ACA and Ossur

[John C. Ghormley]

So, Lindsay,

What was your purpose in sayin' what you said?

Is it that Ossur is a good company?  Is it that Collier is a good guy?
Is it that the ACA is circumspect because they throw a great party
once a year?  Is is that we shouldn't be hard on these folks because
you've had a great experience?

I may have missed your point.  My apologies if it was right in front of
my face.

John C. Ghormley
Bedford, TX
rbk  '02

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 8/16/2003 at 9:33 AM Lindsay Nielsen wrote:

***  Hi All,
***  
***  Here's what I know about Curt Collier. He is an amputee, he is an
***  athlete, he is a prosthetist, he works for Ossur, and he now also does
***  this work for the ACA. The ACA work looks kind of thankless and quite
***  tiring to me, and I sure wouldn't be signing up for it but... 
***  
***  Here's what I think about the ACA. I do get the points about conflict
***  of
***  interest, and about the complex issues the ACA is facing and those not
***  yet being faced. Most of the ACA works on volunteerism. People are
***  giving their time and energy. It started as grassroots and is IMO still
***  in that transition between professional and non-professional. I think
***  they do a lot really well. I wish I had the ACA to turn to when I first
***  became an amputee and wished I had learned of it a lot earlier than I
***  did, because I was forever changed during my first conference, when I
***  was for the first time among so many other amps. They also don't do
***  some
***  things well which is why we need to stay vocal and be as effective as
***  we
***  all can be about feedback and ideas for change and continued
***  development.
***  
***  How the competition between Prosthetic organizations plays out is not
***  positive for us. As some of you know I am biased about Flex-foot/Ossur
***  because I feel like the technology and frankly the generosity of the
***  company has allowed me to take back my athletic life, and lots of other
***  amputees athletic lives as well. I went to Glacier this past month with
***  my family and could climb with no difficulty. Part of that is the
***  fitmess I have from running (which I can do in part because of the foot
***  I use) and it was due to the technology of my walking foot. That gave
***  me
***  time with my family that 10 years ago, I couldn't manage. Again, in my
***  opinion, they were the first company to break out of the rut of
***  mediocrity, that meant my life got better.
***  
***  None of this speaks to the politics and ethics of competition when
***  peoples well being is at stake.
***  
***  For what it's worth. I'm not sitting on this, not editing it, and not
***  trying to come at it from all the legitimate different sides, just
***  sayin'...
***  
***  Lindsay


John C. Ghormley
Bedford, TX
www.johnghormley.com