAD) is focused on empowering
patients to return to work and lead active lifestyles.Their comprehensive approach to prosthetic
care begins with evaluation and fitting, and continues throughout the
rehabilitation process. The company’s services include state-of-the art
technologies and techniques, rehabilitation planning, insurance authorization/
negotiation, occupational therapy, psychological counseling, and a patient-to-patient
mentoring program. AAD centers of excellence facilities are located in
Texas, Iowa and Oregon. For additional information, visit www.armdynamics.com
About Transportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration protects the
nation's transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and
commerce.For more information
about TSA, visit www.tsa.gov
Redondo beach, ca – June 18, 2010 – Advanced Arm Dynamics
(AAD), the nation’s leading provider of upper extremity prosthetic
rehabilitation services, announces the promotion of James (Jamie) Vandersea,
CPO, to clinical manager of AAD’s upper extremity prosthetics team at Walter
Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC).
Vandersea
became a clinical specialist on the AAD upper extremity team at WRAMC in July
2009. Prior to that time he worked with a prosthetic and orthotic firm in
Portland, Maine, and had also worked as an upper extremity specialist in the
NovaCare Upper Extremity Prosthetic Program.
“Mr.
Vandersea has been a strong member of our WRAMC team,” said John Miguelez, AAD’s
president and senior clinical director. “He is ready to take on a broader
leadership role in the prosthetic care we provide to military personnel wounded
in combat.”
Advanced
Arm Dynamics (AAD) is focused on empowering patients to return to work and lead
active lifestyles.Their comprehensive
approach to prosthetic care begins with evaluation and fitting, and continues
throughout the rehabilitation process. The company’s services include
state-of-the art technologies and techniques, rehabilitation planning,
insurance authorization/negotiation, occupational therapy, psychological counseling,
and a patient-to-patient mentoring program. AAD centers of excellence
facilities are located in Texas, Iowa and Oregon.
June 9, 2010 – Advanced Arm Dynamics (AAD), the nation’s
leading provider of upper extremity rehabilitation services, announces the
addition of Brian Waryck, CP, to their clinical staff. Mr. Waryck will work
with the AAD clinical team at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and at AAD
centers of excellence in three other states.
Mr. Waryck spent the first six years of his career as a
prosthetist with Shriners Hospital for Children, followed by managing a
clinical office for NEBCO Prosthetics and Orthotics.His most recent position was as a prosthetist
and practice manager with Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics in Cleveland,
OH.
“My desire to specialize in today’s technically
challenging upper extremity prosthetic care is what led me to AAD,” said Mr.
Waryck. “Providing this level of care to the soldiers at Walter Reed is
important to me.”
Mr. Waryck received a bachelor of science in mechanical
engineering at Western New England College.Later, he earned his certificate in prosthetics at the Newington
Certificate Program.He is a member of
the American Academy of Orthotists & Prosthetists’ Upper- Limb Prosthetics
Society.
“With 12 years of clinical experience, Brian is a good
fit for the AAD team,” said John Miguelez, president and senior clinical
director of AAD. “His experience in pediatric upper extremity prosthetics is
also a strength.”
Advanced Arm Dynamics (AAD), Redondo Beach, California, has appointed
Carol Sorrels to the position of national director of marketing and
communications. Sorrels has more than 25 years of experience as a
national and international media publicist, during which time she has
focused exclusively on the field of prosthetics and orthotics.
Over the course of her career, Sorrels has directed marketing and
communications efforts for Orthocare Innovations, NovaCare P&O,
Sabolich Prosthetics and Research, and Mercy Health Systems. She has
procured national media features with USA Today, Newsweek, NBC,
CNN, ABC, The New York Times, National Public Radio, and Sports
Illustrated, AAD noted in a press release about Sorrels’
appointment. While working at Sabolich, Sorrels helped to develop and
publish You’re Not Alone: With the Stories of 38 Remarkable Amputees
Who Conquered the Challenges of a Lifetime.
“Shining a light on new technologies, the work of researchers and
prosthetists, and the stories of people who have experienced limb loss
has been my passion,” Sorrels said.
“Carol’s expertise in marketing and her extensive understanding of
the field of prosthetics and orthotics make her a real asset to AAD,”
said John Miguelez, CP, FAAOP, president and senior clinical director at
AAD. “We are excited about applying her strategies and enthusiasm to
increase awareness of our exceptional upper-extremity patient care.”
Advanced Arm Dynamics not only builds prosthetic
upper limbs, but helps its patients get their lives back to normal
By Nick Peterson
The Times, May 13, 2010
When you first see Chino Acosta, there is
nothing unusual that catches your eye — even if you know beforehand that
he is missing an arm.
Then you look him up and down, and you see it. His
left hand. It looks a little different, but only slightly. If it was his
right hand, you wouldn’t hesitate shaking it.
But it’s his left hand, and he can do some amazing
things with it.
Acosta has a dynamic arm — an electronic
prosthesis, created by Tigard’s Advanced Arm Dynamics — an arm that
helps him lead a fairly normal life.
And he likes it a lot.
“One of the things I like about it is for driving,”
Acosta says, making a motion like he’s holding onto a steering wheel
with his artificial hand. “Driving is really comfortable.”
Acosta lost his hand in a job-related accident six
years ago. After some reconstructive surgery that didn’t produce the
results he was hoping for, he decided to have his arm amputated just
below the elbow. Then he came to Advanced Arm Dynamics and they built
him the arm he now uses — a myoelectric prosthesis that has rotation at
the wrist and an open-close function for the hand. And it looks
surprisingly natural.
Acosta’s face lights up with a little, sly smile as
he rotates his hand 360 degrees — something those of us with natural
hands can’t do.
The “skin” on his prosthetic hand and forearm is
made of silicone and painted to match Acosta’s natural skin. The forearm
even has hair taken from his other arm embeded in it.
The only problem, Acosta jokes, is that in the
summertime it doesn’t tan like his real arm.
The hand looks uncannily real, right down to the
veins on the top of the hand and the fingernails — which, by the way,
never need clipping.
The movement of the hand is limited. It is fixed in
a cupped, gripping shape, looking like it’s constantly ready to grab
something. Besides the unlimited rotation, its basic movement is to open
and close.
Those movements are controlled by the flexing of
two basic muscles in Acosta’s forearm. The twitching of one muscle
causes the hand to open and the twitching of another muscle causes it to
close. A quick flexing of respective muscles causes the hand to rotate
one way or the other.
Acosta said learning to use the arm was relatively
easy and only took a couple of weeks. Training begins with a computer
program that uses myotraining and simulation software to virtually
imitate the movement of the prosthetic hand.
“Before they even think about making you this,” he
says, motioning toward his prosthetic arm, “they train you on the
computer. By the time you get this, you just put it on, and no problem.”
Getting back to normal
Mac Lang, the clinical director and prosthetist of
the Adavanced Arm Dynamics Northwest Center of Excellence in Tigard,
says the company exclusively specializes in upper limb prosthetics. And
one of the things that sets the company apart from other prosthetic
providers is its emphasis on long-term rehabilitation.
“We provide the prosthesis, but we also provide the
rehabilitation for the patient to work that prosthesis into their
everyday life,” says Lang.
The clinic’s occupational therapy room is equipped
with various real-life objects which patients can train on to get used
to using their limb.
“Something as simple as stacking cones may not be
exciting or fun, and they often get tired of doing it here 100 times,”
Lang said. “Then they go out to Starbucks and have to pick up a cup of
coffee and because they’ve done it here 100 times, it takes the anxiety
away of having to do it in public in an uncontrolled setting.”
Lang says a typical patient for them is one who,
like Acosta, lost a limb in a job-related accident.
I recently had the unique opportunity to travel
down to Guadalajara to participate in the first annual International
Forum on Biomedical Engineering
at the Tecnológico de Monterrey campus Guadalajara. I have known the
Director of the Biomedical
Engineering department, Dr. Misael Caballero, for the past four
years. In 2006, we had the opportunity to collaborate together on a
prosthetic case involving a patient who sustained wrist disarticulation
amputations on both her right and left arm. Earlier
this year Dr. Caballero invited me to speak at this conference on the
topic of Advancements in Upper Limb Prosthetic Technology. And although
my Spanish is pretty non-existent, I decided this would be an excellent
opportunity to teach about our field and
provide exposure to not only the advancements in technologies but also
the advancements that have been made in therapy and psychosocial
considerations for those patients dealing with an upper limb amputation.
So, my tickets were purchased and I was on my way
for this adventure. My past experience with Mexico involved beaches and
margaritas so I was unsure of what to expect going to Guadalajara.
Upon my arrival, I met with Dr. Caballero and
one of his students, Ana HeRay and was taken to my hotel. On the ride
to the hotel, I was informed that I would be the first speaker and that I
should be prepared for around 100 participants. Once at the hotel I
was able to put my finishing touches on the
presentation for the next morning.
The next day, Ana picked me up to take me to the
University. Once there, I was given a tour of the exhibit hall which
included approximately 15 vendors from various aspects of the health field including
such companies as Arthrex and Stryker.
Dr. Caballero personally introduced me to the representatives from each
of these companies. I quickly realized that the entire conference was
student driven and on a very high level! I was incredibly impressed by
the professionalism of the student workers
and by the overall feel of the conference.
It was then off to get prepared for the opening
ceremonies and the presentation at 10:00 sharp. Some very influential
people were in attendance including the president of the university and
the Minster of Health for the county of Jalisco.
The venue for the meeting was an outdoor gymnasium that held
approximately 1,000 chairs. Five 40” LCD screens were positioned around
the audience as the main projector was unfortunately not bright enough
to show on the main screen. The presentation went
very well and we had approximately 900 + attendees during the lecture
which was amazing!
After lunch, Ana and another student by the name of
Eduardo gave me a tour around the campus. I have a new appreciation
for what the field of biomedical engineering means in Mexico and I am hopeful
that a few of the students will be interested
enough to consider the field of upper limb prosthetics as a career that they
can bring to Mexico. We had a Gala dinner that evening which included
lectures by Intel on their venture into Guadalajara.
The next day was full of more lectures
(unfortunately in Spanish which did not bode well for this Texan!) as
well as a repeat lecture from me to those students that were not able to
attend the original lecture. It was then off to the airport
for a quick flight back to Dallas.
I truly enjoyed my time in Guadalajara and was very
impressed by the hospitality of the students and Dr. Caballero. I am
looking forward to this becoming a common conference that we can be a
part of in the future and hope that we can help
influence the career choices of some of these students as they begin to
understand the nature of prosthetics and how it relates to their
degree. This was an excellent opportunity to showcase the philosophy of
Advanced Arm Dynamics and I am grateful to Dr.
Caballero for his invitation to participate in this event.
Rob Dodson, C.P.O., L.P.O. Upper Extremity Specialist Advanced Arm Dynamics
Redondo Beach, Ca – Advanced Arm Dynamics (AAD), the nation’s leading provider of upper extremity rehabilitation services announced the promotion of Creighton Uyechi to Director of Operations and Finance.
In this new position, Mr. Uyechi will take on a wider range of responsibilities. He will continue to oversee financial and administrative matters in addition to focusing on non-clinical aspects of overall operations for Advanced Arm Dynamics. He will work at both a strategic and tactical level to drive profitability, implement time and cost-saving new tools, and streamline business processes.
“Creighton’s leadership has been pivotal in the continued growth and expansion of AAD,“ said John Miguelez, president and founder of Advanced Arm Dynamics. “His dedication and outstanding performance reinforces our commitment to streamline the business processes.”
REDONDO BEACH, CA – February 2010 – Advanced Arm Dynamics (AAD), the nation’s leading provider of upper extremity rehabilitation services announced the addition of its newest member, Chad Sparks.
Mr. Sparks joined AAD as a technical coordinator. He will begin working with the Walter Reed Army Medical Center team assisting the AAD team in providing upper extremity care to military personnel wounded in combat. Mr. Sparks brings a unique background to the team as his prior work experience focused in the aeronautics industry. Residing in Bend, OR, he previously worked for Cessna and has extensive knowledge in carbon fiber and pre-peg applications along with electrical wiring and placement.
After his stint at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, he will be traveling to the AAD centers across the country and assisting with consulting agreements.
“It is an exciting time for AAD as our team continues to grow,” said John Miguelez, president and senior clinical director of AAD. “As the leader in upper extremity prosthetic services, it is our commitment to give our patients access to top clinicians and cutting edge technology and techniques. We are excited Chad has joined us.”
About Advanced Arm Dynamics
Advanced Arm Dynamics, Inc. (AAD) is the nation’s leading provider of upper extremity rehabilitation services. AAD empowers patients to return to work and lead active lifestyles by working with each patient throughout the fitting and rehabilitation process. The company’s services include state-of-the art technologies and techniques, rehabilitation planning, insurance justification and authorization negotiations, occupational therapy and psychological counseling and a patient-to-patient mentoring program. Advanced Arm Dynamics Centers of Excellence facilities are located in Texas, Iowa and Oregon. For additional information on Advanced Arm Dynamics, please visit our Web site at www.armdynamics.com .
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