St. Petersburg Limb & Brace and Barr Prosthetics & Orthotics of Clearwater, Fla. is launching a new program for patients facing amputation or patients who have recently undergone amputation. The new program, A Step Ahead, coordinates resources to provide much-needed emotional and physical support, according to a press release.
A primary objective of the program is to facilitate a seamless transition from inpatient to outpatient care. To achieve this goal, the program will offer free amputee advocacy services and in-home health services to assist the patient and his or her family in preparing for the amputation and adjusting to life afterward. The program will also assist those undergoing emergency amputations.
“There is no other program like this here in the Bay area,” Jamie Kay Weil, MBA, director of strategic development for St. Petersburg Limb & Brace and founder of ‘A Step Ahead’, stated in the release. “Losing a limb can be a very traumatic experience. Until now, many patients and families have had to go it largely alone.”
‘A Step Ahead’ will work with the Boston Bill Foundation, founded by well-known St. Petersburg amputee cyclist/runner Bill Hansbury, to provide prosthetics and other equipment at no cost to those without insurance and also to counsel amputees about how to use their prosthesis to return to an active lifestyle.
“At the Boston Bill Foundation, we don’t just provide patients with a prosthesis; we help them to learn how to use it so they can get on with their life.” Hansbury stated.
