BETHESDA, Md., Dec. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc. named Deanna J. Fish the Chief Clinical Officer of its managed care organization, Linkia.
A Certified Prosthetist/Orthotist (CPO), Fish will oversee all of Linkia's clinical activities, including quality management and health services. She will interface with orthotic and prosthetic (O&P) practitioners, insurance and health plan personnel, and medical professionals/physicians nationwide.
"We are very fortunate to have a nationally known and respected clinical leader like Deanna Fish join the Linkia team," Linkia President and Chief Operating Officer Mike Murphy said. "Her leadership will be instrumental in helping Linkia demonstrate the clinical efficacy of the O&P profession and implement continuous quality improvement programs."
Established in March 2004 as the first managed care organization dedicated solely to serving the needs of the O&P market, Linkia will deliver clinical outcomes data and analysis inherently lacking in the O&P profession. Fish was brought on to spearhead that initiative.
"I'm thrilled about the opportunity to impact quality of care provided to O&P patients," Fish said. "As a profession, we know we dramatically impact the quality of life experienced by our patients when they receive the benefits of our products and services. However, without measurement to serve as a baseline, it's impractical for us to presume improvements. A large focus of my efforts at Linkia will be on quality measurement studies and quality-of- care and service data, so we can clearly demonstrate the profession's positive impact on patients' lives."
Fish brings 20 years of O&P experience, having held a number of leadership positions focused on patient care, clinical training and development, marketing, operations, and product development. She has delivered over 150 professional presentations to the medical community and has been published in top national and international healthcare journals. Her work has earned her numerous awards from professional societies such as the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (AAOP) and the American Orthotics and Prosthetic Association (AOPA). Fish earned her Master of Science in Biomechanics from the University of Oregon in 1995 and her Bachelor of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics from the University of Washington in 1985. Fish will report directly to Murphy.
About Linkia:
A wholly-owned subsidiary of parent company Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc. , Linkia is the first managed care organization (MCO) dedicated solely to serving the orthotic and prosthetic market. Linkia coordinates and manages all O&P services and needs of its contracted healthcare partners through a customized network of O&P patient care providers. Linkia's clinical objective is to deliver accountable healthcare services through a dedication to clinical outcomes, science-based guidelines, and sound medical reasoning. In addition to improving care cost effectiveness, the company reduces the administrative expense of its partners by providing simplified electronic billing and eligibility verification, prior authorization, and professional relations connections between its MCO clients and the O&P provider. Linkia's customized network of providers is selected from among independent O&P providers nationwide, as well as from the 600 patient care centers owned and operated by Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics (HPO), the patient care division of Hanger Orthopedic Group. For more information on Linkia, please visit http://www.linkia.com/ or call a Linkia customer service specialist at 1-877- 7LINKIA (1-877-754-6542).
About Hanger:
Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc., headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, is the world's premier provider of orthotic and prosthetic patient-care services. Hanger is the market leader in the United States, owning and operating 614 patient-care centers in 44 states and the District of Columbia, with 3,385 employees including 1,016 practitioners. Hanger is organized into two business segments: patient-care which consists of nationwide orthotic and prosthetic practice centers and distribution which consists of distribution centers managing the supply chain of orthotic and prosthetic componentry to Hanger and third party patient-care centers. In addition, Hanger operates the largest orthotic and prosthetic managed care network in the country.
Certain statements included in this press release are forward looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Please refer to the Company's SEC filings for factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations
Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc.CONTACT: Media: Jennifer Bittner, +1-301-280-4869, jbittner@hanger.com,or Investor Relations: Jason Owen, +1-301-986-0701, jowen@hanger.com, both ofHanger Orthopedic Group, Inc.
