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From the Editor: Meeting Highlights Blended Importance of Past, Present, and Future of O&P This issue went to press fast on the heels of the
32nd Annual Academy Meeting last month in Chicago, which
provided me with a thought-provoking, energizing, and thorough
introduction to the field of O&P. Several Academy events seemed
to emphasize the blended importance of the past, present, and
future of a field looking to its future, technically,
clinically, administratively, and legislatively.
NUPOC Gala Trilogy
The Northwestern University Prosthetics Orthotics Center
Feinberg School of Medicine Gala Trilogy Fundraising Dinner was an
elegant and enlightening affair to raise money for the NUPOC
program. The event also honored several distinguished former
faculty members. Watch for details about the awards in our May
issue.
O&P Career Awareness
The O&P Career Awareness Program, attended by more than 70
Chicago area high school students and hosted by Michael Brncick,
MEd, CPO, administrative director of NUPOC, was part of the
Academy's national recruitment and awareness campaign and provided
students with a brief introduction to the profession, including a
tour of the exhibit hall and a visit to NUPOC on the Northwestern
University campus.
Government Relations Forum
The newly-formed Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance convened at
the Government Relations Forum to talk about its mission and bring
attendees up to date on recent regulatory activities affecting the
industry. See the Industry Review news release for more
details.
Women of Prosthetics and Orthotics
The Government Relations Briefing was followed by an
organizational meeting for a new group called Women of Prosthetics
and Orthotics (WPO), founded by six young women from the School of
Applied Physiology at Georgia Tech. More than 100 people attended
the meeting, which was intended to assess interest in such a group
and help determine its direction (see Industry Review for more on WPO).
I also had a chance to meet with several influential and
colorful members of the O&P community throughout the week who
provided me with a good picture of an industry and profession at a
pivotal point in its history.
The issues ahead are many and varied, from parity and
reimbursement to research and licensure. The particular events and
groups listed here, and the dozens not mentioned, are laying the
groundwork for cooperation and unity to reach the industry's goals
and set its place in the future allied healthcare landscape.
How will the challenges be met?
Humanitarian Aid
If we use the humanitarian efforts of the industry as just one
example of what O&P can accomplish when it comes together, then
without a doubt, the professional goals of the industry are also in
reach. Read the inspiring stories of some of the humanitarian
projects around the world in this issue: "Physicians for Peace delivers Mission of Training
to Nations in Need, New Yorker Makes the World a Better Place...",
and "CIR Brings Prosthetic Services to Developing
Nations." 
Table Of Contents - April 2006
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