As the clinical operations and research manager at Kenney Orthopedics, Jenn Rosati is responsible for advising offices on best practices for how they operate and take care of patients. A key element of this is determining the right workflows for how to take care of patients and do so efficiently. As a certified prosthetist/orthotist (CPO) she has a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, what a clinician may be thinking and considering when being exposed to new ways of doing something, as well as new technologies, such as scanning and 3D printing. Rosati was featured on the Prosthetics and Orthotics Podcast, where she discussed her venture into introducing these innovations to the practice.
Rosati’s O&P Journey
Rosati has been around bracing, orthotics, and prosthetics for much of her life, and is able to relate with the clinician on a variety of levels, all while understanding the business implications for any changes that are made across the organization. She was first inspired when her family worked with the Center of Disability Services in Albany, New York, which provides comprehensive care to people with disabilities, and often volunteered at their telethons. This is also where the budding caregiver got interested in learning about the importance of mobility.
Initially, Rosati’s journey started with a deep interest in orthotics but eventually expanded to prosthetics after seeing rock climber and engineer Hugh Herr on the cover of TIME magazine, after designing his own specialized prosthetics for rock-climbing. She began shadowing at an O&P clinic during her school age years and continued to study P&O in grad school. She received her CPO, her master’s degree, and did her residency in Indianapolis. Rosati then joined Kenney Orthopedics, where she has been for the last 6 years.
Introducing New Tech to O&P
Jenn has always been an early adopter when it comes to new tech, but she also understands what considerations need to be taken into account when it comes to introducing them to a clinic. Even in the case of a group such as Kenney Orthopedics, where a central fabrication location exists, there are still individual clinic nuances related to the adoption of new practices, such as scanning and 3D printing.
The clinic managers within the Kenney Orthopedics network have the freedom to treat patients in the manners they think best, within a broader business. The individuals still get to make a lot of their own decisions, all while being supported by a larger corporate structure that offers these smaller clinics the feel and resources of a bigger organization. With roughly 25 employees at the Kenney Orthopedics CFab facility, every clinic can get the best level of support, while also being able to self-direct as necessary.
From a pure business perspective, when it came time to bringing new innovations to the clinic, it was a “no brainer” to invest in a 3D printer, just as it was to have a central fabrication facility in Nicholasville, KY. The goal always was to allow for better patient care, improved quality control, and increase the return on investment (ROI) across the board, whether that meant new technology or getting more out of the time clinicians have with their patients.

An Icarus 3D printer from Filament Innovations
For those reasons, in August 2020, Kenney Orthopedics purchased its first 3D printer from Filament Innovations. When doing its due diligence, the clinic considered the size of the printer, its speed as compared to the group’s existing methods, and how the printer might improve turnaround time. The team also looked for the right type of partner, one that would support its needs and help with implementation. Filament Innovations checked all of those boxes and more.
As for ROI, the group focused on the fundamentals. The traditional process involved numerous steps: pouring the plaster, letting it set, modifying and beautifying it, removing it, and sending it to another manufacturer for carving. This lengthy procedure resulted in significant downtime.
To improve turnaround time and enhance the patient experience while serving more clients, they needed a more efficient method.
When they compared the cost of purchasing a 3D printer from Filament Innovations with the expenses and time required for the traditional method, they found that the printer paid for itself in just three months!
As Kenney Orthopedics continued to grow, Jenn, who was still practicing at the time, couldn’t wait to implement this new technology, which allowed her and other clinicians at the Kenney clinics to see and serve more patients by cutting out these added steps. Rosati shared that one of her “wow” moments was when she could begin to schedule her patients more effectively, with follow-ups just two days later rather than a week out.
Rosati said, “It was never just a business move… it was the best thing for patient care.”
As Kenney Orthopedics continues to grow and innovate within its 19 clinics, Jenn will no doubt continue to spearhead new initiatives, all while looking at operations through the lens of whether or not innovation will be good for each clinic, and not just good for business. Rosati has now been the clinical operations and research manager for Kenney Orthopedics for over two years.
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