Team Member Profile: Susan L. Foad, MPH
“The work we are doing is very important.”
Throughout high school and college, Susan Foad, MPH, was always interested in the health care industry. After receiving her undergraduate degree in biology, she learned about graduate programs in the field of public health and realized it was a great way to combine her people skills and a focus on health care. In 1999, Susan received her Master of Public Health degree from George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, with a concentration in maternal child health.
Susan is an Outcomes Coordinator for the Brachial Plexus Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. As an outcomes coordinator, Susan said she “helps our patients through helping the clinic itself.” Much of Susan’s work is focused on ensuring the Brachial Plexus Center is performing to the best of its abilities for both short- and long-term practices. She does this by tracking clinic wait time, wait time for recommended testing, bracing issues and satisfaction.
Susan works as part of the Brachial Plexus Team during the four monthly clinics, interacting with patients and their families. To ensure that the goals of all patients and families are being met, she helps track clinical data such as patients’ range of motion, pain and function in activities of daily living.
Before Susan became a member of the Brachial Plexus Team, she was a researcher in General Orthopedics for 3 years. In that role, Susan wrote many published articles and participated in numerous studies, something which she continues to this day. When Charles Mehlman, DO, MPH, Co-Director of the Brachial Plexus Center asked Susan to join his team, she knew she found a great match for her abilities. “There aren’t a lot of studies out there for children with brachial plexus injuries, so the work we are doing is very important,” said Susan.
Studying Brachial Plexus Injuries
A recent example of Susan’s work has been published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. This study found the incidence rate of neonatal brachial plexus palsy to be 1.5 per 1000 live births. It is the largest neonatal brachial plexus study to be performed and the first study that documents the incidence of neonatal brachial plexus palsy for the entire United States. “I am really excited to be working on studies such as these,” she said. “No one study has ever examined the entire US population, so it is a very valuable piece to add to the growing literature.”
Susan and the Brachial Plexus Team are also participating in one of the largest prospective study on neonatal brachial plexus palsy in children, which focuses on surgical timing at 3 versus 6 months and the natural history of the injury. The main study site is centered at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Susan realizes the importance of starting treatment early for brachial plexus injuries. In infants, nerves grow a millimeter each day, so starting as early as possible provides the greatest opportunity for reinnerveation of the muscles.
“Our center is truly focused on our patients.”
When you ask any of the team members what the best part is of working in the Brachial Plexus Center, they’ll tell you it has to do with changing the outcome for each unique patient and his or her family. Susan is no different.
“I love the positive interactions with patients, families and other care givers,” said Susan. “Our center is truly focused on our patients and being able to facilitate a stress-free environment, where our families participate in the decision making and do not need to worry if they are going to have enough time to ask questions.”
Susan is also proud of how the team educates their patients and families, informing them of the best available options for treatment. “Every patient is different, and so is every treatment plan,” she explained. “Whether the team utilizes therapy in conjunction with botox treatments or opts for surgery, seeing the transition our patients make is amazing.”
Read more information about Susan.
