Rhode Island Limb Prosthetics & Orthotics

Education

Patient Education:

Undergoing amputation is a life-changing event that is oftentimes frightening and overwhelming. RI Limb provides pre-op and post-op amputation consultations. Our Prosthetists and Patient Advocates are available to discuss rehabilitation, treatment and prosthetic options before and after your surgery. By discussing your concerns with an amputee and asking questions to the practitioner, our goal is to reduce your stress during this transition. Please call our office to schedule a free consultation at your convenience.

Student Education:

Rhode Island Limb is involved in the community through student education. RI Limb is an NCOPE accredited postgraduate residency site for prosthetic and orthotic students. Since 2005, RI Limb practitioners have been giving the Prosthetics lecture to students in the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at New England Tech. We have hosted clinical internships for students of Rhode Island College and the University of Rhode Island. RI Limb caters presentations from professional levels down to elementary education levels. If you are an administrator and would like to discuss a presentation or lecture for your program, please feel free to contact us.

Healthcare Education:

Our staff routinely gives lectures and in-services, oftentimes for continuing education credits, to nurses, hospital staff, physical therapists and occupational therapists all over Rhode Island. If you are a healthcare provider and would like to schedule an in-service on new technology or prosthetics in general, please feel free to contact us.

University of Rhode Island Scholarship Fund:

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R.I. Limb owner establishes scholarship for URI P.T. Program

: Tips from the pros
Bob Larkin, left, and Bill Teoli, second from left, of R.I. Limb in Cranston, demonstrate a foot prosthetic to URI physical therapy graduate students Tara Hutchinson, of Kingston, Ontario, and Scott Richards of Seattle, Wash. Looking on at right is Professor Mark Rowinski, director of the URI Physical Therapy Program. (URI News Bureau photo by Michael Salerno)

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For William "Bill" Teoli, establishing a scholarship at the University of Rhode Island was simply a matter of honoring his late father and "supporting your home university."

Through a $15,000 donation, the owner of Rhode Island Limb Co. of Cranston established the Albert P. Teoli Sr. Endowed Scholarship to benefit a URI physical therapy graduate student who is interested in prosthetics. It is the first endowed scholarship in the program, which is housed in the College of Human Science and Services. In addition to the initial gift, Teoli will make another gift in the fall totaling $750 to fund the scholarship for the 2003 academic year. Earnings on the endowment will fund the scholarship in the future.

"This honors my father, a World War II veteran and amputee who began in the prosthetics business and then took over ownership of the company in 1958," Teoli said. "It's also a chance to enhance the URI Physical Therapy program, which enrolls talented, hardworking and compassionate students."

The scholarship is an outgrowth of a relationship between the physical therapy program and R.I. Limb, which is located on Elm-wood Avenue, which has been gaining strength over the past several years.

"When I asked Bill if he'd be willing to address prosthetics in my class on clinical diagnosis, he was eager to come to URI," said Professor Mark Rowinski, the director of the program. "It was important for our students to work with Bill because he has extensive experience with amputees who have been treated at the Veterans Administra-tion and Rhode Island hospitals."

"Physical therapy and prosthetics professionals work together to help the patient recover and adapt to his or her prosthetic," Rowinski said.

There are nearly 60 students enrolled in the 83-credit master's degree program in physical therapy.

"While we offer a limited number of graduate assistantships to our students to help them offset the costs of study, we need to provide outright scholarship support," Rowinski said. "This gift by Bill, we hope, will spur alumni and other agencies to further support our program and its students."

Paul Witham, associate vice president of development, said Teoli's generosity points to his deep love and respect for his father and his interest in seeing URI remain a leader in physical therapy.

"What better tribute can there be than a scholarship in one parent's name, especially if it enhances study in the area that was so important in the quality of life of that parent," Witham said. "Such a gift also demonstrates a businessman's faith in the quality of URI. We are deeply appreciative."

Rowinski said one of the goals of the program is getting physical therapists more involved in health care decision-making. That is accomplished by having students learn from and do clinical rotations with hospitals, prosthetic clinics, rehabilitation centers and other locations where physical therapy comes into play.

"Prosthetics is a field that is not well known," Teoli said. "And things are changing so rapidly, we feel it is important to keep students up to date."

Bob Larkin, a double-amputee and employee at R.I. Limb, was a teacher for about 30 years in Warwick. Now he is working in the field to help train physical therapists on new devices.

"I have been very impressed with the URI physical therapy students here," Larkin said. "They ask insightful questions, and they have all the background and knowledge you'd expect them to have at a top-flight physical therapy program."

Teoli said he wants his company to become involved with the students' clinical rotations.

"If our students can see the prosthetist at work, and see what the professional can deliver to the patient, there will be enhanced outcomes with that particular type of patient," Rowinski said.