The Ohio Chapter AAOP has faced many changes this year. One of those changes is that Rich Butchko, the executive director, has retired. Please join us in thanking Rich for his many years of service to the Chapter. He has been a huge part of the Chapter for many years, and we wish him well as he moves on to this next stage of life.
Financial constraints have caused some organizational changes to the Ohio Chapter AAOP Board. We have elected to eliminate the executive director position and to distribute the responsibilities of that position to board members. We have also voted to hire a third party to help organize and assist with our spring meetings. We have enlisted Clinical Education Concepts (CEC) to help coordinate our meetings and to oversee and update our new website. Over the years Elizabeth Mansfield and Tom McGovern at CEC have helped other chapters and O&P state associations organize and run their annual meetings. They have been involved with our industry for many years and have much experience in marketing and event planning.
Obviously, COVID has affected all of us and caused the cancellation of the 2020 spring meeting. Because of the uncertainty surrounding this pandemic, the board has decided to have a virtual spring 2021 meeting instead of the normal in-person meeting. This will allow us to begin planning for that meeting in the midst of unpredictable times. Going forward, we will continue to develop a virtual education platform in conjunction with regular in-person meetings. We will provide excellent educational and CEU opportunities through top-notch speakers. We will promote collaboration of like-minded professionals in the O&P community and provide networking opportunities with our peers, interdisciplinary healthcare partners, and manufacturers as they share new products, ideas and techniques. Our goal is to keep the Ohio Chapter AAOP strong for years to come by being an organization that provides value to our members and encourages others to join.
Challenge and change are part of our profession. The Ohio AAOP stands ready to navigate those changes and rise to the challenge in ways that continue to support our membership as we all continue to serve our patients. Sincerely,
The 17th World Congress of the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) was held in Kobe, Japan, from October 5 to 8, 2019. This successful international event drew more than 4,400 participants from around the world, provided a range of learning opportunities, brought together multidisciplinary experts to report their scientific innovations, and showcased global industry solutions to improve mobility and services for people who use prosthetic, orthotic, and other assistive technologies.
ISPO World Congress 2019
The ISPO World Congress 2019 in numbers
4,400 participants from 97 countries (63% Japanese participants)
154 exhibitors from 38 countries (including 35 organisations in the International Community Lounge)
The ISPO 17th World Congress was very successful. More than 4,400 participants from 97 countries came to Kobe in Japan to learn about the innovative possibilities of rehabilitation and assistive technology. In addition to the high-caliber scientific program, ISPO also brought numerous globally active societies and aid organisations together to discuss global assistive technology needs; including the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Red Cross Committee (IRCR) and Handicap International (HI). This makes the ISPO World Congress one of the most important international platforms for mutual exchange and cooperation, which underlines the importance of this event in the industry and for society. The success of the World Congress was also due to the tremendous support by the Japanese government, the Science Council of Japan, the Hyogo prefecture, and the city of Kobe whose representatives welcomed the attendees during the Opening Ceremony.
Inspirational Keynotes The personal life experience of David Constantine presented in the Knud Jansen Lecture masterfully interwoven with the development of the Wheelchair sector and the role ISPO over 30 years was both a riveting and emotional experience for the audience that filled the World Hall. The audience responded with a standing ovation to express their appreciation. Desmond Tong delivered the IC2A Inspirational Lecture and also took the audience on his journey as he adapted to his life as an amputee and can now have great pleasure on focusing on his family, work and leisure pursuits. It was both a very informative and an emotionally charged Opening Ceremony that set the scene for the coming days, inspiring all for the four days of the congress and beyond.
Focus on Innovation The industry’s innovative strength was clearly demonstrated in the two fully booked exhibition halls, where 154 exhibitors from 38 countries presented state-of-the-art prostheses, orthoses and many other assistive technologies for people with physical disabilities. A major highlight was the Robotics Exhibition with high-tech solutions. Particularly outstanding projects in the prosthetics and orthotics field were honored during the congress. The Forchheimer Prize went to Lis Sjoberg, Helen Lindner and Liselotte Hermansson for their paper “Long-term results of early myoelectric prosthesis fittings: A prospective case-control study.”
The “Coapt Engineering” project by Blair Lock, Levi Hargrove and Todd Kuiken received the Brian & Joyce Blatchford Team Prize for Innovation.
Viva la Mexico The ISPO 18th World Congress will take place from 19 to 22 April 2021 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
About the ISPO World Congress The ISPO World Congress takes place every two years in a different country and is held on different continents to reach a variety of markets. Special attention will be given to the respective host country’s national participants and neighboring regions. Recent congresses took place in Vancouver in 2007, Leipzig in 2010, Hyderabad in 2013, Lyon in 2015 and Cape Town in 2017. Participant profiles vary from country to country. About ISPO International: http://www.ispoint.org
The ISPO is a multidisciplinary organization that operates worldwide and aims to improve the quality of life for persons who may benefit from the rehabilitation practice of prosthetic, orthotic, mobility and assistive technology by: Promoting multidisciplinary practice; Facilitating professional education to provide quality care; Promoting research and evidence-based practice; Facilitating innovative and appropriate technology; Fostering international collaboration and consensus; Facilitating knowledge exchange.
Its members include prosthetists, orthotists, orthopaedic technicians, physicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, orthopaedic shoemakers, nurses, and engineers. Currently ISPO is represented by more than 3,500 individual members in over 100 countries all over the world. ISPO International is committed to a world in which all people have equal opportunities to fully participate in society.
The event was held September 12-14, 2019 and provided over 14.25 continuing education credits for orthotists, prosthetists, pedorthists, technicians, as well as administrative and billing/reimbursement staff. Presenters from all over the United States lectured on a wide range of subjects – everything from critical Medicare updates to “Improved Clinical Outcomes with Consistent Successful Socket Fit via Full Weight Bearing Hydro-static Casting Techniques.”
Two and a half days of continuing education, golf, and of course, the Gunter Gehl Scholarship Award competition, made for a phenomenal event. Special thanks to Jerry Fenner of the Grand Geneva for providing exceptional customer service once again.
Abbey Senczyszyn was the winner of the 2019 Gunter Gehl Scholarship Award! MWCAAOP Board President Vari McPherson, CPO, presented Abbey with a check for $1,000.00. Congratulations Abbey!
presenter – john brinkmann, cpo, faaop – Using Motivational Techniques to Improve Patient Outcomes D. Laur, co
Very pleasant and thorough.
presenter – Dennis Janisse, cped – back to pedorthic basics E. Ventrice, CPed
Can’t wait to use system. Best thing since gel liners.
presenter – matt doering – Improved Clinical Outcomes with Consistent Successful Socket Fit via Full Weight Bearing Hydro-static Casting Techniques M. raymond, cpo
Who doesn’t love a winner? Everybody loves a winner! Everybody loves to win. Winning something – and talking about it – can be a marketing bonanza. Even just making it into the qualifying rounds or final stages of a competition can get you great buzz.
Step One. Determine Eligibility.
The first step is to find some awards you are eligible to win. The Small Business Association is always a good place to start. Also, check out awards offered by your national trade and professional organizations. Your local chamber of commerce is another association that routinely gives out awards. Don’t forget to just…google!
Research these organizations and others like them, but then
go beyond professional and trade associations and do a little research on your
vendors– big and small. Do you use Dell computers? They have a small business award.
Have a business plan? The Miami Herald has the Miami Herald Business
Step Two. Plan Your Challenge.
Doing any renovations or remodeling or upgrading of computer or fabrication systems? The Cleantech Open runs the world’s largest clean technology business competition and are looking for the best clean technology ideas from around the world, according to their website.
Step Three. Toot Your Horn. Loudly.
Alright, you’ve found some awards for which you, your staff and/or your company might be eligible. Submit the application and make sure you monitor your progress. A Google Alert would be a great way to keep tabs on the contest so you know when the winners are announced. Hopefully you win but even if you’re nominated as a finalist or receive some kind of ranking you can still toot your own horn.
Step Four. Write a Release.
Submit it to trade publications. You might not even have to write it yourself. In many cases, the award organizers will actually supply the winners with a press release template for the award.
Of course you are going to put it in your email newsletter. This gives you a chance to share the award and with the people who are most interested in you and your business: your subscribers. You don’t have to be nearly as politically correct as you have to be in your press release. Make sure you link your announcement back to the original announcement or news story in which you were featured.
If there’s an image or logo that goes along with the award,
use it. Whatever it is, if it has a symbol that people will recognize, make
sure you put it on your letterhead, your website, your front door, your window,
your service vehicles … use it.
Step Five. Link. Link. Link.
This where all that social media marketing comes in hand: Draw traffic. You need to link to the website listing the winners. Link to your announcement. Make a photo gallery of you receiving the award, of the award itself. Tweet it. Put it on your LinkedIn page; your Facebook page. Use links and use photos. People want to click and they want to look. Make sure they can do both.
Step Six. Keep Me in the Loop.
Last but not least, make sure you tell me. I am a one-stop word-of-mouth-marketing guru. I’ll tell everyone. Email me. Elizabeth@cecpo.com
After two very successful years at the Indiana Wesleyan University Conference Centers – 2018 Louisville and 2017 Lexington – the Kentucky O&P Association switched it up and headed over to the Hyatt Regency Lexington. The meeting was held June 13-14, 2019. A great time was had by all!
8.5 credits available. Exhibit Hall Kick Off Reception Thursday night. All day sessions on Friday.
NEW FOR 2019!
6:00pm-8:00pm Welcome Reception in the Exhibitor Hall with Exhibitors!
Friday, June 14, 2019 – 7.5 credits
7:30am-8:00am Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:00am Welcome, Andrew Domb, CPO/L, KOPA President
8:00am-9:30am General Sessions – Medicare Success Through Education, Ashley DeCoteau, CGS, Jurisdiction B
9:30am-10:00am Functional Solutions for Partial Hand Amputations, Hannah Smith, Naked Prosthetics
10:00am-10:30am AM Coffee Break with Exhibitors
10:30am-12:00pm General Sessions – Creating Meaningful Lower Limb Prosthetic Outcomes: Preliminary Findings of a 12-Month Pilot, Brian Gustin, CP, Forensic Prosthetic & Orthotic Consulting Services
10:30am-12:00pm Tech Talk – Fabrication Troubleshooting, Daniel Hickey, Bulldog Tools
10:30am-12:00pm Practice Management – Preparing Your Practice for Sale, Don Hardin
12:00pm-1:00pm Lunch with Exhibitors
Breakouts Sessions
1:00pm-2:30pm CAD/CAM Technology for Lower Limb Orthotics, Ray Speelman, CP, COF, WillowWood
1:00pm-2:30pm Lower Limb Prosthetics – Bionic Technology by Ossur!, Wayne Fichtel, CP, Ossur
2:30pm-3:00pm PM Snack Break with Exhibitors
Exhibitor Tear Down at 3:00pm
Breakout Sessions
3:00pm-5:00pm All Carbon AFOs are NOT Created Equal andThe Next Generation of Carbon AFOs, Noel Chladek, CO
3:00pm-5:00pm (continued) Lower Limb Prosthetics – Bionic Technology by Ossur!, Wayne Fichtel, CP
Clinical Education Concepts 