Partners in Providing Superior Clinical Education

The First Multidisciplinary Meeting for O&P

The decision to co-locate the Academy's Annual Meeting with ACPOC combines the most important scientific symposium in O&P with a proven winner on a more specific area with a broader base of participants. This fresh and innovative joint venture is designed to maximize your learning potential as well as your exposure to orthopedic surgeons, practitioners, nurses, PTs, OTs, and other allied health practitioners.

One Registration Fee Opens All Doors

You create your own learning universe by selecting from the unsurpassed quality of ACPOC and Academy programming. No other meeting can match the outstanding clinical and professional education sessions offered in Orlando in 2005. Your one registration fee provides access to both meetings.    (There is an additional fee for the optional Clinical Techniques Programs.)

ACPOC Presidential Guest Lecture


Randal R. Betz, MD

ACPOC has a tradition whereby the president invites a presenter to speak on a current topic of interest. This year's Presidential Speaker is Randal R. Betz, MD, Chief of Staff of Shriners Hospitals for Children – Philadelphia. Dr. Betz will discuss Electrical Stimulation and Bracing Issues.

Separate and Combined Programming

In Orlando the Academy and ACPOC will each present separate programming developed by their respective planning committees led by James H. Campbell, CO, PhD and Michael L. Schmitz, MD. In addition, combined planning teams comprised of orthopedic surgeons and orthotic and prosthetic practitioners have developed two 90-minute joint clinical sessions.

NEW: Orthotic Management of the CVA Stroke Patient

This new Academy certificate program is sure to be a comprehensive education experience. Details on this new Academy Fellow Certificate Program will be added to the website.

Clinical Techniques

New in 2004, these sessions were an immediate sell-out. These highly-focused sessions are not for everyone. Modeled after sessions offered at international meetings each one and a half hour program imparts tangible knowledge that can instantly be implemented in practice. The limited class size (40 attendees) maximizes the learning opportunity for each participant. (These sessions require advance registration and an additional $75 registration fee for each. They fill up quickly!) The 2005 Clinical Techniques sessions are:
- Hip Disarticulation and Hemipelvectomy: Practical Approaches From Juvenile to Adulthood
- Current Concepts in the Orthotic Management of the Lower-Limb in Children (2 days)
- Upper-Extremity Harnessing Techniques

O&P Management of the Lower-Limb Patient

The prestigious Academy Fellow designation continues to be sought after by O&P practitioners. This is an ideal opportunity to start or finish your quest to achieve the highest designation the Academy offers.

Expanded 2-Day Technician Education Program

The Academy is thrilled to offer highlights from the wildly successful, Material Science & Prosthetic/Orthotic Design: Maximizing Patient Safety program. Bill Contoyannis, MS, Rehabilitation Engineer, from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia and John W. Michael, MEd, CPO, FAAOP, FISPO will lead the first-ever two-day technician education program. See page 18 for details.

Annual Business Meeting Returns as Popular Member Breakfast

The packed room at the Member Breakfast last year proved the resounding success of the breakfast meeting concept. Join your fellow Academy members for a full breakfast as you learn about the achievements and goals of your Academy. You are encouraged to play an active role in this more personal meeting setting. Please indicate your intent to attend on the Registration Form. Onsite registration for this event may be limited.

ACPOC Hector Kay Lecture

The keynote address at ACPOC meetings is named for Hector Kay, MEd. Kay's early association with prosthetic education began at New York University where he was involved in the Adult and Child Prosthetic Studies group. Kay was active in the orthotics and prosthetics profession from 1952-1974. No organization owes more to an individual than does the Association of Children's Prosthetic-Orthotic Clinics, which, though founded after his death, owes its existence to an organization he nurtured.


Peter F. Armstrong, MD

Peter F. Armstrong, MD, FRCSC, FACS, FAAP, Director of Medical Affairs for the Shriners Hospitals for Children will provide the 2005 address. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He has published 50 scientific articles and book chapters and more than 30 scientific abstracts.

Fitter Education Program

Registered mastectomy fitters can earn all of their PCE credits for their 5-year certification period at this one program. Detailed program information will be available soon.

Product Display Showcase

The Product Display Showcases were a huge success at the 2004 Academy Annual Meeting. These manufacturer presentations are in a dynamic, theater setting. The 30-minute presentations are lively and informative and earn you 4 PCE credits. Stop by the Product Display Showcase in the Exhibit Hall.

Bonus CD to Share with Others

Supporting materials for each of the education sessions offered at the Academy Annual Meeting are provided to you on a CD-Rom. This is a hassle-free way to save the information for future reference.
Sponsored by Ohio Willow Wood

Make the Most of All
Disney Has to Offer

There will not be a banquet on Friday evening, which allows you time to enjoy all that Disney has to offer with your family. Experience one of the theme parks, take in a show, visit Pleasure Island, Downtown Disney, or one of the many other attractions.

Finding Your Way Through the Program

The Academy and ACPOC are thrilled to be co-locating their Annual Meetings at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort. The combination of the two meetings and multiple education sessions add a new dimension to navigating your way through the program.

The Academy and ACPOC education programs are listed separately in the Preliminary Program. The Academy At A Glance is available in html format and the ACPOC program is available as a PDF file.

All attendees are welcome to attend any of the Academy and ACPOC sessions. The continental breakfast, lunch, brunch, refreshment breaks, and welcome reception will be JOINT events for both ACPOC and Academy attendees.

We are excited about this opportunity to blend these similar groups. We hope you enjoy this fresh education opportunity.

Annual Meeting Scheduler: A Personal Benefit for Academy Members

Plan your day and the sessions you will attend before you even reach Orlando using the Academy's exclusive online Annual Meeting Planner. It's a simple and very productive way to schedule your time. Print your own itinerary and schedule in minutes! There will also soon be a tool to help you identify which exhibitors you wish to visit - and highlight their booths on the Exhibit Hall floor plan.

Project Quantum Leap (PQL)

Just a few years ago, the Academy launched its most ambitious initiative yet-Project Quantum Leap (PQL). The seeds of PQL have been planted and because of the support of the Academy chapters, individual practitioners, O&P facilities, manufacturers and suppliers as well as a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the programs are running full speed ahead. Be sure to stop by the PQL booth to hear about our latest accomplishments and to see how your dollars are being put to work. We have targeted the most urgent needs to recruit new students to the profession to treat the growing needs of O&P patients, to document best clinical practices to assure continued quality care and to foster increased capability for and interest in applied O&P research.

Be sure to thank those suppliers who are supporting PQL as you tour the Exhibit Hall. Wear your PQL ribbons and donor pins proudly. Encourage your colleagues to get involved and learn more about Project Quantum Leap.

High School Awareness Program

According to the 2002 updated study on Issues Affecting the Future Demands for Orthotists and Prosthetists by Caroline Nielsen, PhD, without substantial changes in the number of educational programs and the number of graduates becoming certified, the profession will be unable to serve the needs of one-third the O&P patient population. It is more critical than ever to promote the O&P profession and introduce it as a career option to students. As part of the Academy's Project Quantum Leap initiative, high school students from the Orlando area are invited to a career presentation and guided tour of the Exhibit Hall on Friday. This will give them an opportunity to see O&P technology firsthand, speak with O&P professionals and meet students who are currently enrolled in O&P programs.

Program Format

Here's what we mean when we use these terms:

Clinical Techniques - A hands-on education experience highlighting real-world clinical cases and demonstrating best practices in O&P.

Symposia - An organized series of presentations and varying opinions on a potentially controversial topic.

Instructional Courses - An in-depth learning experience based upon accepted principles and practices.

Technical Workshops - Hands-on sessions presented by manufacturers.

Free Papers - Short presentations about 10 minutes in length based on observations or anecdotal information.

Professional Development – Presentations geared toward enriching your personal and professional life.

Product Display Showcase - A dynamic, manufacturer presentation in a theater setting.