Rush Opens Hand, Wrist & Elbow Institute

Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR) has announced the opening of its state of the art facility dedicated to minimally invasive procedures and innovative microsurgery techniques of the hand, wrist and elbow. The MOR Hand, Wrist & Elbow Institute offers innovative treatment for an array of conditions ranging from carpal tunnel syndrome to severed fingers from an industrial accident.

The Institute’s upper extremity surgeons Drs. Mark Cohen, John Fernandez, and Robert Wysocki, are all experienced in the newest procedures and techniques, including minimally invasive fracture care and arthroscopy.

“This has always been a goal for me, to create an Institute with some of the nation’s foremost upper extremity surgeons and an exceptional staff of nurses, physician assistants and therapists who are motivated to provide quality care for patients with conditions ranging from simple to complex, ” explained Dr. Cohen in the April 19, 2013 news release. “We also are looking forward to starting our fellowship training program this year in which we will train younger doctors in these cutting edge techniques.”

“We are conducting extensive research into new technologies and assisting in the development of new devices so that patients can benefit from minimally invasive treatment options and return to an independent life as quickly as possible, ” Dr. Wysocki added.

Dr. Cohen told OTW, “We have been working towards this goal for many years and now have the infrastructure and resources to support the MOR Hand, Wrist & Elbow Institute. The new, state of the art MOR building; a specialized therapy center; advanced imaging (CT/MRI); dedicated operating room personnel; and an accredited Fellowship (training program for surgeons) all contributed to the decision. This fall, we will begin offering national and international educational courses teaching doctors and therapists the newest methods of care. In addition, the Institute offers three recognized surgeons who are highly educated, have extensive training in hand, wrist and elbow conditions and work well together as a team. Everything finally just came together to make this happen.”

Asked how they will know if the facility is a success one year from now, Dr. Fernandez told OTW, “We like to measure success on a case by case basis, one patient at a time. The physician practices are already successful individually. We are now combining our knowledge, skill, and experience to provide the highest level of care possible to all of our patients. We will hold ourselves accountable to a higher level of care by measuring and monitoring our patient outcomes and satisfaction scores. We will also advance our academic success by growing our research and teaching programs. This will give us an opportunity to evaluate the experiences of those individuals coming to our Institute to learn and train.”