RE: Krista & Tina

[Guest guest]

Good

job, Tina! If the doc enquiring on ET needs info, please send my way.

Great plan, Krista… If you can

swing it, please go back and share Jacks journey with this doc. Surely,

he will run into another child with prog. I.S. and he will be able to point the

family in the right direction. This is why the role of parents is so very

important. Its all of you who have experienced this treatment and its

benefits that help make it available to other children, in your

community. This is parent demand.. If you need info from ISOP, let

me know.

Sincerely,

HRH

[infantile_scoliosi s]

POSNA ET Tutorial, SLC

POSNA Early Onset Scoliosis Tutorial

Shriners Hospital for Children, SLC

Monday, September 8, 2008

Monday, September 8th, ISOP attended the

first POSNA sponsored Early Onset Scoliosis Tutorial in SLC. Many

topics were discussed including: pulmonary function, casting techniques &

indications, insurance issues, new surgical techniques, and other treatment

modalities. We also viewed a live demonstration of an EDF cast

application. Approximately 20 pediatric, orthopaedic surgeons attended;

the majority of them considered to be experts on progressive infantile

scoliosis and its treatment.

ISOP was pleased to present at this tutorial and

took the opportunity to discuss the following:

n ISOP’s Accomplishments

n ISOP’s Upcoming Activities

n Importance and Role of Core Physician

Group

n Role of ISOP related to Core Physician

Group activities

n New CPT Code for Early Treatment

n Appropriate Frame being critical to

correct EDF cast application

n Need for standardized Early Treatment

Clinical Protocols

n Online CAST (Casting as an Alternative

for Scoliosis Treatment) support group where parents share information and

experiences

n Website activity, 1,200 hits/month

(14,400/year)

n Minimum of 500 families directly

informed or advised about Early Treatment

n ETP by Min Mehta, M.D.

ish Rite

Hospital, Dallas, TX.

October 2-3, 2009

n How ISOP can support Core Physician

Group

n Development of Physician Only online

forum

n Ongoing fundraising with parent

participation

n Ongoing grant submittals

n Global Outreach Program

n Pediatric Outreach Program

n Partial funding for

national/internatio nal research studies

n Leadership group of surgeons is

critical to future of Early Treatment

n Must be a well-respected and unified

group

n More physicians need to be trained

n Reputation of Early Treatment could be

tarnished if ET protocols are not adhered to.

We would like to thank POSNA and all attendees for

their participation. The meeting was successful in further validating

the need to make the “Early Treatment” Method with EDF casts more

available in the U.S. and abroad. This meeting also confirmed to us how

much more work must be done to ensure this gentle, corrective treatment

method is offered to every child that needs it.

Our focus in 2009 will be to organize an effective

Pediatrician ET Awareness Campaign. The insurance issue will not be

successfully addressed until proper statistics on the incidence of

progressive infantile scoliosis can be obtained thus proving the need for a

CPT Code change. We believe that the Pediatric community is the key to

gathering accurate statistics. Pediatricians trained in ET awareness

can diagnose and refer early to ET trained orthopaedic surgeons who will then

treat our children early & properly. This teamwork approach

provides the orthopaedic community with a substantial amount of

patients. Studies with colleagues applying ET can then be collated and

American journals will be published. The American Medical Association

(AMA) will only consider changing/revising CPT Codes if there has been two

American journals published. Currently only one exists. The AMA

will not accept Dr. Mehta’s British article “Growth as a

corrective force in the early treatment of progressive infantile

scoliosis.” Fortunately, the core group of surgeons that

have embraced ET over the years are working diligently to submit ET articles

for acceptance and publication. As you can imagine, this will take

time. Meanwhile, we as a group must focus on educating pediatricians so

more children are able to benefit from the ET Method and we can once and for

all gather the correct statistics on this condition. We are currently

working hard to design and initiate the Pediatrician Awareness Program and

will provide you with details upon completion.

Sincerely,

HRH