On Dec. 5, 2008, WMHIC held its Winter Meeting at the Shriners' Hospital for Children located in Springfield, MA. This particular meeting has become an annual event at the Shriners due to Susan Laforte's professional association with both the Hospital and WMHIC. Special guest speakers were Beth Roscoe, Research Specialist, and Debra Latour, Senior Occupational Therapist.
Beth presented a slide show and discussed a new cleft palate prosthesis designed and developed at the Springfield Shriners. To date it has been used with three children and has shown remarkable success. It is expected to be patented shortly. This prothesis will cut down on frequency of hosptial visits and will allow parents to be more directly involved with the correction.
Deb talked about her development of an "improved way of harnessing a body-powered prosthesis". She calls her invention "the button", technically it is known as the Ipsilateral Scapular Cutaneous Anchor. In use since 2006, the prosthesis is in patent-pending stage.
We were all just enthralled by both speakers. Both speakers really brought home to each of us just how much the Shriners' and the staff of their hospitals change childrens' lives. Thank you Beth and Deb.
We pre
sented Janet Lussier with a "comfort" gift basket as she has left her postion with Baystate Health Systems @ Mary Lane in Ware. Janet will continue as an individual member. Our next meeting will be held at the DuBois Library , University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.Happy Holidays to all
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