Washington Orthopaedic Center held a comprehensive sports medicine seminar June 3rd in Olympia. In attendance were primary care providers, physical therapists, chiropractors, and athletics trainers from around the region. All five of our surgeons spoke on 18 different topics over the course of 10 hours, including the effects of platelet-rich plasma injections, direct anterior hip replacement and persistent ankle pain. They were joined as faculty by Dr. David Brown, a board certified sports medicine family physician who works with Providence Medical Group in Olympia. Dr. Michael Dujela, the national chairman of the Education and Scientific Affairs Committee for the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, led the seminar. We were also able to hold a break out session, which allowed the faculty an opportunity to work in smaller groups and demonstrate physical examinations of the shoulder, knee and foot.
Chances are you have probably experienced the disconnect that is often found in being referred from clinic to clinic…
The disconnect is sometimes unavoidable because each provider prefers every step of treatment to be completed a specific way, and these preferences are not always easily communicated over phone or dictations. A main goal of hosting this seminar for local healthcare providers was to educate them on our treatment protocols, so that our patients are more effectively cared for as they are referred to separate clinics for their rehabilitative processes. For example, Dr. Slattery is a top notch surgeon who has years of experience performing Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Reconstructions, yet they each prefer a similar, but different technique. The two techniques utilize different angles to reposition a replacement ligament, which could potentially alter the treatment plan of a physical therapist or at least serve as a reference for why a patient may be exhibiting a specific rehabilitative complication. Without knowing the details of which procedure a certain provider prefers, other healthcare professionals may not be able to provide their best quality rehabilitation.
The same goes for us. We took this opportunity to ask questions of our local colleagues as well. We want to know what we can provide to give them the best opportunity to succeed with the patients we send their way. We take pride in personally getting to know our colleagues and we believe it is in our patients’ best interests too, because, although we are a series of separate clinics, we still work toward the same goals for our patients’ benefit. As a rural specialty clinic in this community, we strive to deliver more personalized care than you may receive in a large city hospital. The ability to educate our patients, colleagues, and ourselves, is an integral aspect of maintaining our personalized care. Thank you to all who were able to attend the seminar, we appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to do so.
