Kim Doolan Detours to Success

A career in radio and TV was the aspiration of a young, adventurous Kim Doolan. Writing and producing appealed to her. A detour led her down a different road, however - now there is no looking back. A congenital amputee, Doolan spent her childhood and adolescence in rehab hospitals. From her experience as a patient in the world of O&P, Doolan never considered it as a choice for her life's work. In 1990, she was getting new lower-limb prostheses made. It just so happened that the facility making them desperately needed a technician. Coincidentally, Doolan was anxiously looking for work. Tom Andrew, CP, FAAOP, then of Med Arts in Utah, convinced her she would be a perfect fit for the position. Thus, Kim started down the road she continues to travel to this day. Andrew is someone toward whom she feels sincere gratitude for guiding her into a field that, despite her apprehension, would ultimately be extremely fulfilling. Once again, a detour would send Doolan in a slightly different direction. The parent company of Med Arts dissolved that venture. Motion Control of Salt Lake City, Utah, was one of its subsidiaries. Doolan was transferred there and came under the direction of Harold Sears, PhD, another mentor who would have a remarkable influence on her. A start in O&P that would not have happened without the influence of Andrew and the association with Sears enabled Doolan to look at many different aspects of the field. She reflects fondly on the years spent with both these Utah companies. Her tenure in Utah spanned the early to mid '90s. During this time, Doolan became active as a board member of the Amputee Coalition of America (ACA). Watching Mary Novotny, RN, MS, and Ed Jeffries, MD, grow this organization has been a thrill for Doolan, and it gives her a sense of pride to have been associated with them. Humanitarian Trips Expand Horizons Kim helps with patients in Guyana. She also has served on the board of the Barr Foundation, which led to three trips to Guyana, South America, to provide lower-extremity prostheses. Another trip was to Bosnia with the International Rescue Committee. Among the lessons learned on these excursions was that follow-up care is vital. Also of great importance is being sure that what is being provided is what the local culture accepts. For instance, in Bosnia hundreds of donated upper-extremity prostheses were not used because the people found previously used components insulting. Doing a site visit and getting a feel for where the components are going to end up is imperative, she points out. Doolan has found these humanitarian trips to be very rewarding and would like to be involved in them again in the not-too-distant future. Another Detour Another detour was looming as Doolan traveled the O&P highway. A gentleman named Mike Allen, CPO, FAAOP, crossed paths with the energetic Doolan. Allen Orthotics and Prosthetics in Midland, Texas, became Doolan's next destination. Allen's strong advocacy for the highest levels of patient care and standards for practitioners drew her to him. They related on both a professional and personal level. Married for over seven years now, their partnership continues to provide great joy and satisfaction. Allen O&P is a considerable distance away from any big metropolitan area, so they can speak from experience about working in a rural setting. The company has not used its location as an excuse to let technology pass it by or as a reason to not provide high-quality patient care. Allen O&P is accredited by the American Board for Certification in Orthotics & Prosthetics (ABC) with all ABC-certified practitioners on staff. Allen O&P is a living, breathing example of a thriving practice off the beaten path, implementing the highest standards in patient care. Legislative Activist High-quality patient care is a topic that elicits strong feelings from Doolan. She was involved in the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee (NegReg) and is quite vocal about this subject. Medicare is very concerned that it might promulgate rules that would do away with rural practices if it set the standards too high, Doolan explains. Her opinion? "Hogwash," she exclaims! "Mike Allen fought hard for licensure, and Texas was the second state to achieve it. He has shaped the company to strive for the best of everything, in spite of shrinking reimbursements." Doolan is a firm believer that other rural practices are doing likewise and are quite capable of living up to the highest standards. "A politician in the making," you may say. Probably not - however, being involved in the legislative process has been a learning experience for Doolan. In the beginning of her career in O&P, she was very interested in becoming a certified practitioner. Doolan encountered another detour, though. She found, as she was testifying in different states for licensure, that the legislators werent really listening to the practitioners. Many of the practitioners were also amputees; yet they did not receive the same attention that Doolan did as a consumer. She is passionate about being involved in the legislative process, being one voice of many, speaking for amputees. Not achieving the goal of becoming a practitioner has been a personal sacrifice, but one well worth it if she can make a difference, she believes. This became even more apparent when she was involved in the Negotiated Rulemaking process. Although the initiative failed, she feels being a straight-up consumer gave her a louder voice in the Medicare arena. Doolan has no intention of giving up the fight and hopes that soon great progress will be made on this issue. Career Expands Kim and a friend enjoy a scenic trek. It would appear that Doolan has boundless energy and enthusiasm for her "adopted" profession. Kim Doolan Consulting is her own company that she works through with both Allen O&P and LIVINGSKIN ® of Middletown, New York. About the same time she joined Allen O&P, LIVINGSKIN and another Texas silicone company approached her. Her professional expertise in O&P and experience as a patient appealed to the companies. The technology being used by LIVINGSKIN enticed Doolan to choose this company. In her years with Motion Control, she would demonstrate how a myoelectric arm would work, but always felt obliged to tell onlookers that she was not a good myo user. Hence, she felt uncomfortable in that role. With the passive prosthesis, she is a happy wearer, and so is quite comfortable in her position with the company, which includes education and public relations. Doolan describes LIVINGSKIN as a "lovely company with great employees. They continue to be on the cutting edge of silicone technology and are determined to keep making better prostheses." For instance, one of its products has armatures in the fingers so the fingers can bend. Attractive and durable skin covers can be provided for myoelectric as well as passive prostheses. The company also provides lower-extremity and facial prostheses - the list goes on. LIVINGSKIN prostheses are individually made to recreate the color, shape, and size of an amputees missing finger, hand, arm, toe, foot, leg, or facial feature. It's important to Doolan that shes involved with a company that is always trying to improve its products, she notes. Concern for O&Ps Future Concerns for the future of O&P are paramount on Doolans mind. With Medicare freezing payments and insurance companies freezing or reducing reimbursement levels, as well as putting a "one limb per lifetime or a $1,500 cap per prosthesis" limit on the patient, she confesses to feeling the future is bleak. These are some of the reasons why she'd like to stay as active as possible in the legislative end of O&P. She concurs that legislators are looking at what would affect the most people, and O&P is a small spot on their radar. Doolan is determined to make a difference in how O&P is perceived, emphasizing that many feel getting a limb means choosing small, medium, or large. The complexities of patient care are being overlooked. Practitioners cannot bill for their time - just for the components used. These are just a few of the many issues she intends to keep in front of lawmakers as long as she has a voice to do so. 'Listen to Your Heart' This animated, lively woman revels in each day. Traveling, gardening, and reading are pleasures that help Doolan pause and refresh herself. Volunteering with Hospice and the League of Women Voters are priorities. Her sense of humor also seems to be intact as was apparent when asked what her advice would be to someone considering a career in O&P. "Pharmaceuticals and military defense [would be better choices]," she answers with tongue in cheek. "Both seem to be experiencing growth and increased reimbursement." Seriously, she encourages anyone getting involved in O&P to be driven by their heart - otherwise; it can be a difficult theater in which to perform. Kim Doolan has a wealth of knowledge and personal experience that can only benefit the O&P community. The detours that led her to the world of O&P do not seem to have been detours at all. This is where she was meant to be.

Kim Doolan Detours to Success

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Kim Doolan Detours to Success

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