The center works with patients who need a lower or upper extremity prosthetic to create a socket and prosthetic that will work for them. According to Practice Manager Matthew Harris, the center’s highest patient population is diabetics with upper vascular conditions, but the center also works with those who have experienced traumatic injuries.
Harris said larger businesses might emphasize getting a certain number of patients through its doors each day and limiting how much time is spent on each person. At Austin Prosthetic Center, he said the business caters to a specific treatment plan for each patient.
“We have a sense of family or community, a sense that everybody working here cares,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to restore that local provider feel, where you, as the patient, matter the most.”
Russ said the process of receiving a prosthetic is different for everyone based on their medical situation. The center works with patients before and after amputation, helping patients find rehabilitation providers that will work for them and performing prosthetic maintenance and adjustments based on needs.
“It’s a lifelong relationship,” Russ said. “We give them quality care and keep them happy.”
Part of the center’s personalized service includes having Patient Advocate Lydia Manriquez on staff. Manriquez helps patients move through the process of preparing for an amputation, getting a new prosthetic and life after the procedure.
“Personally, I was able to benefit from having a patient advocate along my journey to recovery,” Manriquez said. “Except I didn’t meet one until a couple of months after my second amputation. Once I met my advocate, it completely changed the course of my recovery.”
Austin Prosthetic Center
1005 E. St. Elmo Road, Bldg. 9, Austin
512-937-9310
www.austinprostheticcenter.com
Hours: Mon.-Thu. 8 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Fri.-Sun.
