The Orthopaedic Implant Company believes that “the way orthopaedic implants are priced and supplied is flawed to the detriment of everyone,” and states on their website that “our purpose is to rethink and change that system.” Company President and CEO Itai Nemovicher recently walked the walk and embodied this company value on a mission trip to Honduras—aiming to help those most in need access high-quality primary and surgical care.
Orthopaedic Implant Company
Reno, Nevada-based industry player Orthoapedic Implant Company was founded in 2010 by Nemovicher and current company Chairman and Treasurer Pete Althausen, M.D. with an intent to “make ‘value’ a possibility in the orthopaedic implant industry.”
At the time of OIC’s inception, Nemovicher was working in sales management for an orthopedic big box brand at a time when “devices had become commoditized, yet the pricing did not reflect that.” Most orthopedic hardware costs were beyond what many patients could afford.
Nemovicher grew concerned with exorbitant product costs and noted that, “regardless of brand, a screw is a screw, a nail is a nail.” One day, Itai received a call from a self-paying ortho patient asking why the vendor charged $120,000 for the needed implants. Itai wondered, “Wouldn’t it be something to provide high-quality implants at prices affordable for everyone?” Around the same time, current OIC Chairman and Treasurer Dr. Althausen was simultaneously treating orthopaedic trauma cases in the Reno area and had been watching as out-of-pocket patient expenses steadily rose.
Nemovicher and Dr. Althausen had enjoyed working together as colleagues for years and decided to come together to create high value implants for lower costs. Since that time, OIC products have become trusted in Level 1 orthopedic trauma hospitals and private surgical practices around the country. According to the company, “We shattered the myth that high value is a result of commoditization. Simply put, we have found a smarter way to create implants.”
In February 2021, OIC went on to enter a contract agreement with Atlanta, Georgia-based IPG Integrated Surgical Solutions. The partnership facilitates access for more than 400 IPG national facilities and health plan clients. “IPG believes what we believe—that in order to change the culture of healthcare, we must actively look for ways to make high quality surgical care more affordable,” Nemovicher stated at the time of the agreement.
OIC’s stated mission is “to lower the cost of orthopaedic procedures by developing more affordable implants with the perfect balance of quality, service and price for surgeons, hospitals and patients.” Nemovicher recently took a medical mission trip to Honduras in alignment with this mission.
One World Surgery: Bringing Orthopedic Care to Honduras
Nemovicher joined One World Surgery for the week-long mission trip. One World Surgery is a non-profit “dedicated to providing world-class surgical and primary care to underserved communities, as well as empowering volunteers to make a positive impact on global health.”
We asked CEO Nemovicher, why an international mission trip? “For the last several years, the Orthopaedic Implant Company has been providing One World Surgery with the implants and instrument sets they need to help surgeons in under-industrialized countries perform orthopaedic procedures that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to consistently perform. We’re also able to provide necessary training and education to their staff members and volunteers. Our goal is to make healthcare better for all, and we wholeheartedly believe in and support One World Surgery’s mission to provide high quality surgical care to those who need it around the world.” The trip was simply in keeping with OIC’s mission to provide better healthcare for all.
Nemovicher traveled with One World Surgery and clinical teams from orthopedic clinics in Bloomington, Minnesota, and Los Angeles, California. Intermountain Healthcare, which OIC formed a partnership with in 2018, also had representatives join on the mission trip. OIC provided orthopedic implants for surgical use, including IM nails, small frag plates and screws, and cannulated screws.
Nemovicher’s experience involved direct, hands-on service work to support those in need.
He explained, “A typical day started with a 6am wake-up call and a trip to the surgery center. Once we were there, I assisted with readying the equipment and instruments that would be used during the surgeries for that day, and I also worked closely to train volunteers and other staff members on proper protocols and procedures. Between the two orthopaedic surgeons on site, we would complete approximately 6-8 cases per day, and we would end around 6pm. Overall, we were able to help a lot of people by improving the quality of their lives, including young children with broken bones and other orthopaedic injuries that had yet to be treated properly or treated at all in some cases.”
Holy Family Surgery Center: Bridging Honduran Healthcare Disparity
One World Surgery founded and has operated Holy Family Surgery Center since 2008. The Center is on the property of the children’s home Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH), a 2,000-acre ranch roughly an hour northeast of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The surgery center includes three operating rooms, seven clinical overnight bays, and both an eye and dental clinic.
Dr. Merlin Antúnez, orthopedic surgeon and Medical Director and a team of over 30 Honduran natives staff the center. Year-round primary and follow-up care for all patients “ensures that patients are offered the continuity of care that is essential for successful outcomes.”
Medical missions serve as a catalyst to expand our impact and provide an extension into specialty services. Currently, the Holy Family Surgery Center offers surgeries and consults in the following specialties: orthopedics; general surgery; ophthalmology; gynecology; urology; surgical oncology; and ear, nose, and throat. Medical mission trips allow volunteers to work alongside local clinical team members as they provide life-saving surgeries. The nearby Moscati Center, a conference center, houses volunteers and staff and hosts education and training programs aimed to further develop Honduran medical professional capacity.
Making a Long-term Difference in Global Ortho Care
OIC and One World Surgery share their commitment to long-term, sustainable solutions for affordable orthosurgical healthcare. One World Surgery has written, “We are proud of the impact we’ve had in Honduras. Our distinctive approach with in-country, on-the-ground capabilities is a model for developing countries. Our research confirms cost-effective, high-quality outcomes with strong patient satisfaction—comparable to results in high-income countries. Our strength comes from our long-term collaboration and commitment to our Honduran community.” This aligns with the OIC vision, “Because of our forward-thinking view of the way healthcare items should be sourced and implants developed, our vision is to play a role in making a more fair and equitable healthcare environment.”
Nemovicher has, of course, been affected by his service experience and takes understandable pride in participating. His most memorable experience was on his final day of the trip. “We made a little bit of history by performing the first semi-extended tibial nail procedure that had ever been done in Honduras. Prior to OIC providing the instrumentation and equipment, the surgeons at the facility did not have the means to take on this kind of case, nor had they ever had the specific training and education to do the procedure. We’re very proud of the positive impact we had during this trip and will continue to have on many other orthopaedic surgeons and their patients.”
