After Haiti was struck by a devastating earthquake in January, IBJI therapists, physicians, and staff were eager to help the victims in a practical way.  We decided to team up with Share Your Soles, Inc., a Chicago-based non-profit organization that donates shoes to the needy. 
     For two weeks, IBJI hosted a company-wide "Shoes for Haiti" shoe drive, asking staff and patients alike to donate their new and gently-used shoes and sandals, to be sent immediately to Haiti.  The response was amazing-- a total of 504 pairs of shoes were collected!  They were then delivered to Share Your Soles's headquarters, after which they were flown immediately to Haiti.  
      We were truly touched by the success of the drive, and we are proud to know that those shoes are now being used by many of the Haitians most seriously affected by the disaster.  

The nine IBJI rheumatologists (Drs. Erin Arnold, William Arnold, Alfonso Bello, Gerald Eisenberg, Ami Kothari, Mary Moran, Amanda Myers, Patrick Schuette and John Skosey) recently made a generous donation to RheumPAC, the political action committee of The American College of Rheumatology (ACR).  By facilitating meetings with members of Congress and educating lawmakers on rheumatology-related issues, RheumPAC ensures that such issues are not forgotten in the healthcare debate and enhances the ACR’s influence in policy decisions.  The IBJI physicians’ contribution illustrates their commitment to fostering the ACR’s advocacy role on behalf of rheumatology patients. 

In the June 2009 issue of Fitness Magazine, IBJI podiatrist Megan Leahy provided guidance on summertime footwear.
In the magazine’s “Health Q&A” column, she answers the question “Can flip-flops damage my feet?”  According to Dr. Leahy, the answer is yes.
“Any shoe that makes the telltale flip, flip, flip sound is letting you know that injury is almost inevitable.  Flip-flops don’t properly support your arches, and they strain your toes by keeping them in constant grip mode.  ‘Even a slight misstep can lead to a fracture or sprain, and if you wear them for more than two hours a day, tendinitis, fasciitis and myositis – all painful foot injuries – are a real possibility,’ says Megan Leahy, D.P.M, a podiatrist in Chicago.  It’s best to save your flip-flops for the beach, the locker room or a backyard barbecue or for when you know you’ll be treading flat terrain for less than two hours.” (Fitness Magazine, June 2009 Issue, page 104)

Dr. Anand Vora, practicing primarily in IBJI’s Libertyville office, performed the first total ankle replacement surgery in Lake County in the fall of 2008.  A board-certified orthopaedic surgeon specializing in foot and ankle disorders and injuries, Dr. Vora used a newer generation ankle replacement device.  The new implant is more like a normal ankle joint and requires less bone removal than previous versions of the device.  Those two features - the anatomical similarity and the preservation of natural bone – result in a replacement that moves more like a “normal” ankle.  “The advances in the technology are exciting,” says Dr. Vora, “because it translates to better post-surgical outcomes for the patients.  And really, it’s the improvement in patient’s health that is gratifying to me as a physician.”

Dr. David Beigler - ENH Surgeon Conducts Dynamic Course on Fracture Management for Operating Room Personnel.
View article.

We would like to thank all of our employees who participated. We would also like to thank our volunteers who helped us at the tent before and after the race: Cindy Malartsik, Felicia Keyes-Williams, Sherin Kalappurayil, Binita Shah, and Aleksandra Oksengendler. THANK YOU!

It began in late 2003 when Dr. Lance Peterson, at Evanston Northwestern Hospital (ENH) in Glenview, IL, approached IBJI surgeons James Kudrna and William Robb. Promising research being done in Europe led Dr. Peterson, an infection disease specialist, into partnership with Dr. Kudrna and Dr. Robb in order to hospital-borne infections. The ENH pilot program involved the physicians performing a simple pre-operative nasal swab on their patients undergoing Total Knee and Total Hip Arthrosplasty. This screening protocol reliably identified the presence of the bacteria, Staphylococcus Aureus (or S. Aureus), which is responsible for the majority of post-surgical infections. Though the media have focused recently on MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus), non-MRSA staph infections are actually much more common in patients recuperating from surgery and can be just as serious. View complete article

Not only did Dr. Goldstein perform knee replacement and hip replacement surgeries at no cost, he also was instrumental in persuading other physicians, Depuy medical device manufacturer and Rush North Shore Medical Center to waive part or all of their fees as well. Dr. Goldstein credits the musician Bono as his inspiration. The musician/philanthropist had spoken at a college graduation ceremony attended by Dr. Goldstein. Bono's message, "We have the means, but do we have the will?", resonated with Dr. Goldstein. When he met Dr. Claudius-Cole, he recognized it was his opportunity to improve the life of a woman whose life was dedicated to improving others' lives.

From his webpage, Congressman Kirk said, "America is best when it advances our humanitarian ideals and work overseas. We are the most generous and outgoing givers in the world, relieving famine in North Korea, fighting AIDS in Africa and advancing human rights against some of the worst governments on the planet. To help further this work, I hosted the first 10th District International Volunteer Fair on February 16 to bring area residents together with international relief organizations

For information on the awards and winners, click here.

May 30, 2007 - The United States Olympic Committee has named Dr. Andrew Hunt, MD as one of the Team Physicians who will cover the United States Olympic teams in the upcoming Pan American Games to be held in Rio Di Janeiro, Brazil from July 9th -29th 2007. As part of the medical team, Dr. Hunt will be providing medical care to all of the Olympic athletes during the three week games in addition to specific team coverage for the triathlon, soccer, and futsal (indoor soccer) teams. Having served his volunteer rotation at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in 2005, Dr. Hunt is now progressing to team coverage for the USOC on the international scene. This will build on his already extensive international experience covering multiple World Championship teams for the sport of triathlon in his duties as Medical Director for USA Triathlon.
To go to Dr. Lewis's webpage on the Illinois Bone & Joint Institute site, click here.