December 23, 2011
Original text from: "Hand Prints", Hand Rehabilitation Section, American Physical Therapy Association, Volume 28, No. 4, October 2011.
"Hand Prints"
On January 13, 2011, I happened to open a random E-mail about a flexor tendon course, asking me to "Save the Date!" Something about it caught my attention. There was a level of professionalism, excitement, and enthusiasm embedded in the course description that drew me in. Several of my colleagues thought I was crazy to spend the money to fly to Georgia, stay in a hotel, and take a course about something we see so much in our own clinic. I went anyway and I'm so glad I did.
The title of the course was Flexor Tendon Injury: From Repair to Rehab and it was held on June 3-4 (Sat/Sun) in Atlanta, GA at the Marriott Atlanta Buckhead Hotel & Conference Center. Flying into Atlanta is a cinch and the Conference Center is easliy reached by subway (30 minutes on the Gold Line) or by taxi ($30). The hotel accommodations were upscale, comfortable and clean, and the Conference Center is 20 paces across the bridge in an adjacent building. The logistics could not have been easier and the hotel rates were amazingly reasonable.
The speaker mix was about 50:50 MDs and hand therapists and the program consisted of lectures and breakout sessions. Topics covered included tendon anatomy, tendon repair and healing, the science behind flexor tendon rehabilitation, a review of protocols, post-op orthosis fabrication, tenolysis, staged reconstruction, rehabilitation following tenolysis, wrist level tendon injuries, outcome measures for tendon repairs, and much, much more. All of the talks were thoroughly researched and well presented. The cadaver prosection breakout session was unparalleled. The very entertaining and enthusiastic surgeions reveiwed anatomy and performed various surgical procedures. Teh conference room itself was extremely comfortable with rolling chairs, wide tables and plenty of room for everyone. Breakfast and lunch were provided both days and the food was amazing! They even had a happy hour on Saturday night! Overall, an outstanding value.
So who is Georgia Hand? Originally called Georgia Hand and Microsurgery, it was established in the early 1970s by Dr. Grady Clinkscales (since retired). In 2004, the name was changed to Georgia Hand, Shoulder, and Elbow. There are two centers: downtown Atlanta and Marietta. The surgeons currently practicing at Georgia Hand are John Seiler, Houston Payne, Randall Alexander, Robert Howell, and John Dalton, all are professors at Emory University School of Medicine. The center as 8 full-time hand therapists: Daniel Acker (Therapy Manager), Margaret Woods, Donnah Wilson, Jennifer Hartman, Nicole Beirele, Kelli Wolfman, Erica Williams and Chelsea Eckelcamp. They see quite a variety of traumatic injuries to the upper extremity, including total and partial hand amputations. They have an amputee program that is defined by a team approach to medical management, pre-prosthetic treatment including one-handed ADL techniques, and post-fitting prosthetic training. Their mission is to provide the most up-to-date, compassionate, and quality care to patients who have sustained an upper extremity injury. Each clinician is clearly committed to that mission. Central to Georgia Hand is a team approach. Collaboration between the therapists and surgeons is a reality, not a goal. They make it work!
According to Dan Acker, the idea of hosting an annual course surfaced about 4 or 5 years ago. They kicked the idea around for a while, but just didn't have the staff to pull it off. Then, the stars aligned, the right clinician mix was achieved, and the course was conceived. Next they had to decide on a topic and target audience. Dr. Seiler and Dan spent the last 5 years immersed in the study of flexor tendon injuries as they wrot chapeters for Green's Operative Hand Surgery and the new ASSH/ASHT Advanced Concepts fo Hand Pathology & Surgery: Application to Hand Therapy Practice. Flexor tendon injuries are a perennial hot topic because entry level therapists are always lookign for mentoring, and experienced therapists are always looking for new information or validation of current techniques. So, flexor tendons it was!
I encourage you to E-mail Erica Williams and put yourself on their E-mail list. If they offer another course, go!
To get on their E-mail list contact Erica Williams at ewilliams@gahand.org
NEWSFLASH: I ran into Dr. John Seiler in Las Vegas at the American Society for Surgery of the Hand Conference. He confirmed that they are plannign a topic specific course for 2012! Stay tuned. |