Vol.11, No.2

March 2006

32nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Symposium a Success

As we look back at our recent meeting in Chicago we can all feel proud of the results. There were over 1,700 attendees and the largest exhibit hall the Academy has ever had. We are tremendously proud of the comments we are getting since the meeting. Much of the thanks for the education must go to James Campbell, PhD, CO and his committee and to Jeff Kingsley who has worked so diligently on expanding and improving our Exhibit Hall. I believe we have achieved a true partnership with our exhibitors.

This has been a year of change for the Academy. In addition to my joining the Academy six months ago, Paul Prusakowski has restructured the way the Board does business. He added a Research Council which has been chaired by President-elect Gary Berke, MS, CP, FAAOP. The work of the Council is meant to complement the federal grant and to prepare the Academy for life after the grant.

The Council reported to the membership in Chicago on their efforts to work with NCOPE on strengthening the education requirements for future generations of orthotists and prosthetists. They also reported on their efforts to work on future scientific conferences as the profession looks to base more of their work on outcomes based research.

The Board of Directors met on Tuesday, February 28th and passed a number of resolutions. Included in these was a resolution to fully fund the Academy’s participation in the O&P Alliance. The O&P Alliance is the government relations coalition that we have formed with AOPA, NAAOP and ABC. We will be working together on a number of issues including fair reimbursement for the work of the profession and the continuation of the federal grant the Academy now receives. The Board also discussed the proposed new American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists Education and Research Foundation. This foundation will allow the Academy to raise money in the future specifically for the education and research needs of the profession and allow individuals, foundations and companies to contribute to these efforts and receive an appropriate tax deduction.

At the Annual Business Meeting we honored David F. Moretto, CP, FAAOP, Immediate Past President; Joann O. Marx, CPO, FAAOP; and Ed Ayyappa, MS, CPO, FAAOP for their service on the Academy Board of Directors.

We also presented the 2006 class of Academy Fellows.
J. Gordon Bass, III, CPO, FAAOP
Christell M. Baum, CPO, FAAOP
Philip G. Creamer, CP, FAAOP
Peter P. Dreher, Jr., CO, FAAOP
Ronald H. Goldstein, CPO, FAAOP
Kenneth M. Heide, CPO, FAAOP
David J. Hoy, CPO, FAAOP
Donald McGovern, CPO, FAAOP
Samuel L. Phillips, CP, FAAOP
James B. Price, Jr., PhD, CPO, FAAOP
Aman Raj, CPO, FAAOP
Mark K. Taylor, CPO, FAAOP
Ammanath Peethambaran, CO, FAAOP

The winners of this year’s prestigious Thranhardt lectures were announced. Stefania Fatone, PhD and Andrew Hansen, PhD shared the award for their presentation on the Effect of Ankle Foot Orthoses on Roll-Over Shape in People with Hemiplegia. Brian Hafner, PhD, presented on behalf of Douglas Smith, MD, and won the Thranhardt award with his presentation Comparing the Transition and Use of a Non-Microprocessor Controlled Prosthesis to the C-Leg Microprocessor Controlled Prosthesis for Transfemoral Amputees.

The Chester Haddan Scholarship Program provides grants to individuals who are pursuing an education in orthotics and prosthetics. Each year the program awards $1000 to a deserving O&P certificate program student. The winner of the 2006 Chester Haddan Scholarship is Dallin Chambers.

Grant Update: Academy Members Directly Benefit from Grant Programs

As part of the Academy’s national recruitment and awareness campaign, all Academy members recently received a career kit that helps promote careers and schooling in O&P. We hope that you all will take advantage of the complimentary career materials and visit a school in your area for a career day presentation. In the back of each kit is a CD that contains a career PowerPoint and script as well as talking points and other handouts to help you with your presentation and minimize your preparation time.

The new school kits are also available in print and electronic format to share with students, teachers and counselors in your local area. While the kits are complimentary, we ask that you contact the Academy in advance of your presentation so that we may fulfill your request in time for your program. We would also appreciate you having the students complete the survey (available in the kits and online at www.opcareers.org) so that we may measure the impact of the programming and the number of students involved in each outreach.

Also, as an exclusive member benefit, you will soon be receiving complimentary O&P focused Netter charts, based on the proceedings from the Academy's State-of-the-Science Conferences (SSCs). The two new charts focus on Post-Operative Care After Lower Limb Amputation and Prosthetic Foot/Ankle Mechanisms. If you wish, additional copies may be ordered for other office sites or patient care rooms. These charts serve as a great resource when talking with your patients or referral sources.

If you need to complete your collection, the initial set of Netter charts is still available in limited quantities. These charts focused on scoliosis, plagiocephaly and the neuropathic foot.

These additional member benefits are a direct result of the Academy’s $1M US Department of Education grant. The Academy, through the grant and its Project Quantum Leap initiative, is working to advance the profession.

Research Council Meets in Chicago

Grants, Research, Education and Standards & Protocols Committee members that comprise the Academy’s new Research Council met together and in person for the first time at the Academy’s Annual Meeting in Chicago earlier this month. The committee members were joined by special guests with research expertise to discuss the Council’s efforts to promote evidence-based practice in the O&P profession.

The meeting, which was organized by Research Council Chair and Academy President-Elect Gary Berke, MS, CPO, FAAOP, included discussions on a wide range of topics including funding opportunities for research activities, development of standards for O&P research, and how best to introduce research education into the profession.

Berke states "I’m excited to be involved with the inception of the Research Council at a time of such profound importance for the future of our profession. Evidence-based practice will guide clinical care and help ensure the availability of appropriate reimbursement by demonstrating the efficacy of O&P treatments."

Learn more about the Research Council structure and committees at www.oandp.org

Professional Issues Council Update:
Academy Joins the O&P Alliance, Chapter Leaders Meet and Professionals Gather to Discuss Licensure

For months the G4 has been working together and meeting with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on such issues as standards for provider qualifications for care, revising business supplier standards, and reviewing current accreditation standards.

Recently the American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics (ABC), the American Academy of Orthotists & Prosthetists (AAOP), the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA) and the National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics (NAAOP) formed a new alliance that brings the four organizations together for the purpose of pooling their respective government affairs budgets. This "O&P Alliance" represents a large cross-section of the profession and is a landmark achievement for cooperation in the pursuit of common goals.

The four partners in the O&P Alliance expect to improve their effectiveness delivering the O&P message to federal lawmakers and regulatory authorities including CMS. A united voice on legislative and regulatory issues will lead to less duplication of activity and expenses. The Alliance members met in Chicago during the Academy Annual Meeting to create a blueprint for the future.

Chapter Update

Under the board leadership of Marc Kaufman, CPO, Academy chapter leaders have been meeting more regularly in an effort to strengthen communications between the national Academy and its chapters. Hot topics include the licensure protocol handbook, chapter bylaws, the chapter section of the Academy website, fundraising, and director terms.

After a couple of teleconferences, Kaufman and the chapter leadership met in Chicago. Everyone was updated on the activities of the US Department of Education grant, and, more specifically on how the chapters can and should have increased involvement in the national outreach and awareness campaign. The various Academy Council chairs provided updates from their respective areas of expertise. The Academy will attempt to have a representative from the Board of Directors at each chapter meeting to update members on the latest happenings within the organization, meet the members and answer questions regarding Academy initiatives.

Licensure Protocol Handbook

PIC Chair James P. Rogers, CPO, FAAOP led a licensure workshop at the Academy Annual Meeting. Rogers, joined by a panel of experts from states with successful licensure initiatives, addressed the crowd and answered questions about licensure and the challenges facing O&P professionals in attempting to introduce legislation.

The protocol handbook will be available in the Spring of 2006. The areas of focus include:
I. Identifying and dealing with potential opposition and friends
II. Messaging
III. Organizational Structure
IV. Fundraising
V. How to Select a Sponsor/Lobbyist
VI. Model Practice Act

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