ABOUT FOCOS - Executive Summary

FOCOS Founder and Chairman
Dr. Oheneba Boachie-Adjei’s professional reputation has contributed significantly to FOCOS’ credibility and its ability to attract patients, volunteer medical providers and funding. Dr. Boachie-Adjei earned his medical degree from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. He completed his orthopedic residency at New York's Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and pursued advanced training in spine and scoliosis at the Twin Cities Scoliosis Center and the Minnesota Spine Center. He is Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Weill-Cornell Medical College and Chief of the Scoliosis Service at HSS, where he holds the David B. Levine Chair in Spine Research. Among Dr. Boachie-Adjei’s awards are the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons’ Humanitarian Award, the Hospital for Special Surgery Wholeness of Life Award, the Albert Schweitzer University Science and Peace Gold Medal, and the Scoliosis Research Society Blount Service Award for unique humanitarian services. He has received numerous citations in New York Magazine as one of New York's best doctors. He has been featured in several prime TV programs on ABC, Discovery Health and Discovery for his unique talents in spine surgery and patient care.

FOCOS OPPORTUNITY
FOCOS is at a critical crossroads. Currently, FOCOS surgeries are performed at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana’s largest public hospital and an already overwhelmed facility. FOCOS needs an alternative facility to meet the ever-growing need for high quality orthopedic surgery and services.

Orthopedic and other musculoskeletal disorders are not only among the most common cause of chronic disability worldwide, but are some of the most neglected medical conditions. The debilitating impact of these disorders is exacerbated in Ghana by the shortage of skilled medical personnel. Only 12 orthopedic surgeons currently serve the entire Ghanaian population of 20 million in inadequately equipped medical facilities, creating a lack of access to orthopedic care. Timely treatment and skilled care can improve the lives of individuals and thereby increase the productivity of a community.

Advances in healthcare in developing countries such as Ghana have focused on improving primary care infrastructure, contributing a vacuum for specialized medical care. The problem is especially acute in Ghana, where vehicular trauma and industrial accident cases are the leading causes of mortality. This demand on the healthcare system there is no additional capacity to treat chronic and reconstructive orthopedic conditions.

Focos Surgeons Engage In A Program of Training And Education In Ghana
Scoliosis is a lateral curvature of the spine that afflicts people from all walks of life, with an incidence of about 2-3%. The majority of patients have no associated medical problems and the condition is more commonly seen in adolescent females. Left untreated a progressive curve in the thoracic spine can lead to devastating lung and heart problems as an adult. Non operative treatment of mild curves mainly involves the use of braces to control the curve. When bracing falis, surgery becomes the only option left to prevent it from further progression.

The surgical treatment entails a complex execution of procedures such as spinal fusion (biological welding bones) and insertion of metal rods and other fixation implants to the spine to correct the deformity. These complex procedures are performed by Orthopedic spine surgeons who have gone through a lengthly and intense training period in Orthopedics to acquire the techniques of spinal reconstructive surgery. The FOCOS program, realizing the need to extend this specialty care to Ghana and other areas of the world which lack the expertise, sponsors surgeons on a visitation program to the United States. FOCOS also involve these surgeons during visits by FOCOS surgeones to the local treatment facilities around the world.

FOCOS Strategy
FOCOS is committed to achieving the following strategic goals:

• Improve efficiency and enhance quality control with a staff devoted solely to FOCOS patients in a dedicated orthopedic hospital.
• Enhance and expand rehabilitation services to decrease length of stay and return patients sooner to productive lives.
• Increase annual volume of orthopedic evaluations and procedures performed to accommodate patient demand and to better utilize volunteer signup.
• Remain committed to providing charitable care, as affordable care is a bedrock of the FOCOS philosophy. Historically, FOCOS has managed its subsidy target at 30% to 40% of revenues.
• Utilize FOCOS volunteer specialists on a year-round basis. FOCOS will retain its local staff and collaborate with regional orthopedic residency programs to train future orthopedic surgeons and allied professionals.
• Continue to broaden the reach of FOCOS beyond Ghana to meet regional demand and become a leader in regional “best practices.” Previous patients have come from Sierra Leone, Togo, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia.