Company News

VQ OrthoCare Named as Finalist in Medical Device Category for TechAmerica High-Tech Innovation Awards

Michelle — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:53:07 +0000

VQ OrthoCare has been named a finalist in the Medical Device category for the TechAmerica High-Tech Innovation Awards. Now in its 17th year, this premier business event celebrates excellence and achievement in the region’s technology industry, and honors local companies, individuals and products that drive innovation in Orange County. This year’s winners will be announced at a dinner on June 2, 2010, at the Hyatt Regency in Irvine, Calif.

VQ OrthoCare’s medical device, BioniCare knee system is the non-surgical, non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical, alternative treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee. “27 million Americans are living with osteoarthritis, costing the American healthcare system 186 billion dollars annually,” said Jim Knape, president and founder, VQ OrthoCare. “In 2008, 15 to 18 billion dollars were spent on total knee replacement surgeries. This number is expected to skyrocket 700 percent by the year 2030. BioniCare offers patients a life changing alternative to surgery and significantly lowers healthcare costs for osteoarthritis treatment.”

“We had a record number of nominations this year, almost 100, and we congratulate VQ OrthoCare for rising to the finalist ranks,” said Bob Brunson, associate director, TechAmerica Orange County. “This region boasts many noteworthy companies, such as VQ OrthoCare, that continue to influence technology development throughout the rest of the world, and we’re excited to help highlight them.”

The awards categories this year include the Harvey Mudd College Green Engineering Award, Innovative Product/Technology In 2009, Outstanding CEO In Technology, Outstanding Company In Medical Technology and Outstanding Technology Company.

In addition to the awards, TechAmerica Orange County will recognize educators and students for their innovative use of science, math, and technology in the classroom and the community in conjunction with Project Tomorrow. The organization is the nation’s leading education nonprofit group focused on preparing today’s students to be tomorrow’s innovators.

For more information, please visit www.techamerica.org/htaoc.

About VQ OrthoCare
Founded in 1989 and based in Irvine, California, VQ OrthoCare is a leading manufacturer and provider of non-invasive medical solutions focused on bone, joint and soft-tissue conditions. VQ OrthoCare’s commitment to treating patients with respect and supporting them in achieving optimum outcomes is unmatched in the industry. Services include in-home patient fitting of braces and other medical devices, and technology-enabled compliance monitoring. VQ OrthoCare’s products include: Surgi-Stim4, Ortho-Stim4, Eagle, Catalyst and OActive knee bracing, Fast Start EMS, Fast Start HVPC, VQ Vector, and the BioniCare system. VQ OrthoCare is registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a medical device manufacturer and specification developer. For more information, visit www.VQOrthoCare.com or call (800) 452-7993

About TechAmerica
TechAmerica is the leading voice for the U.S. technology industry, which is the driving force behind productivity growth and jobs creation in the United States and the foundation of the global innovation economy. Representing approximately 1,500 member companies of all sizes from the public and commercial sectors of the economy, it is the industry’s largest advocacy organization and is dedicated to helping members’ top and bottom lines. It is also the technology industry’s only grassroots-to-global advocacy network, with offices in state capitals around the United States, Washington, D.C., Europe (Brussels) and Asia (Beijing). TechAmerica was formed by the merger of TechAmerica (formerly the American Electronics Association), the Cyber Security Industry Alliance (CSIA), the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) and the Government Electronics & Information Technology Association (GEIA). Learn more at www.techamerica.org.

VQ OrthoCare Named Medical/Biotechnology Winner at 2010 Innovations in HealthcareSM ABBY Awards for BioniCare/OActive Knee System Technology

Michelle — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:51:33 +0000

VQ OrthoCare Crowned for Creating the Most Innovative Medical Device to Reduce Costs of Providing Quality Healthcare.

Orange County, CA, May 06, 2010 –(PR.com)– VQ OrthoCare, the leading provider of non-invasive medical solutions focused on bone, joint and soft tissue conditions, has been announced as the 2010 Innovations in Healthcare SM ABBY Award winner from the Adaptive Business Leaders (ABL) Organization. VQ OrthoCare’s OActive Knee Brace and BioniCare System is the first non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical, non-surgical treatment option for osteoarthritis of the knee. It delivers a low-level pulsed electrical signal to the knee through two electrodes held in place on the inside of a joint unloading brace, developed specifically to treat osteoarthritis by mimicking the naturally occurring signal present in a healthy knee joint. BioniCare has been a life-changing treatment option for 50,000+ U.S. patients already and has proven to be significantly more cost-effective than other treatment options, such as total knee replacement surgery.

“We are thrilled to be the 2010 Innovations in Healthcare SM ABBY Award winner and honored to be nominated alongside other progressive companies that are taking a proactive approach to innovation in healthcare,” said Jim Knape, president and founder, VQ OrthoCare. “27 million Americans are living with osteoarthritis, costing the American healthcare system 186 billion dollars annually. As the non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical, non-surgical treatment alternative for osteoarthritis of the knee, BioniCare will be a game-changer in cutting healthcare costs and improving patient care for osteoarthritis in the future.”

The Innovations in Healthcare SM ABBY awards honor companies which have proven to lower the cost of providing quality healthcare. The awards were presented on April 28, 2010 at the Radisson Hotel in Newport Beach, Calif. Following five-minute video presentations submitted by each of the finalists, ABL members voted on the winner in each of three categories: Healthcare Information & Telecommunications, Medical/Biotechnology, and Innovative Approach to Healthcare Delivery.

For more information about the OActive Knee Brace and BioniCare System, visit www.BioniCare.com or call (800) 444-1456. For more information on the Innovation in Healthcare ABBY Awards or the Adaptive Business Leaders (ABL) Organization, visit www.abl.org.

About VQ OrthoCare:
Founded in 1989 and based in Irvine, California, VQ OrthoCare is a leading manufacturer and provider of non-invasive medical solutions focused on bone, joint and soft-tissue conditions. VQ OrthoCare’s commitment to treating patients with respect and supporting them in achieving optimum outcomes is unmatched in the industry. Services include in-home patient fitting of braces and medical devices, and technology-enabled compliance monitoring. VQ OrthoCare’s orthopedic products include: Surgi-Stim4, Ortho-Stim4, Fast Start EMS, Fast Start HVPC, VQ Vector, Biotens, and the OActive Knee Brace and BioniCare System. VQ OrthoCare is registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a medical device manufacturer and specification developer. For more information, visit www.VQOrthoCare.com or call (800) 452-7993.

About Adaptive Business Leaders:
ABL supports the needs of its Member CEOs by providing a place for top-level executives to draw on the experience, knowledge and skill sets of their peers in a vertical industry, personal advisory board – “multi-coach approach” – setting. Members meet once a month for a half-day Round Table meeting with a group of peer senior executives from non-competing companies. Members also gather several times a year at workshops and conferences to exchange ideas and connect with other chief executives. ABL’s Chief Executive Leadership Development Round Table program is offered in California’s Greater Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Francisco and Santa Clara Counties. More information can be found at http:www.abl.org.

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ABBY Presentation for VQ OrthoCare and Bionicare

Michelle — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:48:28 +0000

Orange County-Based VQ OrthoCare Recognized for Innovation In Healthcare as an ABBY Award Semi-Finalist

Michelle — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:47:00 +0000

VQ OrthoCare Crowned for Creating the Most Innovative Medical Device to Reduce Costs of Providing Quality Healthcare.

“We are thrilled to be the 2010 Innovations in Healthcare SM ABBY Award winner and honored to be nominated alongside other progressive companies that are taking a proactive approach to innovation in healthcare,” said Jim Knape, president and founder, VQ OrthoCare. “27 million Americans are living with osteoarthritis, costing the American healthcare system 186 billion dollars annually. As the non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical, non-surgical treatment alternative for osteoarthritis of the knee, BioniCare will be a game-changer in cutting healthcare costs and improving patient care for osteoarthritis in the future.”

About VQ OrthoCare:
Founded in 1989 and based in Irvine, California, VQ OrthoCare is a leading manufacturer and provider of non-invasive medical solutions focused on bone, joint and soft-tissue conditions. VQ OrthoCare’s commitment to treating patients with respect and supporting them in achieving optimum outcomes is unmatched in the industry. Services include in-home patient fitting of braces and medical devices, and technology-enabled compliance monitoring. VQ OrthoCare’s orthopedic products include: SurgiStim4, Ortho-Stim4, Fast Start EMS, Fast Start HVPC, VQ Vector, Biotens, and the OActive Knee Brace and BioniCare System. VQ OrthoCare is registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a medical device manufacturer and specification developer. For more information, visit www.VQOrthoCare.com or call (800) 452-7993.

VQ OrthoCare Introduces the OActive Osteoarthritis Knee Brace with the BioniCare System

Michelle — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:37:48 +0000

IRVINE, Calif. – August 21, 2009 - VQ OrthoCare announces a breakthrough treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee with the launch of the OActive and BioniCare Knee System.

The May 8, 2009 acquisition of the assets of ArthroWave, LLC, enabled VQ OrthoCare to combine the revolutionary BioniCare technology with its advanced OActive Osteoarthritis Knee Brace products.

The OActive osteoarthritis knee brace is a low profile unloading brace with adjustable correction. The BioniCare technology employs an electrical stimulation system that was cleared for marketing by the FDA in 2003, and indicated for use as “an adjunctive therapy for relieving pain and symptoms associated with osteoarthritis of the knee and for overall improvement of the knee as assessed by the physician’s global assessment.” The efficacy of the BioniCare technology is supported by five outstanding peer reviewed clinical studies and used by over 40,000 patients. According to the cofounder and CEO of BioniCare Medical Technologies Inc., Dr. Thomas Zizic, “This combination product is the ideal clinical solution to an important medical problem, osteoarthritis of the knees. The OActive Knee Brace provides near immediate relief while awaiting the more substantial long-term benefits of the BioniCare system which may take four to six months for optimal results.”

“We believe the investment in this new technology is a perfect fit with our existing non-invasive, non-pharmacological product line and will significantly enhance the profile of our core products while addressing a critical need in the marketplace,” said James Knape, founder and CEO of VQ OrthoCare.

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VQ OrthoCare is a global health care provider of patient-centered solutions for a broad range of medical markets. Founded in 1989, the company’s drug-free product offering includes manufacturing and distribution of Orthopedic bracing and non-invasive neuromodulation therapy products. Services include in-home patient fitting of braces and medical devices, technology-enabled prescription compliance monitoring, physician support and around-the-clock patient care. Headquartered in Irvine, California, VQ OrthoCare has approximately 250 employees and distribution partners in 21 states and five countries. For more information on VQ OrthoCare, please visit us at www.vqorthocare.com, or call 800-266-6969.

ArthroWave Medical Technologies, a privately held limited liability company, headquartered in Sparks, Maryland was founded on providing non-drug, non-invasive treatments for arthritis and other diseases of the joints.

The BioniCare Knee Device was first marketed by BioniCare Medical Technologies, Inc.

More NBA news covering ‘electrical stimulation therapy’

Bill — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:20:59 +0000

While some hoped the Lakers would bring back a win while on the road, Sunday’s game two of the NBA finals was a defeat for LA fans; but another win for athletes and their trainers. The Celtics’ Pierce not only kept his promise for being ready, but also helped the team secure a big win and for a big part of the fourth quarter the Celtics kept a 20-point lead over the Lakers.

Celtics star Pierce says he’ll be ready for Game 2
By TOM WITHERS – June 8th

BOSTON (AP) — In the past two days, New England’s most celebrated right knee — and to this point, the focal point of the NBA finals — has been encased in ice, undergone electrical stimulation therapy, even had lasers fired at it.

This article as published by the Associated Press was picked up by at least four news agencies:

The Canadian Press
Boston Herald
Boston Globe
San Francisco Chronicle

Once again I am very encouraged to hear the mainstream media report on non-invasive recovery options for injury!

MVP- Kobe Bryant uses electrical stimulation for recovery & pain from back spasms

Bill — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:21:28 +0000

From latimes.com — May 13, 2008 "It was the tweak felt around the Southland…"

"I tried to play and make drives to the basket where I could kind of withstand the pain without the back completely spasming and then put the next game really in jeopardy," Bryant said.

On Monday he addressed reporters while standing, as he did during Sunday’s postgame news conference. Bryant said he would receive round-the-clock treatment.

His regimen includes ice, heat, massage and stretching. Bryant also held his electrical stimulation device by his side, saying he would basically sleep with it the next couple days.

… It delivers a current of up to 35 volts through four electrodes placed on the skin. The current contracts the muscles, increasing blood flow to the area to help recovery and it’s also thought to help block pain signals to the brain.

As a patient who also used an electrical stimulation device after an injury, I am really happy to hear the LA Times reporting on the alternative treatment using a medical device for treating pain. Kobe Bryant of the Lakers is one of our resident superstars here in Southern California; like Bryant, I also kept my device at my side constantly. The electrotherapy treatments gave me instant relief from the pain that I suffered from (broken bones).

Here at VQ OrthoCare we employ an athletic trainer who educates our team on the benefits and use of electrotherapy in treating patients with pain, spasms and helping to increase blood flow after an injury or surgery. I only learned about this type of treatment because my co-workers cared about my recovery. Once I discovered this alternative treatment I was relieved that I could immediately reduce the amount of pain medication that entered my bloodstream.

My hope is that this article as published by LA Times will help educate other patients and physicians about the benefits of electrotherapy and that many more patients like myself can experience an MVP’s regimen for recovery.

—Web Development Manager

Read the article on the LA Times Web site

White Paper Reports on the Consequences of Pain and Associated Costs

Bill — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:45:04 +0000

Multi-Modality Electrotherapy
A Safe and Cost-Effective Adjunctive Treatment for Managing Pain

Chronic pain is a major health concern in the U.S., and the leading cause of disability. The costs associated with treating chronic pain are very high and growing higher, and include medications, treatment for side effects, and lost productivity at work. Multi-modality electrotherapy can be a cost-effective solution for patients requiring pain management.

This paper reports on the consequences of pain, treatment options, and common types of pain medication along with their potential disadvantages. Electrotherapy is presented as a cost-effective adjunctive therapy for pain and other symptoms caused by musculoskeletal and soft-tissue conditions.

*In the United States:

50 million people suffer from chronic pain
More than 80% of the population will experience back pain during their lifetime
Pain costs $100 billion and results in more than 50 million lost work days annually
Traditional pain treatment includes medications that are expensive, have negative side effects, may be addictive, and are responsible for a growing number of deaths
For every dollar spent on a pain medication, another dollar is spent treating a complication associated with that medication
Leading organizations recommend that physicians consider alternative/adjunctive treatments to control pain
Multi-modality electrotherapy is a cost-effective, non-pharmacologic, non-invasive adjunctive treatment for pain caused by musculoskeletal and soft-tissue conditions

(* Sources for these statistics can be found in the reference section in the white paper)

View/Download the White Paper on Multi-Modality Electrotherapy

Creating a Winning Team to Support Patient Rehabilitation

Bill — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 01:24:32 +0000

Human Resources plays an indirect role in the patient’s rehab experience. If our employees have the appropriate experience, skill sets and are content, they are more apt to provide better customer service to our patients. HR’s job is to set the stage to make that happen by creating processes, systems and controls that ensure that we hire & retain quality associates, and have a workplace that is safe.

Working together in a spirit of continuous improvement and collaboration, the Human Resources team contributes to a progressive and productive work environment that meets the challenges of a changing world. It is our mission to attract, develop and retain highly motivated, competent and empowered employees through a corporate culture built on integrity, corporate values, customer service, reward and challenge.

We are committed to establishing and maintaining positive working relationships with all VQ OrthoCare staff, supervisors, and managers. Each person is a vital part of the Company, and each person will be treated with equal respect.

I trust and rely on the VQ OrthoCare staff for my rehabilitation as well. I can personally recommend the SurgiStim3 product, as I have had 2 occasions to use it this year, once for foot surgery and shortly thereafter for a lower back strain. Other than the day of my foot surgery, the SS3 product allowed me get back to work immediately and I did not have to take any meds. My rehab was quick and painless. My back problem was more severe. At the start, I did take meds at night to help me sleep, in addition to the stim. During the day, I was able to work without taking the meds. The stim controlled the muscle spasms that I was having. I was not able to see a back specialist for 35 days after the strain and by the time I did see him, I was not in pain any longer, thanks to the SS3.

—Director of Human Resources

Producing Safe and Effective Medical Devices

Bill — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 01:12:04 +0000

Our Quality Assurance Team enforces regulations to produce safe and effective medical devices

The Quality Assurance (Q.A.) and Regulatory Affairs team has a critical effect in the level of satisfaction, effectiveness and safety of the medical devices that we provide to our patients and customers. It is important to keep in mind the new task of the FDA’s personnel to inspect and investigate facilities and audit the level of commitment and the quality output of the products sold.

The benefits that patients and physicians experience as a result of the efforts contributed by our Quality Assurance Team are:

Medical devices manufactured, monitored, inspected, tested, documented, validated, meeting and exceeding strict FDA’s regulations and standards therefore our precuts are capable of competing with global medical devices companies.

Our Corrective and Preventive Action as well as our Complaint system have been commended by FDA’s and CHAP’s auditors.

Patients praise our medical devices because they are reliable, safe and cost competitive.

VQ OrthoCare is committed to comply with the FDA’s rules and regulations at all times and cost; we passed our last audit by the FDA with no findings. We recently passed CHAP’s audit and will be recommended for certification for the next three years.

The Q.A. team is personally involved with the qualification process of our suppliers, monitors their performance at all times, makes recommendations to improve quality, approves the acceptance of critical medical devices and components, has implemented the Quality System processes and procedures as they are used throughout VQ OrthoCare; audits the patients’ files to make sure they are in compliance with the fraud and abuse regulations in addition to requirements established by Medicare, Advamed, etc.

—VP, Quality Assurance/Regulatory Affairs