Arthrex was recently named to the prestigious list of Florida’s Top 100 Best Companies To Work For 2016. One hundred companies were recognized in small, medium and large company categories; Arthrex was named 26th in the large company category. The listing is published in the August 2016 issue of Florida Trend.

The Best Companies To Work For program was created by Florida Trend and Best Companies Group, and is endorsed by the HR Florida State Council. Companies that choose to participate in the annual selection undergo an evaluation of their workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The process also includes a survey to measure employee satisfaction. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the registration, survey and analysis and determined the final rankings.

"The top companies seek high energy employees who vigorously accept the organization's core values," says Florida Trend Publisher Andy Corty. "The companies that attract these great employees are the same companies that show growth even in a challenging business environment. It's our pleasure to recognize them and encourage others to build Florida's competitive advantage."

Arthrex also received this recognition in 2012, 2013 and 2014. The listing can be viewed here.

"What an absolutely amazing 'Years of Service' trip! I got to rediscover part of my past and reconnect with family that I hadn’t seen for 17 years," shared Environmental Health & Safety Claims Coordinator Anette Gray about her five-year Arthrex anniversary trip.

"I was a two-week exchange student in France in high school and then became a French major in college. I spent a year in France after graduation and had not been back since. This time, I got to bring my husband and practice my French skills since I don’t get to use them very much in the states. We stayed on a houseboat on the Seine, visited the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Sacré Coeur, walked the Champs-Élysées, took a bike ride tour through all of Paris, went to the Musée d’Orsay and the Louvre, as well as Centre Pompidou and a small Salvador Dali museum. We walked, took the metro and ate more croissants than we should have! We traveled by high-speed train to the Champagne region and took tours of the chalk caves of Veuve Clicquot and Ruinart. If that wasn’t enough, we also took a side trip to Amsterdam!

My father was from the Netherlands and, unfortunately, we did not have as much family contact as one would hope. However, my husband and I got to celebrate our anniversary and our joint birthdays in Amsterdam with family that I had not seen in 17 years! From a private canal boat tour to the Van Gogh Museum and a bike tour (there are more bikes than people in Amsterdam), we experienced as much as we could in 2 ½ short days…I only wish we could have stayed longer. 

It is thanks to Arthrex that we were able to take this trip of a lifetime and enjoy new experiences as a couple and connect with relatives who live far away. I was so proud to explain to everyone I met what a fantastic company I work for that allowed us to realize this dream vacation! The pictures never do it justice. Thank you, Merci, Dank je!!"

One of Arthrex’s most distinctive and valued recognition programs is the Years of Service Awards and “Trip of a Lifetime” program. Employees who achieve five years of service with Arthrex are eligible for a company paid trip just like Anette’s to the destination of their choice and an extra 40 hours of Paid Time Off (PTO) in which to take the trip. This “Trip of a Lifetime” benefit is awarded for every additional five years of service at increasing reimbursement increments. Employees look forward to this generous benefit to create a lifetime of special memories.

"This is truly a trip that we will both remember forever, and we couldn’t be more grateful to Reinhold for allowing us this opportunity,” shared Exhibit and Event Supervisor Renee Power, CTSM, about her 20-year Arthrex Years of Service trip earlier this summer. 

Renee and her son Jack visited several cities in Italy over the course of their nine-day journey, such as Rome, Milan, Venice, Florence, Assisi, Padua, Verona and Lake Como. 

“This was a quality bonding experience with my teenage son," she added. "There were places and monuments that he had studied recently in school that were turned into reality in a fun and stimulating environment."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lisa Gardiner, Communications Manager
239-643-5553
Lisa.Gardiner@Arthrex.com

NAPLES, FL – October 4, 2016 – Arthrex has entered into a partnership with NBC Sports to provide specially-created custom animations of orthopaedic human anatomy for use during NBC’s Sunday Night Football and Thursday Night Football telecasts during the 2016 NFL season. Arthrex’s internationally-recognized animations are used to help educate viewers during discussions of player injuries.

“Our partnership with NBC Sports provides a significant platform to further educate the general public about orthopaedic injuries,” said Sr. Director of Corporate Communications Dennis O’Keefe. “It’s also an opportunity to introduce viewers to OrthoIllustrated, an Arthrex website dedicated to patient education.”

“We are utilizing Arthrex’s custom animations to inform and educate fans as they watch our game broadcasts,” said Fred Gaudelli, Executive Producer of NBC’s Sunday Night Football and Thursday Night Football.

In addition to its animations airing during telecasts, Arthrex also has a presence on NBC’s Sunday Night Football All Access website throughout the 2016 NFL season, directing viewers to OrthoIllustrated.com, where they can access educational and Surgeon Finder resources. Viewers can also share animations through OrthoIllustrated’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube sites.  

Arthrex produces hundreds of educational animations in-house each year to educate surgeons on the safe and effective use of its products and techniques. Those same animations, combined with patient-friendly descriptions, are featured on OrthoIllustrated.com, a platform for patients to learn more about the least invasive treatment options for common sports injuries and arthritis. Patients visiting OrthoIllustrated.com can also use a special Surgeon Finder to locate surgeons who perform specific procedures in their area or around the globe. 

About Arthrex

Arthrex Inc., headquartered in Naples, FL, is a global leader in orthopaedic product development and medical education for orthopaedic surgeons. More than 10,000 products for arthroscopic and minimally invasive orthopaedic surgical procedures have been developed by Arthrex and are currently marketed worldwide. For more information, visit www.Arthrex.com and www.OrthoIllustrated.com. 

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"It was an absolutely amazing 'Years of Service' trip for my wife and for me," shared CNC Crew Coordinator Marcus Rosado about his five-year Arthrex anniversary trip last month. "We had a wonderful time at Atlantis Paradise Island Royal Tower in beautiful Nassau, Bahamas."

As one of the first employees who had the opportunity to bring the new Arthrex traveling flag on his trip he added, "It was a blast to be able to take some pictures with the Arthrex flag and have the opportunity to answer questions about its meaning and mention how awesome Arthrex is.

Thank you, Arthrex, for making this trip of a lifetime a dream come true! Furthermore, for making it possible to enjoy this unique experience as a couple to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary as well."

Working out is a way of life for Elissa Power and her family, especially now that they live in sunny Southwest Florida. During the week, Elissa leads the Program Management Office in Global Information Services at Arthrex. On the weekends, she works out in her home gym with her husband and two children Chloe, 7, and Lane, 6.

Elissa says, “I’m grateful to be a part of Arthrex, where I can make a difference, do exciting things and live in the most beautiful place in the country.”

She decided she needed a change after 11 years of long commutes, a lot of travel and a hectic lifestyle in Washington, D.C. It was after a hospital stay following Chloe’s birth that she took a hard look at their life and the prospect of raising children in D.C. Together, she and her husband decided it was time to move to Southwest Florida where she continued to work for her previous employer until an exciting opportunity came along at Arthrex.

“Arthrex is doing so many amazing things other organizations don’t have the funding or talent to do,” she says.

But moving had its challenges. Elissa’s husband, Chris, had to find a new job. So, he decided to go back to school to realize his dream of becoming an EMT and firefighter. Now, Chris happily works for the North Collier Fire Department.  

Elissa says she understands moving is risky when a spouse has to find a new job, too. But she says, “If you get into a stable company like Arthrex, it really allows the other person to explore what they want to do.”

Elissa says the move has been great for her kids, too. They love school, enjoy being outside more and go to the beach nearly every weekend. “You have a better attitude when the sun is shining,” she says with a smile.

It was a leap of faith that brought Elissa and her family to Southwest Florida. Her advice for anyone else contemplating the move? “Jump! You will never regret it.”

 “My dad used to polish these years ago,” Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) Bioengineering student Jeffrey Seaman exclaimed as Knee Arthroplasty Engineering Manager Scott Sherman passed around an iBalance® total knee arthroplasty (TKA) implant to his class about four years ago. He remembered seeing knee implant samples like this when he visited his dad, Daniel Seaman, at work as a child.

It had been 20 years since Dan last polished orthopaedic implants at Hand Industries Inc. in Warsaw, IN, but when his son told him about Arthrex, he was intrigued. In that time, he and his wife Linda moved the family to Ft. Myers and worked in the steel building and trucking industries.

“That started the chain of events that led to my being hired at Arthrex," said Dan. “I truly believe God orchestrated all this!”

Dan was hired on as the company’s first Total Joint Finisher and has since trained five additional team members. His experience in blasting has come in handy over the last five months as the team has been focused on that stage of the process. His keen eye for spotting potential hazards earned him the role of chairperson of the AMI North Safety Team.

An interest in orthopaedics continues to run in the family as Dan’s youngest son, Joel, is now a bioengineering student at FGCU and had the opportunity to intern at Arthrex last summer in Metrology. He’s since stayed on part-time in Pilot Production and hopes to continue to build his career at Arthrex.

“I love Arthrex and what it’s been able to do for me and my family," shared Dan. "It has been the best job I have ever had in my 63 years of being on this earth and I look forward to the future years that lay ahead with Arthrex as my employer. The atmosphere is very much a family culture. It’s truly a pleasure to work here. I love what I do and am so happy Arthrex brought me back to this field!”

Did you know a portion of our American Heart Association sponsorship commitment goes toward funding a teaching garden at a local elementary school each year? Recruiting Director Connie Byrne and Recruiting Associate Alyssa Norus recently got the chance to visit Mike Davis Elementary School in East Naples to see the garden’s newest addition – a greenhouse! The program provides students the opportunity to start and grow a garden; offers interactive nutritional, physical fitness, math and science curriculum; and challenges students to make small changes to improve their health. The best part is, students get to enjoy the fruits of their labor by bringing vegetables home to their families!

The 10th Annual Arthrex Charitable Championship (ACC) held on Sunday, October 9, at Quail Creek Country Club in Naples, FL was a huge success with proceeds benefiting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Florida Suncoast Chapter this year.

Two courses were utilized to accommodate 168 golfers and 10 volunteers. Each course produced a 1st place foursome and all attendees vied for a number of raffle packages and prizes, all to benefit the worthy nonprofit organization. In total, $12,700 was raised through player registrations as well as raffle and mulligan sales.

Arthrex hosted its annual Years of Service awards ceremonies on Friday, October 28 and recognized an impressive total of 276 employees celebrating five, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years of service!

Two employees hit special milestones this year, Sr. Vice President of Human Resources Kathy Sparrow and Vet Systems Project Manager Tony Gawaldo, each celebrating 25-year-long careers at Arthrex.

Kathy first learned about Arthrex when she spotted an index-sized job posting tacked on a bulletin board at Champlain College in Burlington, VT in the winter of 1991. She was looking for a second part-time job while in school and the 12-15 hours Arthrex needed for packing and shipping help fit the bill.

“When I first started in the original Vermont office, all inventory could fit in one double-door office cabinet,” she shared. “I was one of just three on staff and I was willing to do anything to learn what I could – packing, shipping, answering the phone, entering customer orders.”

Reinhold was still working from Germany at the time, but that was about to chance. On his first back day in the Vermont office since Kathy had joined the team, he announced he was moving the company to Naples, FL.

The idea of going to Florida was exciting for Kathy but she second-guessed if she, as a part-time employee and college student, would be offered the opportunity to move.

“Yes! Can I go?” she thought. “I ended up being the only one free and willing to move.”

The decision was easy, she says, thanks to Reinhold’s advice to “follow your instincts. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll send you back home.” He reassured Kathy and really treated her like part of his family.

So off they went, packing the entire office into one small U-Haul in June 1991. Twenty-five years later, the rest is history.

“It mostly feels like it’s been a blink,” Kathy shares. “One day we were a small team pushing orders out and then about ten years ago it hit me how huge Arthrex had grown when I wasn’t able to personally interview all new hires anymore.”

Under Reinhold’s leadership, Arthrex at its core has always been family-oriented she says. “He expects a lot but has always offered and continues to offer all of his employees great support.”

Kathy’s most inspired by Reinhold’s drive and passion for a truer purpose and sees this dedication carried out by all employees through the company’s mission – from the early days to now.

A few months after moving the company to Naples in 1991, Vet Systems Project Manager Tony Gawaldo came to Arthrex as a part-time temporary warehouse clerk. Soon he was hired on full time and he never imagined where the company would take him 25 years later.

“When I first started, the shipping area was just two desks back to back, with two metal racks where we housed all products,” he says. “There might have been five to 10 boxes shipping out a day. Once we made it to 25 to 50 a day, we had a big celebration party in Charlie Cremin’s garage!”   

Now Tony manages the more than 30 Arthrex Vet Systems (AVS) medical education courses and exhibits that take place throughout the year all around the country.

Being part of Arthrex’s tremendous growth has been “an experience of a lifetime,” he says. “Not many people have the opportunity to see a company grow like this – let alone be a part of it.”

Like Kathy, he credits Arthrex’s success to Reinhold’s leadership style of treating his employees more like family. “Reinhold always encouraged me to take risks, to try new things, to change for the better. He likes for his employees to be able to learn and grow. He’s not just your boss, he’s a friend.”

When Lisa Taylor first started thinking about moving from Chicago to Southwest Florida, Arthrex hadn’t been on her radar, but learning more about the company’s unique culture through social media piqued her interest.

“I wanted to work for a company that was headquartered in Naples to be closer to family and when I found Arthrex, it seemed like the perfect fit,” says Lisa, Marketing Project Management Office (PMO) Manager. “I started following Arthrex’s LinkedIn and Facebook pages and saw really great pictures of community events the company participated in and an infographic that showed the tremendous job growth Arthrex was experiencing.”

She continued to follow Arthrex and when the right opportunity presented itself, she jumped at the chance to apply to work for such a well-cultivated, respectable and reputable company.

“I saw an opportunity to come in at a time of great growth,” she says. “I wanted to take my project management skills and utilize them to help the Marketing department."

At the time of their decision to move to Naples, Lisa and husband, Kirk, were also weighing the option of moving to the suburbs of Chicago with their three-year-old daughter, Clara, where they would have had to join a country club to enjoy the amenities that Naples has readily available for families in almost every community.

“For a family, there’s so many activities to take advantage of – the beach, of course, the Naples Zoo, Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, movies in the park, Naples Botanical Garden, etc.” says Lisa. “Naples is so much easier to get around and we’re able to be outside all year-round.”

Besides the draw of the warmer weather in Naples and proximity to family, Lisa ultimately wanted to find a job within a company that would enrich her knowledge and challenge her to grow her talent, she says.

“I had looked at other companies hiring in Naples, but the growth, culture and mission statement of Arthrex really appealed to me,” she shares. She came to Arthrex for an interview and knew she had found her new home. “Everyone was so warm and welcoming and they genuinely meant it. I remember thinking to myself that ‘these are the kinds of people I want to surround myself with.’”

Lisa encourages others living out of the state to consider the move to Naples to join one of the “Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For.”

“You need to keep your eyes and mind open – you will soon realize there is much more to offer after first glance,” she says. “Arthrex is looking for the right person – not just someone to fill the job. Being open to taking on responsibility and contributing to making a difference is the type of mentality Arthrex is looking for. The mission statement is set by Reinhold and followed through with every employee.”

She adds, “There’s so much opportunity to embrace and grow in a lot of different areas. Why would I go anywhere else? I can’t imagine not having this environment in the future.”

An innovative Arthrex product is helping Abigail, a three-year-old pit bull mix, in her recovery after she endured horrific facial injuries in a Miami dogfighting ring. Clinical Specialist Michelle Chargot saw Abigail’s story on the news earlier this month and recognized the Estero, FL vet treating her, Dr. T.J. Jackson. Michelle worked with Orthobiologics Product Manager Vicki Bryant to donate JumpStart™, an antimicrobial bandage, to help treat Abigail’s wounds. They were severe—half of her face, along with her ear, was torn off. Rescuers think she was probably used as a bait dog—a dog used to test another dog’s fighting instinct.

Dr. Jackson says when he first saw Abigail she had an infection and a lot of scar tissue, in addition to the wound. He used JumpStart a few days into treatment and was “blown away” because healthy tissue appeared within just 48 hours and he was able to do a skin graft. Now, Abigail is wearing brightly colored “bonnets” while she heals to help protect the wound from scratching or rubbing. 

As of Friday, Dr. Jackson says there's no sign of infection and he'll be evaluating the skin graft soon. He's spent a lot of time with Abigail and says she's a sweet dog and he is feeling good about her progress. Arthrex Vet Systems and Orthobiologics employees are also hopeful about her treatment and plan to visit her soon. It's a heartwarming story that's getting a lot of attention, in fact Arthrex's donation was recently featured in the Naples Herald. 

If you'd like to help, you can donate to Abigail's gofundme account. Before you click, be aware the pictures are graphic.We'll keep you updated on Abigail's progress. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: John W. Schmieding, General Counsel

              239-643-5553

             John Schmieding@Arthrex.com

NAPLES, FL – December 12, 2016 – On Friday, December 9, 2016, a jury in the United States Eastern District of Texas upheld the importance of Arthrex Inc.’s innovation, issuing a verdict that Smith & Nephew, Inc. and Arthrocare, Corp. have been willfully infringing two of Arthrex’s patents on their knotless and cross-support technology. Today, a judgment was entered confirming this verdict and granting Arthrex Inc. more than $17 million in damages. 

The jury found every variation and size of Smith & Nephew and Arthrocare’s HEALICOIL™ Suture Anchors, TWINFIX™ Ultra Suture Anchors, TWINFIX™ PK FT and SPYROMITE Suture Anchors, Titan Ti Suture Implants, SpeedFix Suture Implants, SPEEDSCREW™ Suture Implants, SPEEDLOCK™ Knotless Implants, SPEEDLOCK™ Hip Knotless Implants, Spartan Suture Anchors, BIORAPTOR Knotless Suture Anchors, FOOTPRINT PK Suture Anchors, FOOTPRINT Ultra, LabraLock™ P Knotless and MULTIFIX™ Knotless, all infringe an Arthrex Patent.

Arthrex will seek an injunction prohibiting Smith & Nephew and ArthroCare from further manufacturing or selling the infringing devices in the United States and will also seek enhanced damages and attorney fees as allowed by statute.

“Since its foundation, Arthrex has been committed to the mission of helping surgeons treat their patients better, and we are very appreciative for the extraordinary efforts of our trial team and the sound judgment of the jurors of East Texas which have helped Arthrex continue this mission and protect its innovative technology,” said John Schmieding, Senior Vice President, General Counsel at Arthrex.

The Arthrex patents involved are U.S. Patent No. 9,179,907, invented by Dr. Stephen S. Burkhart, Peter J. Dreyfuss and Dr. Neal S. ElAttrache and U.S. Patent No. 8,821,541, invented by Peter J. Dreyfuss and William C. Benavitz.

Arthrex, headquartered in Naples, FL, is a global leader in orthopaedic product development and medical education for orthopaedic surgeons. More than 10,000 products for arthroscopic and minimally invasive orthopaedic surgical procedures have been developed by Arthrex and are currently marketed worldwide. For more information, visit www.arthrex.com.

 ###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Lisa Gardiner, Communications Manager

                  239-643-5553

                  Lisa.Gardiner@Arthrex.com    

NAPLES, FL – December 9, 2016 –  Arthrex is one of the 2016 Best Workplaces for Latinos, according to global research and consulting firm Great Place to Work® and Fortune.

Arthrex ranked No. 6 on the list, which is based on employees’ assessments of workplace fairness, opportunities for training, and access to senior leadership, as highlighted in the Great Place to Work survey.

“As a global company, having a diverse employee base has been integral to our success,” said Kathy Sparrow, Senior Vice President of Human Resources. “We work hard to be inclusive, providing opportunities for everyone to advance in their careers, regardless of who they are or where they started. It’s not just good for our employees, it’s also been good for customers and our business results.”

“We congratulate this year’s winners for showing that diverse workplaces are good for ALL employees,” said Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work. “Bottom line? Our research shows that the most inclusive workplaces enjoy significantly higher revenue growth than less-inclusive workplaces—evidence that these organizations are cultivating the full human potential of all their people.”

To see the full list of the 2016 Best Workplaces for Latinos, click here.

For the last two years, Arthrex has also ranked as one of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® and has received other Great Place to Work designations such as:

• 15 Best Workplaces in Manufacturing & Production 
• 100 Best Workplaces for Millennials
• 50 Best Workplaces For Diversity
• 50 Best Workplaces for Giving Back 

About Arthrex

Arthrex Inc., headquartered in Naples, FL, is a global leader in orthopaedic product development and medical education for orthopaedic surgeons. More than 11,000 products for arthroscopic and minimally invasive orthopaedic surgical procedures have been developed by Arthrex and are currently marketed worldwide.

About The Best Workplaces for Latinos

Published together with our partner, Fortune, The Best Workplaces for Diversity ranking is based upon feedback from 448,456 employees at Great Place to Work-Certified^TM companies who completed our Trust Index© Employee Survey. Employees from all backgrounds answered 58 questions about how frequently they experience the behaviors that create a great workplace, considering everything from how comfortable they are being themselves, to the degree of favoritism or insider politics they observe in the workplace, the fairness of promotions, the feeling of honest connection with co-workers, their access to senior leadership, and who receives information and professional development and who doesn’t. 

To determine the winners, Great Place to Work analyzed how positively women, minorities and LGBTQ employees reported experiencing their workplace overall, paying special attention to an index of factors where these employees tend to have a less positive experience than their colleagues. Rankings take into account how favorably women, minorities and LGBTQ employees experience their workplace relative to their male, Caucasian and heterosexual colleagues' experiences. The list also considered the degree of representation women and minorities enjoy within the workforce as a whole, as well as in management and executive roles. Organizations needed to have at least 50 employees to be considered and were compared to peers of similar size.

About Great Place to Work®

Great Place to Work® is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through proprietary assessment tools, advisory services, and certification programs, including Best Workplaces lists and workplace reviews, Great Place to Work provides the benchmarks, framework, and expertise needed to create, sustain, and recognize outstanding workplace cultures. In the United States, Great Place to Work produces the annual Fortune "100 Best Companies to Work For®" and a series of Great Place to Work Best Workplaces lists, including lists for Millennials, Women, Diversity, Small and Medium Companies and over a half dozen different industries.

Follow Great Place to Work online at www.greatplacetowork.com and on Twitter at @GPTW_US.

Employees are thrilled to be part of a new charitable initiative this season—the Children's Advocacy Center of Collier County's Adopt a Family Program. Individual employees, as well as teams, donated gifts for families in need. The children range in age from toddlers to teenagers and will receive age-appropriate toys and clothes based on their wish list. 

Robert Farmer, Manager of Group Resection, donated Hot Wheels cars, Legos and many other gifts to make the holidays special for a couple of local families. He says "I feel very fortunate for my life and the things I have in it. While I can't save the world or buy for everyone, I can do whatever possible to make Christmas Day memorable for a couple kids, and that makes me very happy. For me, it is simply just the right thing to do. I think about the kids who are going to open those presents on Christmas Day and imagine the smiles on their faces. I believe in being good to others and it gives me great joy to be fortunate enough to be able to do so."

Leslie Carl, Financial Planning & Accounting Manager added, "We love being able to envision the family opening their presents and receiving exactly what they wanted, and more. This was a very positive experience for our group and we hope to do it again next year. We’re very proud to work for a company that helps us give back!"

In celebration of the past year of Arthrex innovations, our fourth annual anniversary editions of our "What's New" email newsletters will highlight the top 12 features over the past year, including our most popular surgical technique videos, presentations and demonstrations by leading orthopaedic surgeons from around the world. The year’s top 12 features have been selected based on the number of visits these assets obtained throughout the year by your peers.

Our newsletter family of What’s New emails specifically focus on content in the areas of arthroscopy and sports medicine, arthroplasty, hand and wrist surgery, foot and ankle surgery, orthopaedic imaging technology, endoscopic imaging technology, orthobiologics and research and education. If you’re not already subscribed to What’s New or would like to update your subscription preferences per specialty, click here.

You can also stay up to date on our innovations by:

• Visiting the front page of Arthrex.com for new features daily

• Following us on Twitter @ArthrexWhatsNew

• Subscribing to our What’s New in Orthopaedics Top Tending Videos YouTube Channel

Stay tuned for even more exciting technology updates from Arthrex in 2017, continuing our mission of "Helping Surgeons Treat Their Patients Better™" through innovations in orthopaedics!

Good news for Abigail, the three-year-old pit bull mix used as a bait dog in a Miami dogfighting ring—her wounds have completely healed! Dr. T.J. Jackson says “Abigail has healed up quite nicely. All of the stitches are out and there will be no more revision procedures.”

Abigail’s ear and half of her face were torn off and rescuers brought her to Pets First Wellness Center in Estero last November. Arthrex Clinical Specialist Michelle Chargot saw the story on the news and she, along with Orthobiologics Product Manager Vicki Bryant, donated JumpStart™. Arthrex’s antimicrobial bandage played a crucial role in treatment by generating tissue before a skin graft. Now, Dr. Jackson says Abigail is doing really well and there is little to no long-term care management with her wounds.

Rescuer and foster mom, Victoria, says the next step is to get Abigail spayed within the next two months and then she can be put up for adoption. She adds “Abigail is doing so well! I love, love, love her so much and want to adopt her, but she needs a story and a ‘happy tail ending’ of her own.”

We’ll keep you updated as Abigail looks forward to finding a permanent home. 

“My family and I went on a cruise to St. Thomas, Tortola & Bahamas to celebrate my 15-year wedding anniversary and mine and my wife’s birthdays while on the cruise. My wife’s birthday was on the first day and mine was on the second to last day while in the Bahamas, which is where the picture was taken. We have always wanted to take a cruise and being able to do it for our 15-year anniversary with the kids was awesome.”

One of Arthrex’s most distinctive and valued recognition programs is the Years of Service Awards and “Trip of a Lifetime” program. Employees who achieve milestone years of service anniversaries with Arthrex are eligible for a company paid trip just like Steve’s to the destination of their choice and an extra 40 hours of Paid Time Off (PTO) in which to take the trip. This “Trip of a Lifetime” benefit is awarded for every five years at increasing reimbursement increments. Employees look forward to this generous benefit to create a lifetime of special memories.

“On my 10-year trip in October, I flew into Boston and then traveled up to Salem, Gloucester and Rockport, Massachusetts," said Sr. Graphic Designer Tiffany Roarty. "It had been 20 years since I had experienced the fall, so I wanted to see it again. That’s the only season I miss in Florida since growing up in the Midwest. Besides, everyone knows I’m a Halloween junkie so I thought Salem would be an excellent place to visit. Thanks to Arthrex, the flights, hotels and rental car went smoothly. I had many a conversation with people up there about my trip and all of them couldn’t believe what a generous company Arthrex is. Thanks Arthrex!”

One of Arthrex’s most distinctive and valued recognition programs is the Years of Service Awards and “Trip of a Lifetime” program. Employees who achieve milestone years of service anniversaries with Arthrex are eligible for a company paid trip just like Tiffany’s to the destination of their choice and an extra 40 hours of Paid Time Off (PTO) in which to take the trip. This “Trip of a Lifetime” benefit is awarded for every five years at increasing reimbursement increments. Employees look forward to this generous benefit to create a lifetime of special memories.

Arthrex was pleased to welcome this year's Leadership Collier class to the Inc. Medical Education Center as part of the program's "Commerce Day" on Thursday, January 19. President and Founder Reinhold Schmieding welcomed the group of 50 local leaders and presented about Arthrex and its impact in the community, followed by a tour of the manufacturing operations at AMI North.  

Leadership Collier is part of The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce’s family of leadership programs. It’s an intensive, eight-month program made up of 10 full-day sessions that empowers leaders in the local community who represent major employers and a variety of industries. Each year, one Arthrex employee joins the Leadership Collier class and takes part in the sessions where societal and economic challenges facing Collier County are explored through hands-on experiences that allow them to be fully immersed in facets of local government, education, human services, economic development, arts and media, and much more.

This year, Communications Manager Lisa Gardiner was selected to represent Arthrex as a member of the 2017 class. She says the experience so far has been amazing and shared more in a question and answer session about the program:

Q: Why is it important for Arthrex to be involved with Leadership Collier?

A: Arthrex has such a significant presence in this community. As a leading employer, healthcare technology innovator and magnet for medical education tourism, we provide critical economic diversification. It’s important that Arthrex hosts Leadership Collier every year to ensure that growing leaders in our community are fully informed about our past, present and future impact, as well as the unique challenges we face. For employees who participate in the program, we are given an extraordinary opportunity to discover new ways to serve the community as ambassadors of Arthrex.
 
Q: What has been the most interesting thing you’ve learned by being in the program?

A: I can’t pick one thing, really. Every session is something new and enlightening. From learning what the face of poverty truly looks like in Collier County to suiting up in firefighter gear, visiting the mosquito control laboratory, listening in on 911 calls and walking backstage at Artis–Naples, it’s been a very special opportunity to receive “behind-the-scenes” experiences and education about all facets of the community. It’s allowed me to gain broader and deeper perspectives and discover areas where I can make greater contributions.    
 
Q: If you could trade jobs with anyone else in your class for the day, who would it be and why?

A: My class is comprised of a diverse group of leaders representing many different areas, such as government, healthcare, nonprofit and the private sector. I think I work for the best company and wouldn’t want to trade jobs with any of them (not even for a day!). But, it’s been so valuable to build this strong local network and make these individual connections. I look forward to the future and working with my class on the public policy issues we have collectively become passionate about, as well as furthering Arthrex’s mission and impact in our community.