Amputee Rehab Conference Scheduled

Old Dominion University's (ODU) College of Health Sciences, Norfolk, Virginia, has scheduled a two-day workshop conference titled "Improving Functional Outcomes for Amputees: A Collaborative Approach," for Friday and Saturday, April 11-12, at the Sheraton Waterside Hotel in Norfolk.

This two-day conference will bring together physicians, prosthetists, physical therapists, nurses, and case managers to discuss current best practices in the rehabilitation of amputees from pre-surgery through advanced rehabilitation, with special emphasis on how collaboration can improve outcomes. Military and civilian amputee patients will participate in a series of breakout sessions on April 12. These sessions will engage health professionals in multi-disciplinary teams along with the patients to progress patient-centered treatment plans.

Speakers include: Paul Pasquina, medical director of the Amputee Program at Walter Reed Army Medical Center; John Fergason, chief prosthetist at the Brooke Army Medical Center's Amputee Care Center; Michael Pinzur, an orthopedic surgeon who serves as medical consultant at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago; and Robert Gailey, a physical therapist and health sciences researcher at the Miami Veteran's Affairs Medical Center. Personnel from Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, VA are also providing support to the conference.

Continuing Education credit applications have been submitted to all related professional associations.

For more information, contact Gail Grisetti, 757.683.6111. The conference brochure, including speaker biographies and registration information, is available at www.odu.edu/amputeeconference08