Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics prosthetists Jay Tew from Baton Rouge, La., Anna Avakian from Alpharetta, Ga. and Vern Hostetler from Zanesville, Ohio were recently recognized by parent company Hanger Orthopedic Group and its nonprofit organization, the Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation, for their work in restoring mobility and independence to hundreds of Haitian amputees. Tew, Avakian and Hostetler were honored at Hanger’s National Education Conference in Reno, Nev. The award is a tribute to their remarkable work at the Hanger Clinic in Deschapelles, Haiti.
“Jay, Anna and Vern selflessly volunteered to spend more than three months of their lives leading, building, inspiring and caring at the Hanger Clinic in Deschapelles,” Ivan Sabel, founder and chairman, Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation, stated in a press release. “It is due in large part to their efforts and leadership that we have been able to achieve the kind of clinical outcomes and success that we have proudly accomplished in Haiti.”
Last year Tew, Avakian and Hostetler each served a 3-month term as the lead practitioner at the Hanger Clinic in Haiti, significantly contributing to the notable success and outstanding patient outcomes achieved. Tew and Hostetler have since returned for a second rotation as lead practitioner.
