SIGN FRACTURE CARE INTERNATIONAL
451 HILLS STREET SUITE B, RICHLAND, WA 99354 www.signfracturecare.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: BUILD ORTHOPAEDIC CAPACITY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES BY PROVIDING ORTHOPAEDIC TRAINING AND IMPLANTS.

WE PROVIDE ACCESS TO ORTHOPAEDIC TRAINING AND EDUCATION TO SURGEONS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES VIA FIVE PRIMARY CHANNELS:1. ONSITE VISITS BY LOCAL SURGEONS AND NORTH AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN SURGEONS.2. EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS WITH SIGN HEADQUARTERS.3. DISCUSSION TOPICS AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE, THE HUB.4. REVIEW OF CASES SUBMITTED TO THE SIGN SURGICAL DATABASE BY ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS ON THE SIGN BOARD.5. REGIONAL SIGN AND TRAUMA CONFERENCES, AS WELL AS THE ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL ORTHOPAEDIC CONFERENCE HELD AT SIGN HEADQUARTERS.THE OBJECTIVES FOR ALL MODES OF TRAINING ARE: 1) ENSURE SIGN SURGEONS UNDERSTAND THE SURGICAL TECHNIQUE FOR THE SIGN PRODUCTS IN THEIR HOSPITAL; 2) PROVIDE TRAINING ON CURRENT AND RELEVANT ORTHOPAEDIC PRINCIPLES; AND, 3) PROVIDE TRAINING IN ORTHOPAEDIC AND TRAUMA PROCEDURES FOR INJURIES SUCH AS OPEN WOUNDS, LIMB DEFORMITY, PEDIATRIC, AND PELVIC FRACTURES.EXPAND TRAINING AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES:THE 2019 SIGN CONFERENCE HELD AT HEADQUARTERS IN RICHLAND, WASHINGTON INCLUDED SIX BIOSKILLS LABS FOR PELVIC FRACTURES, HIP FRACTURES, ELBOW FRACTURES, ANKLE FUSIONS, AND SOFT TISSUE WOUND COVERAGE. THIS ELEVATED THE SURGICAL TRAINING EXPERIENCE FOR ALL SIGN SURGEONS IN ATTENDANCE. WE CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH IGOT WHICH PROVIDES ADDITIONAL CADAVER TRAINING IN FLAPS AND PELVIC FRACTURES AFTER THE SIGN CONFERENCE. IGOT ALSO PROVIDES REGIONAL TRAINING IN OTHER SURGICAL TECHNIQUES TO SIGN SURGEONS IN EAST AFRICA AND NEPAL.THE ANNUAL SIGN CONFERENCE IS A TREMENDOUS EXPERIENCE FOR THE SIGN SURGEONS. HOWEVER, THE CONFERENCE IS LIMITED TO 150 PARTICIPANTS. WE HAVE A LONG-TERM GOAL TO ESTABLISH REGIONAL TRAUMA COURSES. IN 2019, A REGIONAL SIGN CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA. IN ADDITION, WE ARE PARTNERING WITH BLACK LION HOSPITAL, IN ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA ON THE FIRST EAST AFRICAN PELVIC FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.BOARD MEMBER, RICHARD GELLMAN, MD, IS NOW TRAVELING TO PROVIDE REGIONAL WORKSHOPS ON DEFORMITY CORRECTION. IN 2019, HE HELD TRAINING SESSIONS IN KENYA, NIGERIA, AND THE PHILIPPINES. EACH TRIP INCLUDES DONATION OF APPROPRIATE IMPLANTS.IN AN EFFORT TO EXPAND OUR EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO THOSE WHO LACK THE ABILITY TO TRAVEL AWAY FROM THEIR HOSPITAL, WE HAVE LAUNCHED A NEW WEBSITE, CALLED THE HUB. THE HUB ALLOWS SIGN SURGEONS TO COLLABORATE WITH COLLEAGUES AROUND THE WORLD VIA FORUM POSTS AND PROVIDES EASY ACCESS TO OUR MOST UP TO DATE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTE APPROPRIATE ORTHOPAEDIC TECHNOLOGY:THE SIGN IM NAIL AND INTERLOCKING SCREW SYSTEM IS DESIGNED FOR USE IN HOSPITALS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WHERE C-ARMS AND RELIABLE POWER ARE NOT AVAILABLE. SIGN ENGINEERS CONTINUALLY DEVELOP NEW ORTHOPAEDIC INSTRUMENTS AND IMPLANTS IN RESPONSE TO THE NEEDS DESCRIBED BY THE LOCAL SURGEONS. IN 2019, WE DEVELOPED A NEW INSTRUMENT CALLED THE BONE SCOOP WHICH IS DESIGNED TO COLLECT ADDITIONAL BONE GRAFT MATERIAL FROM A REAMED BONE CANAL WHICH CAN BE USED TO PROMOTE HEALING. THE SCOOP IS SCHEDULED TO GO INTO PRODUCTION FOR DISTRIBUTION IN 2020. THE COMPRESSOR SYSTEM, WHICH IS USED TO REDUCE AND COMPRESS FRACTURES OF THE TIBIA PLATEAU, RECEIVED A PATENT.WE SUPPLY NEW PROGRAMS WITH THE SIGN IM NAIL SYSTEM, WHICH SURGEONS USE TO REPAIR SEVERE FRACTURES IN THE FEMUR, TIBIA, AND HUMERUS. ONCE A PROGRAM HAS DEMONSTRATED ITS ABILITY TO REPORT THEIR CASES, INCLUDING ADEQUATE FOLLOW-UP THAT CONFIRMS THEIR RESULTS COMPLY WITH OUR EXPECTATIONS, THEY BECOME ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL SIGN PRODUCTS, AS WELL AS IN-KIND DONATIONS RECEIVED FROM FOR-PROFIT ORTHOPAEDIC IMPLANT COMPANIES.IN 2019, WE DISTRIBUTED 29,177 SIGN NAILS TO 53 COUNTRIES. OUR AIM IS TO ENABLE THE POOR TO GAIN ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY, WHICH MEANS THAT THE MAJORITY OF OUR IMPLANTS ARE DONATED FREE OF CHARGE TO THE PATIENT.WE STARTED 22 NEW SIGN PROGRAMS IN 2019. THE BREAKDOWN WAS AS FOLLOWS: AFRICA: 15 PROGRAMS ASIA: 4 PROGRAMS NORTH AMERICA: 2 PROGRAMS SOUTH AMERICA: 1 PROGRAMAS OF DECEMBER 31, 2019, THE WORLD BANK INCOME CLASSIFICATIONS BY GNI FOR THE COUNTRIES WITH NEW SIGN PROGRAMS WERE AS FOLLOWS: LOW INCOME 50%, LOWER MIDDLE INCOME 32%, AND UPPER MIDDLE INCOME 0.5%. (17.5% ARE TERRITORIES NOT RECOGNIZED BY THE WORLD BANK.)DISASTER AND CONFLICT RESPONSE:WE BELIEVE IN EQUALITY OF FRACTURE CARE FOR ALL, REGARDLESS OF GENDER, RELIGION, POLITICAL AFFILIATION, OR ANY OTHER IDENTITY. IN 2019, SIGN RESPONDED TO AN URGENT REQUEST TO START A PROGRAM IN MUTARE, ZIMBABWE FOLLOWING THE DESTRUCTION OF CYCLONE IDAI. THE SURGEON THERE WAS ALREADY TRAINED IN THE SIGN TECHNIQUE AND WE WERE ABLE TO START THE PROGRAM WITHIN TWO WEEKS.WE ALSO STARTED A SIGN PROGRAM AT ST. JOSEPH HOSPITAL, KITGUM, NEAR THE BORDER OF SOUTH SUDAN AND PALABEK REFUGEE CAMP (NOW HOME TO 36,000 REFUGEES). THIS HOSPITAL SERVES BOTH THE UGANDAN AND REFUGEE POPULATIONS IN THE REGION.DUE TO THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN VENEZUELA, PATIENTS WERE FACING MANY BARRIERS TO RECEIVING MEDICAL CARE. WE WERE PUT IN TOUCH WITH A SURGEON AT HOSPITAL UNIVERSITARIO DE CARACAS IN VENEZUELA VIA ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS. THE SURGEON WAS ABLE TO RECEIVE SIGN EQUIPMENT AND, ONCE ANESTHESIA BECAME AVAILABLE, HE WAS ABLE TO BEGIN PERFORMING SIGN SURGERIES.

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