People & Places

PROFESSIONALS

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND TRANSITIONS

Matthew Gruskin, MBA, BOCO, BOCPD, CDME, has been named chief operating officer of the Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC). He previously served as BOC’s credentialing director. In his new role, Gruskin Matthew Gruskin, MBA, BOCO, BOCPD, CDME will provide oversight of BOC’s internal systems and external vendor relationships and manage the organization’s operations staff. He retains all previous duties relevant to the direction, strategies, policies, and day-to-day activity of BOC’s facility accreditation and individual certification programs.

“Matt’s knowledge and forward thinking continue to enhance BOC’s operations and organizational expertise, which benefits our staff and valued customers,” said Claudia Zacharias, BOC’s president and CEO. AOPA Executive Director Eve Lee, MBA, CAE, was awarded the O&P Excellence Award from the National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics & Prosthetics. The award was presented during the 2021 AOPA National Assembly in Boston. Seth O’Brien, CP, FAAOP, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists. O’Brien replaces Matthew Garibaldi, MS, CPO.

O’Brien is the clinical manager and residency director at Artificial Limb Specialists in Phoenix. He also serves as adjunct faculty at Franklin Pierce University Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, hosts a rotation for physiatrist residents, is a Certified Peer Visitor for the Amputee Coalition, and has contributed to numerous research studies and publications. Ashlie White, MA, AOPA’s director of health policy and strategic alliances, has been named the O&P Woman of the Year. The award is presented by the Orthotic and Prosthetic Group of America (OPGA) annually to honor an individual who has made significant contributions to the O&P community, O&P businesses, and the O&P profession throughout her career.

Prior to joining AOPA, White was director of operations for Beacon Prosthetics and Orthotics. She served eight years as the director of government affairs for the North Carolina Orthotics and Prosthetics Trade Association, and four years on the Board of Directors for the National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics.

AOPA Executive Director Eve Lee, MBA, CAE

Ashlie White, MA BUSINESSES

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND TRANSITIONS

Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare has formed a new partnership with the Amputee Coalition to provide education and resources to patients and their families. Through the partnership, the hospital will offer the Amputee Coalition’s Certified Peer Visitor program to Gillette patients and their families.

“We are proud to be a powerful extension of the patient-centered care that hospitals and rehabilitation centers provide to the limb loss/limb difference community,” said Mary Richards, president and CEO of the Amputee Coalition. “Before and soon after amputation can be the most vulnerable and influential stages of a patient’s journey. Through our partnership with Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare, we are bridging the gaps between care and support to ensure pediatric patients, and their families, have access to vital resources, peer support, and community connections they need to not feel alone and to help achieve outcomes that are necessary to thrive.”

THE LIGHTER SIDE

”Caption the Cartoon” Contest October 2021 Winner

Congratulations to Karl Barner, CPO, LPO, from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, for winning the final round of Caption the Cartoon.

“Oh my, I didn’t think roosters like me could lay eggs … oh wait, that’s my new cranial remolding orthosis.”