September 2005 • Vol. 1, No. 3
	Advancing Orthotic and Prosthetic Care Through Knowledge

Welcome to The Academy TODAY

Through passion, teamwork, and careful planning, the Academy is working harder than ever to move this great profession forward. These are challenging times for O&P in many ways, but through the incredible efforts of energetic clinicians, we are fighting against the current and making great strides in ways never before imagined.

We applaud the participation of many Academy members in the recent AOPA Policy Forum. More than 130 participants worked together with leaders of AOPA, NAAOP, ABC, and the Academy to educate legislators about our profession. The success of that event has led to discussions between a coalition of these organizations and CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) to ensure that our professional education and skills are recognized appropriately and that O&P is differentiated from DME (durable medical equipment). In a banner moment at the Policy Forum, CMS recognized licensure as a means of identifying true O&P professionals at the state level. The Academy will continue to promote licensure with states, to define the educational standards and scope of practice of the O&P practitioner.

In addition to working with our partners in the regulatory and legislative arena, the Academy continues to have success in legislative initiatives focused on the advancement of the profession through research and education. As a result of our Project Quantum Leap funded efforts, great news recently came from the Department of Education: the Academy will receive continuation of funding for the projects initiated under Project Quantum Leap for the third year in a row! This is very exciting news for the future of O&P, allowing us to continue sponsoring State of the Science Conferences that develop and disseminate prescribed methodology for our practices and to increase the level of public awareness of our field.

Online educational opportunities have multiplied for you at the Paul E. Leimkuehler Online Learning Center (OLC), available through the Academy website. Through collaboration with various organizations and practitioners, the OLC continues to build momentum and expand its offerings. We invite you to be a contributor as well as a user of the OLC. Memorialize your research and presentation efforts by developing a module for the OLC. It’s easy! Contact the Academy for more details.

As an O&P professional, YOU are the Academy. You are the voices, the hands, and the minds that defi ne and achieve the goals of this profession. As you will continue to see in The Academy TODAY, there are many ways you can play an active role in shaping the future of this profession. I encourage each of you to look beyond where we are today, and to contribute some of your valuable time and talents to ensure a bright future for O&P.

Sincerely,

Paul E. Prusakowski, CPO, LPO, FAAOP