Two Women Are Given Gift of Mobility

By Julie Anderson, Omaha World-Herald, Neb.

Jan. 30–Concert tickets, groceries, even cars — those are the sorts of things businesses usually give away.

But knees and hips?

Now that’s something Diane Chapman of Red Oak, Iowa, and Rebekah Brown of Council Bluffs can really use.

The women will receive free joint replacement surgeries — two knees for Chapman, a right hip for Brown — through a collaboration among a Council Bluffs orthopedic group, Alegent Health’s Mercy Hospital and others.

Both women said Monday that they hope the surgeries will help them keep working. Both are in their 50s, use canes and have jobs that keep them on their feet, Chapman at a Red Oak nursing home and Brown with a Council Bluffs program for the mentally disabled.

“I’m not ready to give up my old people yet,” said Chapman, 58.

The women also hope having new joints will reduce their pain and leave them more energy for activities outside of work. For Brown, that means being able to drive to Minneapolis to see a new grandchild.

“I think it will really be life-changing for me,” said Brown, 53.

The collaborators sought nominations late last year for people who needed new knees or hips but didn’t have adequate health insurance to cover such a costly procedure and could not otherwise afford it.

They received 78 letters, including those from Brown’s daughters and Chapman’s co-workers, and pared the list of candidates to five.

Then Dr. Clifford Boese, an orthopedic surgeon with Miller Orthopaedic Affiliates, examined the finalists. He couldn’t choose between Chapman and Brown, so he recommended both.

Boese said the program highlights the needs of the underinsured and the uninsured. Doctors and hospitals see many such patients and frequently write off the costs of such care, particularly in emergencies.

But nonemergency care often gets pushed aside, he said. A hip or knee replacement might cost as much as a new car.

“It’s not an emergency, so it doesn’t get treated,” he said.

Lora Ullerich, an Alegent spokeswoman, noted that the hospital has financial assistance available for qualified patients in need. Such patients can call 1-888-296-9762 or go to www.alegent.com.

Brown and Chapman said they knew they needed joint replacements. But they could not afford insurance through their employers to cover the operations.

Boese said both women have degenerative arthritis.

Boese will perform the surgeries — Brown’s hip and the first of Chapman’s knees — on the same day in March. He’ll replace Chapman’s other knee after the first heals.

Mercy Hospital will cover the hospital stay, operating room time and a week of joint replacement therapy. Heartland Anesthesiology will provide anesthesiology; and DePuy, an orthopedics company, will deliver the replacement joints.

“How do you say thank you?” Chapman said. “You can’t.”

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