Qriginally this article was going to show the cost of care for an amputee - from diagnosis, through amputation, to full rehabilitation - and to contrast the very visible cost of a prosthesis relative to the overall, virtually invisible expenditure of the medical treatment of an amputee. Instead, I am motivated by a colleague to write that having a soul is a good thing for a practitioner to have.

Randall Alley, BSc, CP, FAAOP, writes in O&P Business News (Jan. 15/06) that "to become ’emotionally involved’ with our patients" implies unethically being involved with our patients in a physical sense. He then encourages practitioners to become "emotionally connected" with the patient, in other words, to deal with their physical condition as well as their emotional needs - heartfelt understanding in order to partner for a better outcome.

His article was encouraging, inasmuch as well-meaning caregivers have criticized practioners who are "too much for the patient." We cannot simply whip out a tape measure, generate a mold, fit an appliance, and feel that it is a job well done. My view is that prosthetic services are part of a continu-um in the medical treatment of amputees. It involves getting into their head and heart space to listen to what they feel physically and emotionally concerning their prostheses and to learn about their lifestyle and how best to accommodate their daily needs.

Timely service, done to the best of our abilities, with an emotional connection to those we serve, results in the best outcome. Costs of prostheses are dollars well spent on regular people, who overcome extraordinary challenges, who incur loss and face fear and uncertainty with amazing courage and determination, and who go on to live productive lives helping others.

At The Prosthetics & Orthotics Care Company, Inc., we are committed to assisting those in need, learning from each other, and working together to help amputees to live full lives, because that is what it’s worth.