American Academy of Orthotists & Prosthetists

February 2010 • Vol. 6 No. 1

Advancing Orthotic and Prosthetic
Care Through Knowledge

Message from the President

As I approach the last quarter of my year as president of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (the Academy), I have concluded that in order to be successful, all the organizations representing the different aspects of our field need to work together. That in no way means that we combine as one organization, but it does mean respecting one another and recognizing the role that each organization plays. We must work to maximize what can be done in each area to better serve our members and our patients. We need to work closely with patient-advocacy groups such as the Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) with whom we share the common goal of improving the lives of those who need O&P services.

Sometimes the current relationships among the organizations in our profession remind me of Aesop's fable, "The Father and His Sons," in which the sons are always quarreling with one another. The father hands them each a stick and tells them to break it. Since this is easily done, the sons are puzzled about their father's intent. The father then hands a bundle of sticks to the first son and instructs him to break it. The first son can't break the bundle, and neither can any of his brothers. The father says to the boys, "If you are of one mind and unite to assist one another you will be like the bundle of sticks, but if you are divided among yourselves, you will be broken as easily as the individual sticks."

In an effort to ensure that we work more closely with our sister organizations, I have begun meeting with the presidents of those organizations to see where we can support one another and work together on projects that will benefit the entire O&P profession.

While this is happening, the Academy is moving forward, and our three councils—Education Development (EDC), Professional Issues (PIC), and Research (RC)—are hard at work. The EDC's Clinical Content Committee, led by Joanne Kanas, DPT, CPO, has planned an impressive education program, including clinical and practice management presentations, for this year's annual meeting at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, February 24–27, 2010.

The EDC and our grant committee recently held successful One-Day Seminar Certificate Programs. The Orthotic Management of Scoliosis & Kyphosis Program, chaired by Bill Barringer, MS, CO, featured the leading experts in scoliosis management. Board member Mark Muller, MS, CPO, FAAOP, chaired the Sub-Atmospheric Suspension Systems Certificate Program, which was an impressive blend of clinical application and evidence. Both Academy One-Day Seminar Certificate Programs will be available on the Academy's Paul E. Leimkuehler Online Learning Center (OLC).

An exciting new benefit for Academy members is the regular Literature Updates being put together by our Publications Committee and its chair, Sam Phillips, PhD, CP, FAAOP. This new addition is a great help to our members in staying current on the literature in the field.

Our scientific societies are developing a new biannual newsletter, and three of our societies are presenting at our annual meeting next month in Chicago. Each society will hold business meetings there as well. Some will have special sessions, including poster sessions, during their meetings. Board member David Gerecke, CPO, FAAOP, is working closely with our society chairs to broaden their reach and bring society members more information in their specialties.

The PIC has been very active regarding the healthcare-reform bill. The Academy works on these issues directly through its involvement with the O&P Alliance. The other members of the O&P Alliance are the National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics (NAAOP), the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics (ABC), and the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA).

Board member Michelle Hall, CPO, FAAOP, is working to expand the role of the Women in Orthotics & Prosthetics Committee. There is now a section on our website for this committee. In addition to its mentoring program, the committee will be highlighting the work of some of the tremendously successful women in our profession.

Former Board member Robert Brown Jr., CPO, FAAOP, has recently become chair of the Licensure Committee. He will be working to update our Licensure Toolkit and urging more states to work on attaining licensure requirements.

The Research Council, working with the Grant Committee, has recently announced the completion of the new Advanced Education & Research Training Initiative (AERTI) document, which serves as a guide to future needs and endeavors in O&P research. The Research Council is also working on the review of the Resident Directed Studies and this year will be providing programming at the Academy's Annual Meeting in conjunction with the Orthotic and Prosthetic Education and Research Foundation (OPERF).

I want to encourage you to get involved at some level with one or more of the many great activities going on at the Academy. When I think about the great strides the Academy has made in recent years, I think about a quote from Sam Walton, "We're all working together. That's the secret."

—Keith M. Smith, CO, LO, FAAOP