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Kim Doolan Detours to Success
By Jodi Mills A career in radio and TV was the aspiration of a
young, adventurous Kim Doolan. Writing and producing appealed to
her. A detour led her down a different road, however - now there is
no looking back.
 A congenital amputee, Doolan spent her childhood
and adolescence in rehab hospitals. From her experience as a
patient in the world of O&P, Doolan never considered it as a
choice for her life's work. In 1990, she was getting new lower-limb
prostheses made. It just so happened that the facility making them
desperately needed a technician. Coincidentally, Doolan was
anxiously looking for work. Tom Andrew, CP, FAAOP, then of Med Arts
in Utah, convinced her she would be a perfect fit for the position.
Thus, Kim started down the road she continues to travel to this
day. Andrew is someone toward whom she feels sincere gratitude for
guiding her into a field that, despite her apprehension, would
ultimately be extremely fulfilling.
Once again, a detour would send Doolan in a slightly different
direction. The parent company of Med Arts dissolved that venture.
Motion Control of Salt Lake City, Utah, was one of its
subsidiaries. Doolan was transferred there and came under the
direction of Harold Sears, PhD, another mentor who would have a
remarkable influence on her. A start in O&P that would not have
happened without the influence of Andrew and the association with
Sears enabled Doolan to look at many different aspects of the
field. She reflects fondly on the years spent with both these Utah
companies.
Her tenure in Utah spanned the early to mid '90s. During this
time, Doolan became active as a board member of the Amputee
Coalition of America (ACA). Watching Mary Novotny, RN, MS, and Ed
Jeffries, MD, grow this organization has been a thrill for Doolan,
and it gives her a sense of pride to have been associated with
them.
Humanitarian Trips Expand Horizons
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Kim helps with patients in Guyana. |
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She also has served on the board of the Barr
Foundation, which led to three trips to Guyana, South America, to
provide lower-extremity prostheses. Another trip was to Bosnia with
the International Rescue Committee. Among the lessons learned on
these excursions was that follow-up care is vital. Also of great
importance is being sure that what is being provided is what the
local culture accepts. For instance, in Bosnia hundreds of donated
upper-extremity prostheses were not used because the people found
previously used components insulting. Doing a site visit and
getting a feel for where the components are going to end up is
imperative, she points out. Doolan has found these humanitarian
trips to be very rewarding and would like to be involved in them
again in the not-too-distant future.
Another Detour
Another detour was looming as Doolan traveled the O&P
highway. A gentleman named Mike Allen, CPO, FAAOP, crossed paths
with the energetic Doolan. Allen Orthotics and Prosthetics in
Midland, Texas, became Doolan's next destination. Allen's strong
advocacy for the highest levels of patient care and standards for
practitioners drew her to him. They related on both a professional
and personal level. Married for over seven years now, their
partnership continues to provide great joy and satisfaction.
Allen O&P is a considerable distance away from any big
metropolitan area, so they can speak from experience about working
in a rural setting. The company has not used its location as an
excuse to let technology pass it by or as a reason to not provide
high-quality patient care. Allen O&P is accredited by the
American Board for Certification in Orthotics & Prosthetics
(ABC) with all ABC-certified practitioners on staff. Allen O&P
is a living, breathing example of a thriving practice off the
beaten path, implementing the highest standards in patient
care.
Legislative Activist
High-quality patient care is a topic that elicits strong
feelings from Doolan. She was involved in the Negotiated Rulemaking
Committee (NegReg) and is quite vocal about this subject. Medicare
is very concerned that it might promulgate rules that would do away
with rural practices if it set the standards too high, Doolan
explains. Her opinion? "Hogwash," she exclaims! "Mike Allen fought
hard for licensure, and Texas was the second state to achieve it.
He has shaped the company to strive for the best of everything, in
spite of shrinking reimbursements." Doolan is a firm believer that
other rural practices are doing likewise and are quite capable of
living up to the highest standards.
"A politician in the making," you may say. Probably not -
however, being involved in the legislative process has been a
learning experience for Doolan. In the beginning of her career in
O&P, she was very interested in becoming a certified
practitioner. Doolan encountered another detour, though. She found,
as she was testifying in different states for licensure, that the
legislators werent really listening to the practitioners. Many of
the practitioners were also amputees; yet they did not receive the
same attention that Doolan did as a consumer.
She is passionate about being involved in the legislative
process, being one voice of many, speaking for amputees. Not
achieving the goal of becoming a practitioner has been a personal
sacrifice, but one well worth it if she can make a difference, she
believes. This became even more apparent when she was involved in
the Negotiated Rulemaking process. Although the initiative failed,
she feels being a straight-up consumer gave her a louder voice in
the Medicare arena. Doolan has no intention of giving up the fight
and hopes that soon great progress will be made on this issue.
Career Expands
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Kim and a friend enjoy a scenic trek. |
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It would appear that Doolan has boundless energy
and enthusiasm for her "adopted" profession. Kim Doolan Consulting
is her own company that she works through with both Allen O&P
and LIVINGSKIN® of Middletown, New York. About the
same time she joined Allen O&P, LIVINGSKIN and another Texas
silicone company approached her. Her professional expertise in
O&P and experience as a patient appealed to the companies. The
technology being used by LIVINGSKIN enticed Doolan to choose this
company. In her years with Motion Control, she would demonstrate
how a myoelectric arm would work, but always felt obliged to tell
onlookers that she was not a good myo user. Hence, she felt
uncomfortable in that role. With the passive prosthesis, she is a
happy wearer, and so is quite comfortable in her position with the
company, which includes education and public relations.
Doolan describes LIVINGSKIN as a "lovely company with great
employees. They continue to be on the cutting edge of silicone
technology and are determined to keep making better prostheses."
For instance, one of its products has armatures in the fingers so
the fingers can bend. Attractive and durable skin covers can be
provided for myoelectric as well as passive prostheses. The company
also provides lower-extremity and facial prostheses - the list goes
on. LIVINGSKIN prostheses are individually made to recreate the
color, shape, and size of an amputees missing finger, hand, arm,
toe, foot, leg, or facial feature. It's important to Doolan that
shes involved with a company that is always trying to improve its
products, she notes.
Concern for O&Ps Future
Concerns for the future of O&P are paramount on Doolans
mind. With Medicare freezing payments and insurance companies
freezing or reducing reimbursement levels, as well as putting a
"one limb per lifetime or a $1,500 cap per prosthesis" limit on the
patient, she confesses to feeling the future is bleak. These are
some of the reasons why she'd like to stay as active as possible in
the legislative end of O&P. She concurs that legislators are
looking at what would affect the most people, and O&P is a
small spot on their radar.
Doolan is determined to make a difference in how O&P is
perceived, emphasizing that many feel getting a limb means choosing
small, medium, or large. The complexities of patient care are being
overlooked. Practitioners cannot bill for their time - just for the
components used. These are just a few of the many issues she
intends to keep in front of lawmakers as long as she has a voice to
do so.
'Listen to Your Heart'
This animated, lively woman revels in each day. Traveling,
gardening, and reading are pleasures that help Doolan pause and
refresh herself. Volunteering with Hospice and the League of Women
Voters are priorities. Her sense of humor also seems to be intact
as was apparent when asked what her advice would be to someone
considering a career in O&P. "Pharmaceuticals and military
defense [would be better choices]," she answers with tongue in
cheek. "Both seem to be experiencing growth and increased
reimbursement." Seriously, she encourages anyone getting involved
in O&P to be driven by their heart - otherwise; it can be a
difficult theater in which to perform. Kim Doolan has a wealth of
knowledge and personal experience that can only benefit the O&P
community. The detours that led her to the world of O&P do not
seem to have been detours at all. This is where she was meant to
be. 
Table Of Contents - February 2005
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