MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Michigan Medicine O&P Center
Collaborative Care in the Great Lakes State Orthotists and prosthetists work closely with other specialists at the University of Michigan’s O&P facility
T
HE UNIVERSITY of Michigan
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APRIL 2020 | O&P ALMANAC
A patient tries out a new blade prosthesis.
FACILITY: Michigan Medicine O&P Center LOCATION: Ann Arbor, Michigan OWNER: University of Michigan HISTORY: 108 years
Brian Kelly, DO
face masks, and upper- and lower-limb orthoses. Prosthetic care is comprehensive, including upper- and lower-extremity devices fabricated by highly trained technicians who work side-byside with practitioners at the O&P Center. This care is further enhanced by strong relationships with university researchers who collaborate with the O&P Center to measure outcomes and develop new devices and treatments. Michigan Medicine O&P recently completed a renovation of its fabrication area, including technician work areas, storage, and a state-of-the-art dust collection system. “Our offsite facilities have the necessary tools and equipment to do all manner of fittings, repairs, and adjustments,” says Wensman. The center’s marketing efforts focus primarily on the university’s own medical system. “One of our marketing goals is to make sure everyone who works for Michigan Medicine knows how to work with us,” says Kelly. As part of a university, the center has robust educational and
training programs, including O&P educational courses for physical medicine and rehabilitation, orthopedic, and neurosurgery residents; clinical rotations for O&P students in technician and practitioner programs; and shadowing opportunities for interested high school and college students. The center conducts extensive outreach activities through the University of Michigan Community Amputee Network, or UCAN. A six-week class called Amputees Creating a New Tomorrow delivers information on such topics as phantom pain, driving, body image, and physical therapy. Another UCAN program features a monthly support group, a monthly newsletter, and a website with links to services and activities such as ballroom dance, sporting activities, and social outings for individuals with limb loss. Patients also may choose to take part in peer mentoring and online support groups. Beyond its vast range of offerings, what makes the O&P Center unique is its teamwork and coordination of care between its physicians and practitioners, says Kelly. “A patient might have trouble fitting into their socket because of an undiagnosed medical condition, such as congestive heart failure leading to swelling in the limbs. Another patient may be experiencing more frequent falls from advanced diabetes and not related to the alignment of the prosthetic device,” he explains. “We see each person as a whole, in all of their medical aspects, and we have access to physician specialists for every situation.” “Michigan’s mantra is ‘the team, the team, the team,’” adds Wensman. “We have to work together to make this work.” Deborah Conn is a contributing writer to O&P Almanac. Reach her at deborahconn@verizon.net.
PHOTOS: Michigan Medicine O&P Center
Medicine’s O&P Center is one of the largest single-site providers in the country—and one of the oldest, tracing its origins back to 1912. In the 1930s, the program was incorporated into the school’s Appliance Shop; a few decades later, orthotics and prosthetics were transferred from the university’s surgery department to the new Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Michigan Medicine O&P sees more than 35,000 patients annually at its primary location and offsite clinics. The O&P Center and University Hospital Clinic are located in Ann Arbor. The Northville Health Center is a large multidisciplinary facility that offers orthotic, prosthetic, and pedorthic care, as is the Brighton Center for Specialty Care. In addition, the O&P Center offers multidisciplinary clinics for amputees and specialty clinics for brachial plexus, postpolio, and cancer care, enabling patients to see their physician as well as their O&P clinician in a collaborative environment. Seventy-three employees staff the O&P Center, including Medical Director Brian Kelly, DO, who oversees the entire program; Director of O&P Services Jeffrey Wensman, CPO; 33 clinical staff members; 10 technical staff; and 28 administrative/support personnel. The center provides customfabricated O&P services for all ages. Clinicians meet patients’ orthotic needs with cranial remolding helmets for babies, protective
By DEBORAH CONN
