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Friday, June 27, 2008

Best 'perk' here is 'making all the difference in the world'

Houston Business Journal - by Nicole Bradford Houston Business Journal

Amputee & Prosthetic Center say they enjoy helping others

Forget the free coffee. Employees at the Amputee & Prosthetic Center say they are rewarded by their company simply by getting to do what they do every day.

"Many may find this answer surprising but the most popular 'perk' offered to employees is the ability to help our patients," says CEO Joe Sansone. "We provide prosthetic limbs for patients and our work is extremely rewarding. For example, employee donations have funded Christmas for one of our charity Limbs of Love patients for the children who would otherwise have received no Christmas presents. Our employees went shopping with their own money and overwhelmed the family on Christmas Eve. The mother received two limbs free of charge -- so that she could be walking for Christmas."

An additional and unusual perk is that the company also provides prosthetic devices and adjustments to its employees, since almost a third are amputees themselves.

"Our patients become so excited when they see what we have to offer amputees that they seek employment with us, and it's natural that we take care of our employees/patients with their prosthetic needs as well," Sansone says.

Sansone says the company believes firmly that employees should be happy in their work, requiring a good attitude in general and plenty of communication.

"Employees inherently want to do the right thing and want to enjoy their jobs," he explains. "All they need is a reason to be in a good mood. It's their employer's job to give them that reason so that they can enjoy their job and thereby return the favor and be a productive employee."

As with any company, he says, challenges always arise. It's easy, he says, for one bad apple to bring down the morale of an entire team or group of employees.

Management works hard to keep employees happy, however, recently announcing an additional incentive: A cruise for two for each employee.

"With the enthusiasm that generated, we are unstoppable," he says.

The Amputee & Prosthetic Center also offers its employees standard health and life insurance, company-sponsored meals, mentoring programs and company parties.

As a result of its efforts, the company experiences little to no turnover and is never hard pressed for new hires.

"When applicants hear of the role we play in allowing our amputee patients to get their life back, they want to join in," he says. "It's impossible not to be happy and motivated when you see the smile on a 6-year-old girl's face when she walks again for the first time since losing her leg. Or when we organize a skydiving event for our amputee patients and see the fear in the eyes of a 89-year-old amputee turn into elation after he has beaten that fear and skydived as an amputee. The joy of helping put our patients' lives back together makes all the difference in the world."

nbradford@bizjournals.com - 713-395-9629

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