Views From AOPA Leadership

The Importance of Belonging

AS I LOOK FORWARD to a new year, I can’t help but also reflect on my appreciation for you, our members; the O&P profession; and the patients we serve.

I’m proud to be part of AOPA. Belonging to this association enables members to speak with one voice, to have greater influence on decisionmakers, to garner respect from stakeholders, and to add value to one another and the work we are undertaking together.

As with any membership, an association is only as strong as its members are connected. That’s why this year, you will see a renewed focus on you, our members, and on solidifying a shared sense of belonging—at AOPA and across our profession. It’s your collective power we must harness to see progress and address needs.

Knowing to whom and what you’re connected is where belonging starts. Practically speaking, that means being aware of the benefits available to you, including through our new online system, AOPA Connection, and to one another.

On the new site, you and your staff can stay informed on happenings across O&P as well as on critical topics that impact your day-to-day work. I encourage you to log in and reacquaint yourself with all AOPA has to offer.

Belonging also means being part of the “bigger picture” as we continue to reinforce our place as clinicians within the broader healthcare industry.

In a recent development that highlights the opportunity in front of us, the Biden transition team approached AOPA to provide input on its plans, and we did. As the new administration takes office, we will foster this relationship and others on the Hill, including dialogues with the regulators and durable medical equipment Medicare administrative contractors who regularly reach out for feedback on the impacts our members face because of regulations.

Under the leadership of our research chair, we will explore ways to fund research to assess care models and the time, resources, and intensity of O&P clinical care and outcomes. We also are looking to support more outlets for publication of O&P research.

We as a profession have gotten good at showcasing the patient and their device. Now, we will strive to better communicate the value you provide as professionals. In short, we want to meet your needs and, in turn, your patients’ needs, to make a positive impact on healthcare.

I look forward to working with you all. I know that by sticking together and speaking with one voice, we will continue to improve the profession and the lives of the patients we serve. We are all in this together, and together we will strengthen one another.

Traci Dralle, CFm, is president of AOPA.

Specialists in delivering superior treatments and outcomes to patients with limb loss and limb impairment.

Board of Directors

OFFICERS

President Traci Dralle, CFm Fillauer Companies, Chattanooga, TN

President-Elect Dave McGill Össur Americas, Foothill Ranch, CA

Vice President Teri Kuffel, JD Arise Orthotics & Prosthetics, Spring Lake Park, MN

Immediate Past President Jeffrey Lutz, CPO Hanger Clinic, Lafayette, LA

Treasurer Rick Riley O&P Boost, Bakersfield, CA

Executive Director/Secretary (Nonvoting) Eve Lee, MBA, CAE AOPA, Alexandria, VA

DIRECTORS

Jeffrey M. Brandt, CPO Ability Prosthetics & Orthotics Inc., Exton, PA

Mitchell Dobson, CPO, FAAOP Hanger, Austin, TX

Elizabeth Ginzel, MHA, CPO Baker O&P, Fort Worth, TX

Kimberly Hanson, CPRH Ottobock, Austin, TX

John “Mo” Kenney, CPO, LPO, FAAOP Kenney Orthopedics, Lexington, KY

Linda Wise WillowWood, Mount Sterling, OH

James O. Young Jr., LP, CP, FAAOP Amputee Prosthetic Clinic, Tifton, GA

Shane Wurdeman, MSPO, PhD, CP, FAAOP(D) Research Chair Hanger Clinic, Houston Medical Center, Houston, TX