The origin of the National Commission on Orthotics and Prosthetics (NCOPE) began in 1972 when the American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics, Inc. created the Educational Accreditation Commission (EAC). The EAC was created to confront the profession's need for an accreditation process for O&P educational programs and institutions. That same year, the EAC set out to establish criteria for assessing and comparing existing curriculums for orthotic and prosthetic education. These criteria, called "Essentials" were developed and revised to meet the profession's growing needs. Through the Essentials, the EAC created written rules and regulations for short-term courses, certificate programs, baccalaureate programs and the required clinical hours for practitioners entering the profession. Since the inception of the EAC, these Essentials have been revised and updated as the needs of the profession have matured.
In April of 1990, the EAC established a five member Task Force which included representatives from ABC, the American Orthotics and Prosthetics Association (AOPA), the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (AAOP), the National Association of Prosthetic and Orthotic Educators (NAPOE) and the Orthotics and Prosthetics National Office. This EAC Task Force set forth to accomplish the following goals:
In March 1991, the leadership of ABC, AOPA and AAOP formally accepted the Task Force's recommendation to reorganize the EAC and hire full-time dedicated staff to administer its affairs. These organizations and the profession made a firm commitment, both financially and administratively, to support the growing needs, roles and responsibilities of the EAC.
The EAC was disbanded in July 1991, and restructured as the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education (NCOPE). Already, NCOPE has addressed issues critical to education and assumed the role as an officially recognized O&P education accrediting agency.
This recognition came after months of investigation and review by the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation (CAHEA) to NCOPE's application for formal recognition as an allied health care O&P educational accrediting organization. NCOPE's initial application for recognition of Orthotics and Prosthetics as an official allied health care profession was approved by AMA's Council on Medical Education in September of 1992. Both the AAOP and AOPA were also accepted and approved as the official collaborating and sponsoring organizations for NCOPE and the profession.
The final step in achieving participation with in the AMA/CAHEA medical education system was the approval of the NCOPE's O&P Education Essentials. CAHEA's thorough review and approval of these Essentials were officially accepted and recognized in August of 1993. NCOPE is now establishing a transition period to bring all of its currently accredited O&P education institutions and programs under the newly accepted Essentials and Guidelines of the CAHEA system.
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