Colombia D4281 Ponseti Method update video

June 26, 2022


2021 – 2022 Ponseti Method Training Activities funded by Rotarians and The Rotary Foundation

May 10, 2022


Ponseti Method Train-the-Trainers in Colombia

May 8, 2022

Dr. Jose Morcuende of Ponseti International Association (USA) recently traveled to Bogotá, Colombia to facilitate a Ponseti Method Train-the-Trainers of 10 pediatric orthopaedic surgeons.

He visited Ponseti Clinics at Clínica Infantil Santa María Del Lago, Hospital Infantil Universitario de San José, Fundación Cardioinfantil and Instituto Roosevelt.

Participants were:
Astrid Medina Cañón, Fundación Cardioinfantil, Bogotá
Clara Trujillo, Clínica Noel, Medellín
Diego Ortiz, Instituto Roosevelt, Bogotá
Jessica Suárez, Club Noel, Cali
Luis Becerra, Clínica Medical Duarte, Cúcuta
Luis Céspedes, Fundación Foscal, Floridablanca
Marco Mahecha, Hospital Infantil de San José, Bogotá
Martha Valencia, Hospital Infantil de San José, Instituto Roosevelt, Bogotá
Pilar Quesada, Hospital Federico Lleras Acosta, Ibagué
Sonia Quevedo, Clínica Infantil Santa María del Lago, Bogotá

Details provided by Sonia Quevedo.


Colombian team share a video of their successful project

July 14, 2021

CLÍNICAS PONSETI COLOMBIA RESULTADOS - ROTARY IOWA


Colombian Ponseti Method Training (GG1860348) – completed

July 11, 2021

The Colombian Ponseti Method training global grant was a success with 28 orthopedists receiving training in Ponseti Method to expand their skills to treat children born with clubfoot.  The Ponseti Method training was provided by professionals from PIA International (Ponseti International Association) and with the support of the Rotary Action Group for Clubfoot (RAG4Clubfoot).

The newly trained orthopedists returned to their professional work in public and private hospitals in 15 cities distributed throughout the Colombian geography, and their two Rotary Districts 4281 and 4271.

As a real result, up to the date of this report, nine -9- Clinicas Ponseti have been established in Colombia. They are in the cities of Bogotá D.C., Ibagué, Cali, Medellin and Cucuta.  Joint work with public and private entities that provide health services in Colombia, to implement a Comprehensive Care for children, which includes all their treatment.

Grant objectives met:

  • New Ponseti clubfoot treatment clinics were created in healthcare institutions, presenting financial models to help their sustainability.
  • Adoption of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Clubfoot, with the Ponseti Method, so that they became part of the institutional documentation.
  • Direct communication channels with the community and especially with the parents of the beneficiary children. Emphasis was placed on this communication being reliable, friendly, and up-to-date.
  • Knowledge and expertise in what orthodeists learned through Virtual Seminars and their participation in Congresses of Pediatric Orthopedists and also in conferences of Pediatricians and General Physicians was encouraged.

Development of brace bank

A result of the numerous meetings between Rotarians and the newly trained health professionals, was the need to create a brace bank.  The braces are essential orthopedic element to maintain the foot correction.  A mutual agreement between Dr. Astrid Medina, pedatric orthopaedic physician, a local Rotary club and the Colombian Society of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology (SCCOT) to receive and take charge of the administration and distribution of 1,150 braces purchased from Clubfoot Solutions in Iowa, USA.  The advantage of the brace bank is that the braces can be returned to the bank after use, then they can be reused by future patients, benefitting a greater number of children and for a longer time.

Increased communication channels

An email account has been established through email: pieequinovarorotarycolombia @ gmail.com and on social networks: Instagram: @ ponseti.colombia.oficial and Facebook: Asociacion Ponseti Colombia. congenital clubfoot). The website is also under creation: https://www.ponseticolombia.org


Colombia Global Grant Report submitted- Ponseti Method Training for the Treatment of Clubfoot in Colombia

October 4, 2020

The first report to The Rotary Foundation for this project has been accepted.  All the initial training sessions were completed and everything went extremely smoothly.  The last training session (the sixth one) was completed late in January 2020.  Yet to be seen is how the Covid-19 pandemic will affect the timing of follow-up visits to trainees.

Many thanks to the clubs and districts who are supporting this Global Grant project:

District 4271 (Colombia)
District 4281 (Colombia)
District 5470 (Colorado, USA)
District 5970 (Iowa, USA)
District 6000 (Iowa, USA)

District 6960 (Florida, USA)
RC of Bogotá Centenario (D4281)
RC of Cedar Rapids Downtown (D5970)
RC of Ibagué (D4281)
RC of Iowa City AM (D6000)
RC of Marco Island Noontime (D6960)
RC of Vail (D5470)
Iowa’s Gift to the World

What was the overall impact of the training on the community?  Include specific results of the training or explain how it has improved the community’s capacity in this vocation.

The directors of hospitals and insurance companies learned about the Ponseti Method as a safe method, of low cost and efficient for clubfoot management. Hospital directors recognized the advantages for the patient and his family, and the reduction in costs for making the correction in a more fast. They realized the importance of creating Ponseti clinics, that means order, discipline and efficiency in the teaching parents and caregivers of children. Thanks to the visit of Dr. Morcuende to the Presidency of the Republic, the work that is being done in Colombia with children with clubfoot. The trained orthopedists had very flattering words as none of them had had a teaching ¨hands on¨ regarding the Ponseti Method. They also congratulated the team and thanked Rotary for providing the tools to carry out this course. Having enough time to learn something new and carrying it out first on plastic models and then on patients was very valuable.

Some phrases from the participants:
“It was a unique experience.”
“It completely changed the way I treat patients with clubfoot.”
“I realized the mistakes I was making with my patients.”
“I want to quickly get to my hospital to change things to make them better now.”

Comments from parents:
So far I really understand the Ponseti Method. ¨I want my son to be well, I am going to do my best to make this happen.”
“Now I know when the splint is wrong.”
“I liked meeting other parents and other children with the same problem as mine.”