People & Places

PROFESSIONALS

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND TRANSITIONS

Adapttech has hired two team members to boost its U.S. presence and to provide support to prosthetic patient-care practices and university research partners.

John Braddock has joined the Adapttech team as the U.S. director of sales. Braddock has extensive experience in various leadership roles within the O&P field. His knowledge of new technologies within the prosthetic profession comes from his time spent with Blatchford, iWalk, and Össur. Braddock will provide face-to-face sales and support to U.S. Adapttech technology users.

Derek Inserra, CPO, has been named Adapttech’s U.S. clinical specialist. Inserra attended the University of Texas Southwestern for his orthotic and prosthetic education and has spent the past seven years directly in O&P patient care. He has extensive experience of working with new technologies and a strong focus on utilizing patient outcome measures to improve the results of patient-care efforts. Inserra will conduct training and provide support to practitioners utilizing INSIGHT systems.

“Expanding our sales and clinical teams in the U.S. is a key step toward making Adapttech technologies integral to caring for amputees and improving patient outcomes,” said Frederico Carpinteiro, CEO. “We were extremely excited to find two experienced O&P professionals who fit so neatly with Adapttech’s company culture.”

Claudia Zacharias, MBA, CAE, has announced she plans to retire from the Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC) at the end of 2022. “It is an honor to conclude my professional career as BOC’s CEO,” said Claudia Zacharias, MBA, CAE Zacharias. “I’m electing to retire in December, which aligns with my personal retirement goal timeline and enables a deliberate, thoughtful, and disciplined transition for BOC. I am confident of the organization’s continued success as I embark on my next life chapter.”

During Zacharias’s tenure, BOC’s revenue grew consistently and sustainably. Facility accreditations increased by an average of 30 percent each year, and BOC’s certification program successfully transitioned from a cost center to a profit center.

“Claudia announced her retirement decision to the Board of Directors earlier this year, giving us plenty of time to prepare for her departure,” said BOC Board Chair Wayne Rosen, BOCP, BOCO, LPO, CDME, FAAOP. BOC plans to announce Zacharias’s successor later this year.

IN MEMORIAM

Todd Eagen, president of the Orthotics & Prosthetics Group of America (OPGA), passed away June 4 at the age of 54. Eagen worked in pharmaceutical sales before joining VGM & Associates in 2011. Todd Eagen In 2017, he was chosen to lead OPGA, becoming its president in 2018. “Todd was a fierce advocate for the profession, a beloved colleague, loving father, and a loyal friend,” said Mike “Ike” Isaacson, SVP of operations at OPGA. “His impact on those around him will be greatly missed. VGM and those in the industry that loved him will ensure that his legacy lives on in the work he loved and the people he cared for.”

He served on several national boards during his time with VGM, including the National Association for Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics and Tate’s Army Foundation.

Eagen also was known for his love of football. He was a standout defensive lineman at the University of Northern Iowa, then served as an assistant and defensive line coach for the team for 12 years postgraduation, before moving into pharmaceuticals. “Todd was not only a coach, but a mentor and lifelong friend to many,” said VGM CEO Mike Mallaro. “He had a gift for finding points of connection and using those to bring people together. And he was a fierce advocate for those whose rely on O&P care.”

BUSINESSES

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND TRANSITIONS

Hanger Clinic has selected more than 300 board-certified pediatric O&P clinicians to be part of an esteemed group of pediatric specialists. Hanger Clinic pediatric specialists are experienced in the O&P management of more than 50 pediatric conditions, applying their knowledge of pediatric anatomy and clinical expertise to help achieve the best possible outcome for each child.

These specialists participate in focused training related to pediatric growth patterns, developmental milestones, and treatment timelines and strategies. The team follows a set of validated, research-based clinical practice guidelines in treating cerebral palsy, scoliosis, plagiocephaly, and hypotonia. They also prioritize the collection of outcomes data, which allows them to track and monitor patient progress over time.

“Between Hanger Clinic’s collective expertise, commitment to education and outcomes, and high standard of care, our pediatric specialists are able to meet growing children wherever they are in their care pathway and empower them to succeed,” said James Campbell, PhD, Hanger’s chief clinical officer.