Kinston prosthetist reports to Rotarians on mission
A Kinston prosthetist who spent nearly two weeks in Guatemala late last year on a medical mission supported in part by the Rotary Club of Kinston reported to the club on results of the trip on May 2.
Paul Sugg, owner of EastPoint Prosthetics and a club member, said he, another prosthetist and a staff of seven “basically did two years’ worth of work in 11 days. It was overwhelming, but the need is so great.”
The Guatemala Prosthetic Medical Mission — in action from Oct. 27 to Nov. 4, 2012 — provided limbs to 57 patients and did work that Sugg valued at $400,000.
“When people found out we were going to be there, they came out at the clinic for a week,” Sugg said. As is true around the world, he said, most amputations in Guatemala result from diabetes and vascular problems. “The majority of these patients were above-the-knee amputees.”
The mission, which was also supported by Samaritan’s Purse, focused on the poor population in the northern part of Guatemala, providing for free services the people could not normally afford. To reduce costs to providers, parts of used prosthetics were sometimes reused — a practice the FDA does not allow in the United States — and all other parts were fabricated on site.
“The socket parts are tailored for each individual,” Sugg said. “We’re like a pharmacist; we work with a prescription.”
Sugg has also taken part in missions to El Salvador and others to Guatemala. This one, he said, “was a phenomenal trip.”
Veterans Home observes national week
The North Carolina State Veterans Home hosted several events in mid-May to celebrate “National Nursing Home Week,” observed May 12-17. The theme was “Team Care: Everyone Pitches In.”
The theme recognizes residents in long-term care and post-acute care settings, the staff who care for them, and the value of care planning where everyone “Pitches In” for optimal outcomes. The observance involved families, community members and others in a community wide show of support and respect for the veterans and the staff.
The events included wheelchair races, veterans portrait day, luau and ice cream social, balloon volleyball and corn hole games, courtyard social, staff/resident variety show and a hamburger cook out. The Home appreciates the veterans’ families and everyone from the community who helped make the facility’s first “National Nursing Home Week” successful.
The Home is a 100-bed facility for veterans in Kinston. For information, call 252-939-8000.