Vol. 9, No. 8

November 2004

Government Rewards Academy with Second $1M Grant

The Academy has received a second grant coming on the heels of its successful completion of its first-ever significant grant. The award requires the goals and activities described in its voluminous application to be completed within a one-year period.

There were six activity areas described in the first grant application:

• A national awareness and recruitment campaign;

• A series of conferences to develop a strategic plan toward developing an advanced degree in O&P;

• Two Clinical Standards of Practice (CSOP) consensus conferences on plagiocephaly and the diabetic foot;

• A major conference on establishing a Master Agenda for O&P research and standards;

• A geographic assessment of underserved O&P populations; and

• The development of online continuing education courses based on the findings of CSOP conferences.

Basically, the activities described in the second grant proposal ("Grant-2") are an extension of the activities begun in the first, with the addition of an important program in cooperation with NCOPE. An O&P Educational Summit will be held in 2005 to examine primary O&P education and its relationship to the skill sets needed in today's practice. The conference will identify core competencies required to deliver high quality O&P care in coming decades and define the educational models that would best teach those skills. The findings of the conference are expected to lead to a systematic updating of the curriculum for entry-level O&P education. Any changes to the curriculum would include new skill sets permitting the graduate to critically review pertinent research and to use this information to implement evidence-based clinical practices.

Project Quantum Leap is expected to stretch over 15 years and include more than two dozen activity areas. Initial funding for PQL has come from individual contributions from the O&P field, the Academy, chapters and other O&P organizations, and a grant from the Department of Education.

The team directing the activities funded by the grant include Principal Investigator (PI) Douglas Smith, MD, Co-PI John Michael, MEd, CPO, FISPO, FAAOP, Sharon Hubbard, Prosthetic Research Services, and Julie G. Hayes, the Academy's Director of Development & Communications. Academy President David F. Moretto, CP, FAAOP expressed his appreciation to the grant team noting "We hit the ground running when the first grant was announced, and impressed the government with how well the goals were achieved, especially under a compressed timeline," said Moretto. "I think that played an important part in the decision to give the Academy a second grant." He also acknowledged Doug McCormack and others at Sonnenschein, Nath, and Rosenthal, the Washington law firm and their ground-breaking efforts behind the scenes in making the grant possible.

The Academy will continue to seek government funds to implement Project Quantum Leap. Grant funds are a major portion of PQL's funding, but not the only funds devoted to PQL activities. "Individual contributions from our members, chapters, and our Gold and Silver Partners [suppliers] enabled us to get the grants in the first place. They definitely play an essential role in our ability to obtain grant monies and are critical to the continued success of PQL," Moretto explained.

Academy Sends Strong Comments on Draft DMERC Policy

The Academy sent a strong response to the DMERCs regarding their draft Local Determination and Policy on Knee Orthoses, objecting to several provisions as detrimental to patient access and quality of care. The Academy faulted the L-CODE system for not having kept pace with advances in orthoses. The need for the use of "addition codes" in knee orthoses is warranted by CMS' failure to create new base codes that reflect the current standard of care. The Academy also responded that there must be a distinction between suppliers and providers within the policy. The letter identified CERTIFIED orthotists and prosthetists as the only providers of O&P care, identifying all others as suppliers. The 12-page response is available for viewing or by request from .

Planners Select 4 Papers for Thranhardt Competition

The Thranhardt Lecture Series is a centerpiece of the Academy's Annual Meeting program and recognizes excellence in educational programming. It was named to honor the memory of Howard R. Thranhardt, CP. The 2005 Annual Meeting Clinical Content Committee, chaired by James H. Campbell, PhD, CO, has selected four abstracts from the pool of submissions:

1. Post Operative Use of Cranial Remodeling Orthosis. Timothy R. Littlefield, MS will present the results of a study by Littlefield, Rachel M. Galvan and Jeanne K. Pomatto, CO, BOC of 305 infants. The findings demonstrate that use of the orthosis is effective in returning the head to a more normal configuration following surgery for craniaosynostosis.

2. The Influence of How Much a Scoliosis Orthosis Is Worn and Its Ability to Prevent Curve Progression in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis. Initial findings were presented at the Scoliosis Research Society, however Donald E. Katz, CO, LO, FAAOP has added additional post-treatment follow-up information to the study being presented prior to publication.

3. Effect of Spinal Extension on Restoring Geometric and Loading Alignment of the Thoracic Spine with a Vertebral Compression Fracture. Avinash G. Patwardhan, PhD, a frequent presenter at Academy meetings, will present the findings of tests on six fresh human thoracic specimens in which cancellous bone in the middle vertebrae body was disrupted using inflatable balloons. The results suggest that it is feasible to restore the anterior height of the fractured vertebra and the geometric and loading alignment of adjacent segments using a hypertension posterior shell TLSO without damage.

4. Patient Performance and Outcome: A Comparable analysis of Microprocessor and Mechanically-Controlled Prosthetic Knee Joints. Jason T. Kahle, CO has conducted an independent 20-patient study that analyzes the objective and perceived performance of the microprocessor-controlled knee compared to a conventional knee. The results show a clear difference in performance in favor of the microprocessor knee. He concludes the study's results establish the microprocessor-controlled knee as a medical necessity.

Two Papers Added to Best of Resident Research Series

The Academy has added two more papers to the Best of the Resident Research Series. The Current Fracture Bracing Treatment of the Lowe Extremity by Braulia J. Pena-White was selected by the Research and Development Committee to accompany this issue of the Academician newsletter.

Adapting Current Prosthetic Stance Control Knee Joint Technology to an Orthotic Device: A Preliminary Report by Brandon L. Khoury was also selected for the series and has been added to the Members Only area of this site.

The Best of the Resident Research Series, a member benefit offered through partnership with NCOPE, chooses from the research papers now completed by residents as a mandatory requirement of the residency program. Pena-White's paper provides a well-referenced review of the most commonly used descriptions of fractures and treatment protocol for lower limb fracture bracing. Khoury's paper poses the question that since the field of prosthetics has enjoyed stance control knees technology for many years, could it be applied to orthotic treatments? His study compares and contrasts the joint designs and locking mechanics of the currently available stance control knee joints with a prosthetic adaptation.

$$ Savings in Lower Room Rates for Members

The Academy was successful in obtaining a record low room rate for members attending the 31st Annual Meeting at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort near Orlando. The negotiated rate of $162 is lower than the $168 rate at the same hotel in 2002, and even lower than the $165 rate at the Stouffers Renaissance Hotel in Orlando in 1996. The special room rate is offered by the hotel for three days before and after the meeting dates to accommodate those that wish to "add a little vacation" to the meeting. Members are encouraged to make their reservations early as the room block in 2002 was filled four weeks prior to the meeting. Co-locating the 2005 meeting with ACPOC's Annual Meeting and the "Family Friendly" schedule (earlier start and finish times which make it possible for attendees to join their families in theme parks at discounted rates) will also impact the speed with which the room block is filled. Follow this link for details on program content, and hotel reservations and meeting registration. The one registration fee entitles members to attend any of the Academy or ACPOC clinical sessions.

In Search of Young CO, CP, or CPOs

The Academy is seeking feedback from young practitioners regarding their perceptions of their immediate professional needs at this point in their career. Adam Seery, the Academy's membership manager, wishes to conduct telephone interviews with 15-20 individuals who have completed their residencies, been certified by ABC, and are currently employed in a variety of clinical settings, such as private practice, hospitals or institutions, satellite offices, schools, etc. The interviews are part of the Academy's ongoing efforts to understand the needs of its members and to develop continuing education opportunities and products that match their needs at different times in their careers. To participate, please contact Seery at or call (703) 836-0788.

Access to Specialized Information and Network of Colleagues

Top List of Reasons Academy Has Value to New Members

New members are treated royally by the Academy. Over the course of their first year, new members receive ten communications from Academy leaders and staff explaining the value of membership, how to access the many benefits, and "nice to know" information about how the Academy culture works. Each new member is routinely sent a short survey after six months to ensure they have received their immediate membership items (i.e., Membership Certificate, lapel pin, JPO, newsletter, and other items) and is aware of the intangible benefits that come with membership in the Academy. Responses to the survey provide feedback on new member perceptions and priorities which is helpful in ensuring the Academy is meeting member needs throughout their career in O&P.

In the most recent survey of 167 new members the most frequent responses to what benefit was most important to them, members overwhelmingly responded that "access to specialized information" (such as that found in the JPO, the published findings from the Clinical Standards of Practice consensus conferences, Best of the Resident Research Series, the website, and Best of the Thranhardt Lecture Series to name but a few) was what they valued most. Members also indicated a high value for having a "network of colleagues." Networking is one of the fundamental reasons why people join associations according to materials provided by the American Society of Association Executives. "We all want to associate with others who understand the challenges we face to obtain advice, understanding, or just to talk shop," explains Tom Gorski, CAE, Academy Executive Director. "Associations, especially professional societies, provide that connection. They also provide a structure where activities that benefit the profession as a whole can be accomplished." The Academy's membership ranks continue to grow. At the end of the 2004 Membership Year in June, the Academy had 1,988 Active Members and a total membership of 2,714.

Academician to Become ‘Express'

Beginning next month the Academician newsletter will no longer be printed and mailed to members. In response to suggestions made during the Town Hall Meeting session during the Annual Meeting in New Orleans, the Executive Committee has recommended a shift from the current newsletter format delivered ten times a year to a monthly, quickread, one-page news briefing delivered by broadcast fax and email. The Academician was originally printed quarterly and mailed to members. In 1999, it expanded to bi-monthly and later to ten times a year. The move to an electronic format was tested for a two-year period during which only one or two negative comments were received regarding delivery. "Electronic delivery will save the Academy approximately $25,000 annually," explains Academy Treasurer Wendy Beattie, CPO, FAAOP. "The savings will be redirected to other activities that benefit the profession. This manner of delivery will also let us communicate with the membership in a far more timely manner."

The format and layout of the new "publication" is currently being designed and tested. Suggested names for the publication include "Academician-Express" to reflect its quick delivery and short summations of Academy activities and announcements. Members may suggest names via email to .