Hines VA gives Veteran a helping hand
Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital’s Prosthetic and Orthotic Lab (O&P) makes the impossible possible, just ask James Richie.
The 69-year-old Army Veteran from of North Judson, Indiana, is being fitted for a new robotic limb after losing the lower half of his left arm 51 years ago in an industrial accident.
Richie is one of many Veterans treated at Hines O&P, one of VA’s largest prosthetics services specializing in orthopedic, neurologic, vascular, geriatric, traumatic, and general systemic conditions.
However, the suburban Chicago medical center was not always the first choice for many Veterans.
“When I first started here, roughly 50 percent of Veterans chose to be seen in the private sector versus at Hines,” said Erik Lindholm, O&P advanced practitioner. “Now we have between 85 to 90 percent of Veterans coming to Hines for their orthotic and prosthetic needs.”
Over his nearly seven-year tenure, Lindholm said no more than two upper limb fittings were occurring at a given time at first. Now, O&P clinicians are currently fitting 10 Veterans simultaneously for upper extremity prostheses.
Joel Heuring, prosthetics chief, credits his 12-person team’s diverse experiences and specialties for the transformation, including certified prosthetists, orthotists, a pedorthist, three residents and a health technician.
“With the clinical team that we have, there is not much that we cannot handle orthotically or prosthetically,” said Heuring.
The transformation was just what Richie needed.
After years of failed prosthetics in the private sector, Richie turned to Hines VA and certified prosthetics orthotist Lea Richer to design a prosthetic arm that could return some of the function he lost decades earlier.
Under Richer’s guidance, Richie is learning to function with his new limb through up to four hours of daily training. Richie hopes his efforts will aid others.
“I experienced depression initially,” Richie said, referring to his injury, “But I know it happened so I could help others and give them hope.”
Richie does this is by feeding people experiencing homelessness in Chicago where they frequently ask him about his prosthetic arm, according to Ritchie.
For him, it is a way to not only serve others and remove stigmas about artificial limbs while also sharing his VA experience.
“It is a blessing that the VA is willing to give me a helping hand,” said Richie.