Leaving Behind a Lasting Legacy
Click here to download the pdf flyer 98K).
Speaker, Jeanne Dillner, CEO
March 02, 2010 Richland, Washington
SIGN recognizes the impact of trauma on the people living in developing countries. Road traffic accidents, conflicts, falls, and natural disaster often cause injuries such as severe fractures. SIGN supports those surgeons who treat the victims of trauma. In addition to coordinating the training of surgeons in poor countries, SIGN designs and manufactures FDA-cleared surgical implants and instruments and donates them to under-resourced hospitals in developing countries. The equipment has been designed specifically for use in hospitals where real-time imaging and power equipment are unavailable.
SIGN is different from other medical humanitarian organizations because there is a commitment to provide surgeons in developing nations with training and instrumentation so that the local surgeon has the tools he needs to treat his patients. This is different from other organizations that swoop in, perform miracles and leave.
SIGN’s mission is to successfully build local orthopaedic surgical capability while improving the quality of fracture care for the injured poor. SIGN designs and manufactures orthopaedic implants and instruments at their headquarters in Richland, Washington, and donates these products to surgeons abroad. This donation only occurs once surgeons have been trained in the SIGN surgical technique. SIGN commits to providing both ongoing training and equipment so that surgeons can continue to treat the poor within hours of their injury.
Once trained, many SIGN surgeons take on the responsibility of teaching the SIGN technique to other surgeons within their department, in other hospitals within their country and in hospitals in neighboring countries. SIGN surgeons regularly present results of SIGN surgeries at regional orthopaedic conferences and are encouraged to attend the international SIGN conference held at their headquarters in Richland, Washington, each year.
About the Speaker:
Jeanne Dillner has been with SIGN since its inception and has held the position of CEO since 2001. She regularly travels with Dr. Zirkle to assist with training and building relationships with the local orthopaedic surgeons. Previous to SIGN, Ms. Dillner was President of J. Dillner Consulting. She held lead finance positions at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria, and at Pacific Northwest National Laboratories in Richland, Washington.
Logistics
Shilo Inn 50 Comstock Richland, Washington
5:30 p.m. - Check in / 6:00 p.m. Dinner / 7:00 p.m. Presentation
Cost $17 members/$20 non-members/$5 presentation only
Reservations are requested by February 25. Please send an e-mail to Alvin Langstaff with your name, phone number, company affiliation, and type of reservation. Or call Alvin at (509) 371-2221.
NOTE: All no-shows will be billed unless canceled 48 hours in advance.
