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FALL /
WINTER
'01 This is the forty-seventh newsletter circulated to all of our patients, parents and colleagues. We hope that you will find its content both interesting and provocative. Please feel free at any time to comment upon the content and offer any constructive suggestions. We try very hard to listen to our constituency in order to provide the finest and warmest care, anywhere. INNOCENCE LOST
The philosopher George
Santayana opined that, "Those who fail to read History are doomed to
repeat it". To paraphrase the great President, Franklin D.
Roosevelt..."September 11th, 2001, a date which will live in infamy."
For those of you fortunate enough to have been born into the preceding two
generations, you have enjoyed a relatively carefree time, a time free of
fear and apprehension. Just as President Harry S. Truman came to the
presidency with modest skills and background and grew to be one of our
greatest leaders, so now it would seem that President George W. Bush is
growing into the most powerful office on earth, quite commendably.
And now, our great country is coming together as it did after December
7th, 1941 when Roosevelt uttered such great words.
As a person who has at times
been critical of Presidents, both past and present, I join the Congress
and nation in wishing our President well and praying that his decisions
will be thoughtful, prudent and compassionate. My daughter gave me a
beautiful gift several years ago. It was a lovely calligraphy that
she had made in a simple frame. Its words have become the theme of
my life and perhaps now have even more meaning. It said, "In the
end, only kindness matters." HEALTHCARE/MANAGED CARE Ordinarily in the past, I have devoted great and detailed attention to this subject, as it is so germane to us all. Five years ago we just shrugged when our premiums were increased five to eight percent annually. Shrug no more! If you have shared our group experience, we have seen almost a 90 percent increase over the past four years with no end in sight. "W" set as one of his goals, the reduction of "uninsured" or "under-insured" families. As a public service, I would like to request that anyone who has experienced either a "level premium" or the vaunted "premium reduction", please raise your hands! As the great politicians ask, "Are you better off today than you were a year ago?" The answer probably is, yes and no. Over the past year there have been striking advances in medical treatment for many deadly diseases. The deciphering of the human-genome will undoubtedly unlock the answer to effective treatments without the current destructive chemical and radio-therapies. The FDA has now created "expedited" trials for new drugs to be given to the gravely ill. The drug companies are funding medication for the poor third-world countries. More attention has been focused upon accessibility for Medicare patients to critically needed care. The FDA has announced that a trial for a promising Alzheimer’s vaccination will begin shortly for this most devastating of diseases. What can we as individuals do to control the runaway cost of insurance? In my opinion, we must become extremely proactive by communicating our concerns to our legislative representatives within the State and Federal governments. We can no longer remain silent and expect healthcare to remain remotely affordable. Consider your own situation carefully and if you conclude that there is cause for concern in your own family, please find the time to articulate those concerns to your representatives here and in Washington. Individual letters work far better than "canned" letters or mass-petitions. As Dan Reeves says in his "Zocor" commercial, "It’s your life...BE THERE!" IT’S THE SEASONS
I don’t know about you, but
we are entering my own personal favorite season, Fall. In addition
to fall, winter is a season filled with "Contact Sports". Football,
Basketball and Hockey present the greatest opportunities for damage to the
head and neck. Equipment for Football and Hockey has improved
tremendously over the past twenty years, as has our understanding of how
to prevent the most serious of head injuries, the "concussion".
One of the greatest sources
of concussion is a violent blow to the jaws and teeth. A knockout
blow is generally the result of a violent compression of the hinge points
of the lower jaw upon the upper skull, causing a "concussion". It
has been shown that the wearing of a "mouth guard" greatly reduces this as
a primary source for brain-injury. We therefore strongly suggest
that parents should be extremely strict with their young athletes and see
to it that genuinely well-made mouth guards are worn at all times during
practice as well as game competition. Where available, seek the most
protective of faceguards and at the same time, do not overlook
"eye-protection". This is extremely important for basketball-players
since they are the least well protected of any athletes. It is our
feeling that all basketball players should, at minimum, wear mouth guards. A VERY PROUD TRADITION Thirty-one years ago, I came to Westport to begin my orthodontic career as a neophyte. I immediately experienced great good fortune by working with two fine and very accomplished orthodontists, Drs. Samuel Arkway and Arthur Thomas. However, my most fortunate gift was being introduced to Dr. Anthony F. Romeo, father of Drs. David and Gary Romeo. "Tony" immediately befriended me and I came to regard him and his wife "Lee" as surrogate parents. "Tony" was a wonderful man and an extremely fine orthodontist who brought great credit upon our specialty and through that introduction; I made a lifelong friend of David who became my partner in the late 70’s. At that time, David had completed both his dental and orthodontic training at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington with such great distinction that upon graduation he was immediately appointed an Assistant Professor in the graduate orthodontic training program. Connecticut’s orthodontic program is regarded by the profession as one of the finest in the country and was headed by Dr. Charles Burstone. Burstone is recognized as one of the most accomplished bio-engineers in the United States. It was my greatest good fortune to acquire such an accomplished young partner who so rapidly increased our practice, that we turned to David’s brother, Dr. Gary Romeo, to join with us. Like his brother, Gary had done his undergraduate training at UCONN, but upon graduation he decided to enter the University of Illinois to do his graduate work. As is the case for UCONN, the University of Illinois enjoys one of the most outstanding reputations for excellence in the country. Within the shortest of times for both Romeo’s, they successfully acquired certification by the American Board of Orthodontics making Westwalk the only practice in the state to have three "board-certified" practitioners. David and Gary have always been involved in community activities and joined the Norwalk Hospital dental staff to donate time to providing orthodontic treatment for "indigents", "pro-bono" and today, David is the Chief of the Orthodontic subsection, Department of Surgery. As well, David and Gary are past presidents of the Greater Norwalk Dental Society and are still active in its activities. Just this past year, David became the immediate "past-president" of the Connecticut State Society of Orthodontists. Gary has been a leader in the local Kiwanis Club and is the husband of Dr. Sandra (Bogdon) Romeo who is a general practitioner in Westport. It should be obvious that "Westwalk" has a genuine "family" tradition that also includes the finest staff ever. Staff members Mrs. Paula Deering and Mrs. Darlene Pironto have over twenty continuous years of service to the practice. Sally Gaita has been with us for over 14 years having worked on both a part time and full time schedule as she had her two girls. She is with us again on a full time basis now that the girls have gotten older. Additionally, Linda Mattera continues with us on a part time basis after 12+ years of service, having started her career on a full time basis. Mrs. Tina Stepkowski who started with us part time out of high school has now accumulated 11+ years. With five years of service or more, we have Mrs. Evelyn Pasiakos, and Joan Antolini. Joan came to us with prior orthodontic experience having worked for several years for Dr. John Gisondi in Fairfield. She has been a fine addition to our staff having contributed not only as an assistant but also in the laboratory as well. Ms. Jessica Tortorici and Ms. Zoë Andreadis have been with us since 1999 and 1998. Both are rapidly becoming important members of our team. Our most recent and fine acquisition is Ms. Latrovia England who is beginning her second year with us. In the common age of rapid turnover, I think that you will agree that this is absolutely remarkable longevity for a staff, providing a continuity of treatment for our patients without peer. As doctors, we can never adequately express our gratitude to, and pride in our wonderful staff. As that most appropriate Latin phrase expresses, "Res ipsa loquitor" -- "the act speaks for itself"...WE ARE FAMILY! A VIEW FROM THE PASTURE
Where did the time go?
As we all know, this is a common rhetorical question expressed by those
entering "retirement" from lifelong careers. I can hardly believe
that it has been almost a year since my "official" departure from the
practice. For most everyone, I would think, dealing with one’s own
professional mortality is somewhat of traumatic event and I have been no
exception. As you must have concluded by reading the previous
paragraphs, everyone at Westwalk, to me, has been genuine family and I
miss that daily contact and interaction with them. Most
particularly, I miss all the wonderful patients and families who became a
most important part of my life. I can only hope that the majority of
those who honored me remember me with the fondness with which I recall
their presence in our offices. Once again, the Romeo family has
honored me by asking me to remain as a "consultant". It is with
great pride that I have viewed the remarkable progress of the practice
just since my departure. That my name is still associated with
Westwalk, I also view as a signal honor. Yet possibly the greatest of gifts is the presence of three beautiful grandchildren living just two miles from my home. Trevor now 5 who has just entered Greens Farms Kindergarten, Tyler just four months short of his fourth birthday and my most beloved granddaughter, Allison who will be just one year old in September. My daughter and son-in-law are approaching their ninth anniversary, January of 2002. My son Jim is a successful news-anchor at WFAS in Hartsdale, New York. And last but certainly not least, my wife Mickey and I have just passed our fortieth wedding anniversary. I am so very grateful to her for so many wonderful years and memories. It is pleasurable to now have the time to devote to yet a second career as well as to be able to "play" a bit of golf and still pursue my passion for aviation while enjoying the God-given gift of good health, the most valuable of all gifts. In short, I will never be able to find adequate words to thank those who have been, and still are a part of my life. FINIS As we approach the holiday season each year, I cannot fail to be reminded as to how grateful we are to you for choosing us as your orthodontists. To entrust your care and or that of your children is what we regard as a genuine honor. We are also indebted to our colleagues who, in our opinion, exemplify the very best within our profession. Their repeated expressions of confidence are intrinsically appreciated. But, most of all, we regard one and all as treasured "family". We wish you a beautiful New England Fall filled with the blazing colors that only New England can produce; the fun of Halloween with the pervasive spirit of "fun"; a traditional Thanksgiving with time set aside to be genuinely thankful for all our blessings; a Chanukah that will renew the soul and a Christmas honoring the child who was born over two millennia ago. Our New Year’s wish is for a year filled with abundant good health, world-peace and family love for each and every one of you. |