Welcome to Dankmeyer, Sarah Martinez

Please join us in welcoming Dankmeyer’s newest team member, Sarah Martinez, CPO. Sarah is part of the Easton office team, so you will see her there.

Originally from Falls Church, Virginia, Sarah did an 8th grade project on a prosthetic device and was eager to look into the bigger picture of how this device helped people.  She continued her undergraduate education at East Carolina University (Go Pirates!) and completed her M.S. in Prosthetics and Orthotics from the University of Hartford. While completing her graduate education she was able to provide prosthetic care overseas by attending a mission trip to Lima, Peru with the Dreaming and Working Together program. 

Sarah appreciates that this field is full of constant growth and learning experiences. She is devoted to caring for her patients and works to  understand their goals to develop a solution together.  We are so happy to have her on board!

Welcome to Dankmeyer, Bryanna Miyamoto!

Please join us in welcoming Bryanna Miyamoto to Dankmeyer! You will see Bryanna at the front desk of our Linthicum office, either checking patients in or out, as our newest Patient Services Representative. Bryanna wrote a few words to introduce herself to patients and clinical partners:

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I worked at Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) for six years with Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation as a medical assistant and clinical coordinator. I already know many patients at Dankmeyer from working there and it’s so great that I still get to see them! I am very familiar with a lot of the doctors we work with too, and I am excited to bring my knowledge of “the other side” to Dankmeyer. Before that I was a medical massage therapist. My knowledge of the body and its mechanics is helpful here too. Outside of work I have a 13 year old daughter who keeps my husband and I busy. We also have five rescue animals - three cats and three dogs.

I am so happy to be part of the Dankmeyer family after working with Mark Hopkins for so long at JHH. Since starting here I am reminded on a daily basis that healthcare is a service and not just a business, and that feels amazing ! I am so grateful that I get to be a part of such an amazing group of people and do my part to help those in our community that need it.

WELCOME BRYANNA! We are very happy to have you!

Discover the Downtown Sailing Center

We learned about new activities for those with limb loss or other mobility impairment during April’s Limb Loss Awareness Month in April. Dawn Miranda, Dankmeyer Prosthetist Assistant and below knee amputee, signed up for a day of sailing at the Downtown Sailing Center, which offers free sailing for the mobility impaired. Because of a weather day, sailing was postponed to May 15, and now Dawn has a great report on this resource.

Ahoy! Welcome to the Downtown Sailing Center   

I had a wonderful opportunity to learn to sail on May 15. I arrived at the Downtown Sailing Center located at 1425 Key Highway, Suite # 110, Baltimore, Maryland 21230. The sun was beautiful and it was a bit cool to start but you could tell it was going to be a perfect day to learn to sail.

The volunteers were ready to welcome you at 9 am and go over safety precautions as well as how the sailboat you chose works. We were all set up with life jackets, and volunteers checked to make sure they were properly secured. We headed down the docks to begin our adventure. There, as we walked down the dock path there was an old, partially submerged ship. Beautiful bay turtles were sunbathing and looking out for some nice bugs to eat.

You see the entire colorful row of boats just waiting for both new and experienced sailors. I grew excited to find the one I would be spending the day on.  The sailboats are cheerful and bright, mine was a lime green! They offer a variety of boats that will suit any physical difference a sailor may have. There are specialized Hoyer lifts on the docks to assist wheelchair patients on to the keelboats.

They told us how to board the sailboat and then - with instructions - gave me a little push to catch some wind. Once pushed away from the slip we were off into the bay! It really is very simple. I sailed a two person Hansa Access Dinghy. That is a smaller easy to sail boat.  You sit in the bottom area and it fits two people nicely. There are two sails - one large and one smaller - which you can see in the picture. Next is the “joy stick” which is the control for the rudder which is in the back of the boat. The combination of the sails, rudder and the wind put you in the direction you want to go. You have a three-rope setup for the sails that are one to the left “Green” and one to the right that is “Red” and a “Blue” one in the center, which is for the larger main sail. 

The water monitor stays close and guides all of us, to keep us all safe and reassure us if we need some direction on how to let the wind and the sails work together to move us along. The volunteers spend so many hours certifying and learning to share their love of the sea with all of us. I felt honored to learn from such an amazing group of people. As the morning breeze picked up all I could notice is the sun on my face, and how beautifully peaceful it felt. The sky was a beautiful blue and the breeze was low, perfect for the newbie sailor. I saw a variety of large boats in the bay but all were at a safe distance. I even spied a large “Pirate Ship” in the distance that the volunteers said they offer special trips for adults and children. That may have to be my next adventure.  

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As our morning went on, the breeze picked up and it made sailing easier and so much fun. Then, I had a special message sent out to me in my sailboat that there was a friend on the dock! I looked over and there waving was Robb Brown. (Robb Brown, CPO, is one of our prosthetists that is at our Sinai Campus office in the Morton Mower Building.) Robb had come out to volunteer.  I could see Robb working hard on the docks to help prepare for us to come in to the slips. Robb then got a surprise himself, as his family came down to watch the sailboats! Robb was able to take his family out for a sail on the bay. Rob has previous sailing experience - so I hope the gets to show us more of his sailing skills soon!

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We were able to sail from 10 am to noon. This is a fantastic free program for anyone with physical differences that wants to learn to sail. The Center offers many programs on their website.  You just go on the site and look at the accessible calendar to sign up.

Our time on the water went by so quickly and I cannot wait to sign up and go again. I created memories that day I will never forget. Try it soon! Happy sailing! 

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”

-Jacques Cousteau

Happy Retirement, Art Ross!

Almost eight years ago, Art Ross joined the Dankmeyer team in the Fabrication department. When he did, he brought a new level of color, vitality and creativity to the team. While Art’s primary responsibility was fabrication, he applied his artistic and graphic skills to lend marketing a hand with all kinds of graphics and flyers, and for quite a time regularly posted on Facebook. He became adept at the use of our first 3D printer, creating 3DPO, Dankmeyer’s 3D intern, and 3DPO’s four legged sidekick, Digit, among many other 3D tools and devices.

Art is well known in the community for his costuming talents, often volunteering for the American Visionary Art Museum’s Kinetic Sculpture Race.  You can read about his efforts and some of his costumes by clicking here. He also attended a number of local middle school STEM festivals as part of the Dankmeyer team, teaching others about prosthetics and orthotics. He competed at least three times in OPAF’s Foot Shell contest, decorating a foot shell in a very imaginative way. We could always count on Art’s colorful collection of T shirts and eyewear - particularly during April and Limb Loss Awareness month when he seemed to have an endless supply of orange shirts - the signature color of the event. In his time at Dankmeyer he applied his skills to the 3D E-nable project, and in his every day work, produced a number of very colorful, themed prosthetic laminations - sure to please the wearer. Interesting enough, his last prosthesis is a very natural lamination.

We asked Art to write something about his time with us:

On June 3, 2013, I started my work with Dankmeyer, Inc. Prior to that I had worked as a graphic designer, logging 10 years with one company and nearly 30 with another. The latter was a publishing company that produced newspapers and directories (phone books). I started with the newspaper division and transitioned to the directories when I suggested some cost-saving and process improvements to my boss for that product. My suggestions became my job.

The more the internet became a regular part of people’s lives, the less they seemed to need or even want phone books so the decision was finally made to truncate (remove the staff) and sell off the directory division.

As I was exploring what to do with the remainder of my working career, my son Shawn who had been with Dankmeyer for 15 years, mentioned that they were hiring and willing to provide on-the-job training. Since my phone book skills were not in high demand and my internet skills were not exactly honed I jumped at the chance. As it turned out Shawn became my teacher and mentor.

I started out working in the plaster room pouring casts. Before too long I was able to start learning other parts of business such as blister molding test sockets and laminating.

I have been pleased to find that I am able to contribute to the company using my graphic arts skills, designing components for Dankmeyer’s 60th anniversary open house. My 2-D skills were expanded as I became part of the company’s early explorations into 3-D printing. One of my first efforts was to design 3DPO, our company mascot and his K9 sidekick Digit. I was also happy to be able to create an Ironman-themed arm for a young patient and later a Batman version when his super hero tastes changed.

In my time here I’ve been involved in more than a few of projects. Having started in the plaster room, it only seems fitting that my final projects are focused on revamping of the plaster room.

In seven plus years I’ve learned much. I have been privileged to be a part of an industry that can make such a profound impact on people’s lives. I’ve also been lucky to work with such a great bunch of people.

We will miss Art and his joyful approach to his work and his fellow teammates. Enjoy this slideshow of Art’s time at Dankmeyer.

Physical Therapy News!

Physical Therapy (PT) is a very important part of the clinical care team for those with limb loss or limb difference.  Mark Hopkins, Dankmeyer’s CEO, first practiced as a physical therapist before becoming a Certified Prosthetist Orthotist, and maintains his PT license.  Mark is a longterm member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), and is excited to share news about a new special interest academy which has been proposed at APTA.  

Limb difference, which includes limb loss and limb absence, affects millions of Americans today.  It is a national epidemic that needs focused, evidence based and lifelong management.   The new Academy would be devoted to the standardization and advancement of care for persons with limb difference, and professional development for physical therapists working in this field.   The Academy of Amputation and Limb Difference Physical Therapy will support the development of professional standards in amputation and limb difference care. These standards will span entry level education and training standards for PTs and PTAs, advanced training standards, development of training platforms and integration of a multidisciplinary team for optimal patient outcomes.

The Academy of Amputation and Limb Difference Physical Therapy (AALDPT) would join other special interest groups in the APTA.  Consolidating PT’s who work with amputation and limb difference into a group that can facilitate the sharing of information, clinical practice and education will serve to benefit all members of the patient’s clinical care team.  Mark has been a strong advocate for education in prosthetics and orthotics as for physical therapists, teaching a number of different practicing PT’s and PT students at the University of Maryland and the University of Delaware several times a year.  This educational thrust is part of Dankmeyer Academy, which is devoted to fulfilling Dankmeyer’s strong educational mission.

Mark encourages APTA members to join over 200 current and active APTA members who have already indicated they will be members of the new academy.   Click here to learn more and support the petition for the new Academy which has been submitted to the APTA board for consideration.   He looks forward to participating in AALDPT, sharing his in depth knowledge and experience with PT’s from his practice as a CPO for over 25 years.

-Submitted by Mark Hopkins, CEO, PT, CPO, MBA