Quincy Medical Group (QMG) recognizes National Osteoporosis Month in May. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, osteoporosis is responsible for two million broken bones every year in the U.S. and causes 75,000 deaths.
Matt Bruns, Orthopedic Nurse Practitioner with QMG, said osteoporosis is preventable and encourages everyone to pay attention to their bone health. “Osteoporosis and fractures are not part of normal aging and don’t have to be,” he explains. “Osteoporosis is preventable, and a fracture is a warning sign of future fracture risk in patients over the age of 50.”
Bruns is the Osteoporosis Coordinator and Certified Fracture Liaison of the local Break Free Program. Dr. Rena Stewart, Orthopedic Trauma Surgeon with QMG, serves as Physician Champion for the program.
Break Free holds the highest level of certification for Geriatric Fracture Care Programs from The International Geriatric Fracture Society (IGFS) CORE Certification Program. The local program is one of 21 worldwide and the only one in Illinois to hold the highest level of certification from the IGFS.
“The program gets fragility fracture patients to the operating room in a timely fashion, below the national average. We have reduced the length of stay of those patients as well as the postoperative confusion and delirium,” said Bruns.
There are a variety of factors that put you at risk for developing osteoporosis. Bruns encourages individuals to speak with their healthcare provider about their risk factors for osteoporosis and work together to develop a plan to protect their bones. For more information, view the resources available from the National Osteoporosis Foundation at www.nof.org.