Jim Collins CPC CCC

Cardiology reimbursement & compliance expert
Inventor, OrthoVest - PPD for Lead Apron users

[Jim Collins CPC CCC @CardiologyCoder]

This one is definitely worth a thousand words. I’m going to share them soon. #HRS2026 #epeeps #cardiotwitter

[Jim Collins CPC CCC @CardiologyCoder]

Your back pain isn't "just part of the job."

It's physics. And it's preventable.
Take the Global Lead Apron Survey (GLAS)

4 minutes to complete, your voice = industry change.
LIVE NOW: https://t.co/5649e0FxVs

If you wear lead, take this.
#CardiacCathLab #EPeeps #HRS2026 #OrthoVest

[Jim Collins CPC CCC @CardiologyCoder]

**RESULTS ARE IN!** 💪

Built this contraption to show exactly how brutal bent-forward posture + lead apron is on your lower back.

The scale doesn’t lie:

- 10 lb apron → lower back pulls ~40 lbs EXTRA

- 5 lb apron → ~33 lbs EXTRA

- Add head weight (~10 lb) → suddenly fighting ~100 lbs of torque with either apron

This demo nails the core problem I’m solving with https://t.co/gqHhfTEkkj

Wanted a portable road version, but the counterweight made it too bulky. Filming videos now, then it’s attic-bound.

Fun (and ridiculous) way to sharpen the pitch. Watch out, @SharkTank 😎

Dealt with lead apron fatigue? Share your experience below.

I’ll send out a free OrthoVest to two responders, 20% discount and free shipping to all other responders (for any purchases in the month of April).

#MyOrthoVest #CathLab #LeadApron #Ergonomics #BackPain

[Jim Collins CPC CCC @CardiologyCoder]

FREE OrthoVest prototypes available for facilities with lots of women: contact us at https://t.co/KeJv5FGCqG to apply - we need: feedback from many women in a short period - first prototype will be sent 3/20/26, two more the following week.

[Jim Collins CPC CCC @CardiologyCoder]

🧵 5/5
The good news? Solutions exist—like OrthoVest, a game-changing exoskeleton worn under your lead apron that transfers 100% of the weight from shoulders/neck/spine to your hips.
The OrthoVest’s patented design eliminates the lever effect causing chronic pain, stiff necks, back issues, and fatigue—while keeping full mobility for bending/reaching. Works with any apron, quick on/off, creates an air gap to cut sweating.
Trusted by interventional radiologists, vascular surgeons, cath lab nurses/techs, fluoroscopy staff, orthopedic surgeons, spinal surgeons, radiologic technologists, medical device sales reps, urologists, pain management specialists, and all who wear lead for long shifts.
Check it out and protect your future self: https://t.co/hJVTQDNv5f
What steps are you taking? Let’s discuss!
#Ergonomics #RadiationSafety

[Jim Collins CPC CCC @CardiologyCoder]

🧵 1/5
HEY!! THIS IS FUTURE YOU CALLING FROM 2040.
(If you ever suit up in a lead apron for work)
There’s an alarming 89% chance your current routine—without changes—will leave me with chronic back/neck pain, limited mobility, and robbed joy in what I love doing.
Don’t let that happen. These three ultra-recent 2025-2026 studies are wake-up calls. Let’s fix this now and save future us!
#LeadApronHazards #OccupationalHealth

[Jim Collins CPC CCC @CardiologyCoder]

🧵 4/5
Finally: Hout's 2025 systematic review/meta-analysis (Jan 2025) pools 31 studies, 8,280 participants—lead apron users are 3.8x more likely to develop musculoskeletal disorders (OR 3.83).
Over 4,500 pain cases, hitting lower back, shoulders, neck hardest. Aprons (~7kg) spike disc pressure to 2,000 kPa, accelerating degeneration and fatigue. Global epidemic—calls for ergonomics and alternatives loud and clear!
#MSDPrevention

[Jim Collins CPC CCC @CardiologyCoder]

OrthoVest breaks the lever effect before it breaks you. No risk. Try it.
🔗 https://t.co/p4y3PRqZ6t
#CathLab #InterventionalRadiology #LeadApron #SpineHealth #epeeps
#MedicalDeviceRep #OrthoVest

[Jim Collins CPC CCC @CardiologyCoder]

Lower back pain after a procedure? Your lead apron probably did that. 🧵

[Jim Collins CPC CCC @CardiologyCoder]

This isn’t soreness. It’s a slow career injury hiding behind a 10 lb apron. You want to be playing pickleball at 65 — not checkers.

[Jim Collins CPC CCC @CardiologyCoder]

A 10 pound lead apron can put more than 100 pounds of pressure on the delicate structures of your lower back…. It likely causes fatigue and aches today and may require discectomy and spinal fusion when you’re ready to retire.

You can stop the damage - https://t.co/Cpgva7ThBp