Vol.6, No.1

December 2000

Membership Approves Shift in Governance Year

In a near unanimous vote, Academy members authorized a change to the bylaws that shifts the terms of office for officers and directors. The new term of office will run from July 1 to June 30, beginning with July 2001. But don't expect much to be affected by the change. "The most noticeable effect will be during the reports for the Annual Business Meeting, said Academy President Thomas V. DiBello, CO, FAAOP. In the past, because the meeting occurred in the fourth month of the year, reports either covered activities that were almost a year old or concentrated on plans for the year. "Shifting our Governance Year makes a lot of sense for keeping our members better informed and for planning purposes." To transition to the new Governance Year, the current officers will serve from December 2000 until June 2001.

Paralympian Presents Team Jacket to President Bill Clinton

From amongst the 800 Olympic and Paralympic athletes gathered at the White House for a reception, Marlon Shirley was chosen to present President Bill Clinton with an Olympic Team jacket. In presenting the jacket, Shirley bestowed the title of honorary member of the 2000 U.S. Paralympic Team on President Clinton. The President, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton were all present at the reception to welcome America's Olympians and Paralympians back from the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia. Shirley won the Gold Medal in the Men's 100M (T44) race earning the title of "World's Fastest Amputee", setting a New World Record of 11.09 sec. Shirley also won the Silver Medal in the Men's High Jump (T46). In making his presentation to President Clinton, Shirley said, "As Paralympians, we know there is no obstacle that the human spirit cannot overcome." Stacy Dragilia, Gold-medal winner for the Pole Vault, made a similar gift and speech on behalf of Olympic athletes.

After returning from the 2000 Summer Games, Shirley received a grand welcome in his hometown of Thatcher, Utah. He received the key to the city from Thatcher's Mayor and November 4, 2000 was declared "Marlon Shirley Day". He also took time out to tour the Shriner's Hospital in Salt Lake City Utah, greeting all the children in the hospital with toys, T-shirts and posters. "It is really important for me to give back to the community that has given me so much," said Shirley. "Springlite is pleased to have Marlon receive strong affirmation for all that he has worked to attain," said John Merlette, President of Springlite, manufacturers of the prosthetic feet Shirley wears for competition and everyday ambulation.

Annual Meeting Program in the Mail

"Attendees should expect the content of the scientific sessions to be extraordinary…period," promises Academy President Thomas V. DiBello, CO, FAAOP. "We've packed more information into this meeting than any before it. There is so much that concurrent sessions are necessary." The 20-page, full-color program was mailed the first week of December providing full details for members to plan their time at the four-day meeting in Dallas, March 7-10. Updates to the program will be posted on the Academy website (www.oandp.org) as they occur.

The keynote speaker will be John Anthony "Tony" Herring, MD, chief of staff for Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas, who will speak on A Fight to the Finish: Stories of Polio.

Competing for the esteemed Thranhardt Lecture Series Honorarium will be four presentations, with the winners decided by the audience:

1. A Reliable and Accurate Method of Measuring Orthosis-Wearing Time, by Thomas M. Gavin, CO is the first report of a compliance monitor that yields accurate measurement of orthosis-wearing time.

2. An Auto-Adaptive External Knee Prosthesis by Hugh Herr, PhD reviews a prosthesis that automatically adapts to the amputee without pre-programmed information.

3. Evidence Based Medicine: The Amputee Mobility Predictor and the Ability to Demonstrate Prosthetic Performance by Robert S. Gailey, PhD, PT discusses the implications of Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) on healthcare, and explores how clinicians can demonstrate the benefits of various prosthetic components.

4. What Determines the Vertical Displacement of the Body during Normal Walking by Steven A. Gard, PhD, examines two of the six determinants of gait and shows the potential improvements to pathological gait through modification of the foot rocker shape.

The sixth in a series of certificate programs leading to becoming a Fellow of the Academy debuts at the Dallas meeting on the topic of O&P Management of the Upper Extremity Patient.

Register Online for Annual Meeting

The complete program and topic descriptions can be found online beginning December 15th at the Academy's website (www.oandp.org). Registrations can be completed and payment made online using a credit card, however the hotel reservation form must be downloaded and faxed directly to the Wyndham Anatole Hotel before February 2.

JPO Begins Year with New Editor

James H. Campbell, PhD, CO was named the new editor for the JPO replacing Thomas M. Gavin, CO, who held the post for four years. The first issue of the scientific journal under Campbell will be published in time for the Annual Meeting and will include a design change that has been in the works for some time. Campbell saluted Tom Gavin for his work in improving the content of the publication, an accomplishment which led to its being added to the prestigious Brandon/Hill Selected List of Print Books and Journals in Allied Health.

The list, prepared for health sciences librarians, is "intended as a selection guide to be used in a library supporting allied health education programs or allied health personnel in either an academic or health care setting."

Personal Scheduler a Convenience for Members Only

Check this out on the Academy website - you're looking over the program for the Annual Meeting, deciding whether you can get the maximum number of PCE credits. So, you click on a few technical workshops that you need on Wednesday, then a bunch of sessions you want to attend on Thursday, and several on Friday and Saturday. You give the command to print and voila! - out from the printer comes a complete personalized schedule of what you just clicked, customized to your preferences. And if you decide later to change your mind, the program remembers what you selected earlier, making your changes quick and easy.

Your Personal Annual Meeting Scheduler is a new benefit for members, which was tested a few weeks before last year's meeting. It was an immediate success and earned rave reviews from those that used it. The program also allows you to click on the exhibitors you want to see and gives you a listing of them and their booth number, plus a map with their location in the exhibit hall highlighted.

Dues Renewal Time

The new Membership Year began December 1. Most members have already renewed. If you are one of the few remaining members that have not sent in their dues, please do so quickly to avoid losing any of your Academy benefits. For your convenience, you can renew over the phone with a credit card. Call Lisa Rascoe, Membership Services Manager at (703) 836-7118.