BETHESDA, Md., April 6 -- Hanger Orthopedic Group (NYSE:HGR) announced the launch of http://www.EmpoweringAmputees.org, an online social networking community created specifically for amputees and others affected by limb loss. Designed to serve as the online extension of Hanger's nationwide peer-to-peer support network called the Amputee Empowerment Partners (AEP), EmpoweringAmputees.org is a free resource for individuals around the world to connect and discuss topics related to the life of amputees.
"As the industry leader in orthotics and prosthetics patient care, it is Hanger's responsibility to provide our profession and the amputee community with the most advanced resources available," Hanger President and CEO Tom Kirk said. "We recognize that the way people communicate is rapidly evolving. EmpoweringAmputees.org addresses this evolution and provides a secure environment for valuable discussion among those affected by limb loss. We anticipate EmpoweringAmputees.org will become the primary social networking site for amputees."
Built on the established Ning (http://www.ning.com) platform, the EmpoweringAmputees.org community is intended to provide a safe place for amputees, family members, caregivers, and medical professionals to share personal stories, educational information, community events, photographs and videos, and to ask questions and start discussions with others affected by limb loss or congenital limb deficiency.
"Every time a connection is made between people who really understand what the other is going through, we become stronger, wiser, more aware and more empowered," AEP National Coordinator Carrie Davis said. "As someone born with a limb deficiency, it's my opinion that our hands and feet are just bonuses; if they're lost to an injury, disease, or if they were never there at all, we can rise to the challenge and reinvent ourselves according to who we are - not what we're missing. EmpoweringAmputees.org provides a place where people can glean inspiration and knowledge from people who really get it."
About Hanger - Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc., headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, is the world's premier provider of orthotic and prosthetic patient care services. Hanger is the market leader in the United States, owning and operating 677 patient care centers in 45 states and the District of Columbia, with over 3,700 employees including 1,127 practitioners as of December 31, 2009. Hanger is organized into four units. The two key operating units are patient care, which consists of nationwide orthotic and prosthetic practice centers, and distribution, which consists of distribution centers managing the supply chain of orthotic and prosthetic componentry to Hanger and third party patient care centers. The third is Linkia, which is the first and only provider network management company for the orthotics and prosthetics industry. The fourth unit, Innovative Neurotronics, introduces emerging neuromuscular technologies developed through independent research in a collaborative effort with industry suppliers worldwide. For more information on Innovative Neurotronics, Inc. or the WalkAide(R), visit http://www.ininc.us. For more information on Hanger, visit http://www.hanger.com.
Contact: Jennifer Bittner, 904-249-4210
jbittner@hanger.com
Source: Hanger Orthopedic Group
CONTACT: Jennifer Bittner, Hanger Orthopedic Group, +1-904-249-4210,
jbittner@hanger.com