|
April 2005 • Vol. 1, No. 1
|
Advancing Orthotic and Prosthetic
Care Through Knowledge
|
 Howard Mooney, CP(E) a spry 91-year-old practitioner, has done his best to keep up with what's going on in the O&P field ever since his retirement in 1981. Mooney started his career in O&P in 1937 at the Boston Artificial Limb Co. Inc. He came into O&P quite by accident. He had graduated from college with a degree in business, but was only able to find various low-paying jobs. His father was working at Boston Artificial Limb at the time and there was an opening there, so he decided to join him. While it was a special time to bond with his father, who became a widower soon after, Mooney developed a passion for prosthetics and went on to become one of the first certified prosthetists in 1948. He was the 45th person to be certified by the American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics.
When asked about the most significant changes he has seen within O&P he jokes, "I'd have to go back to school today if I hadn't retired." He recalls how he initially was really a woodworker, which was handy in creating prostheses, but the development of plastics and new resins made the work of a prosthetist much different in his later years.
In addition to his work as a prosthetist, Mooney also found time to "give back" to the profession. He is a past president of the New England Society of O&P and a former Director of Region I.
He continues to support the profession by maintaining his association with Boston Artificial Limb, serving as its corporate treasurer, and reading up on the latest happenings within the field. "The technology is almost beyond my imagination," he adds.
Mooney is also a regular contributor to the O&P Educational and Development Fund in support of Project Quantum Leap. He feels that Project Quantum Leap is one of the best ways to assure a strong future for the O&P profession. He explains, "We certainly need proper personnel in this profession in the future. Career awareness, outreach to students and the medical community, standards, and research will help set the path."
|
