Friedbert
Kohler, MD, director of medical services at Braeside Hospital and the clinical director of Aged Care and Rehabilitation for South Western Sydney Local Health District in Australia, has been appointed president of the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics, according to a press release.
According to HammondCare Health and Hospitals, Kohler said he plans to use his 2-year term to “champion the needs of the people who were dependent on assistive technology, in particular prosthetics and orthotics, but could not afford or source them.”
“There are people who have lost limbs because of war, road accidents, poor health or lifestyle diseases, and for a range of circumstances cannot access assistive technology,” Kohler said in the release. “My goal as president is to increase collaboration with other organizations to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities across the globe.”
He added, “I would also like to see [the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics] ISPO become an affiliated organization of the United Nations.”
Stewart James, general manager for HammondCare Health and Hospitals, congratulated Kohler, who has also worked as a rehabilitation specialist for Braeside, Liverpool and Fairfield hospitals.
“Dr. Kohler’s appointment is a reflection of the high regard in which he is held internationally and domestically as a leader in rehabilitation and assistive technology,” James said in the release. “His work as a rehabilitation specialist for Braeside, Liverpool and Fairfield hospitals, along with his research in road-related trauma, amputation and mobility, and his passion for increasing access to equipment and technology for the billion people who need assistive technology, is greatly admired by everyone who has the opportunity to work with him.”
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