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Five Questions for Pam Lupo, CO
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Pam Lupo teaching clubfoot casting in Ghana, West Africa |
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Pam Lupo grew up around O&P.
The daughter of Eugene "Gene" Filippis, CPO, Lupos first job was sweeping the floors of "the shop" at Wright & Filippis, Rochester Hills, Michigan. However, she says she didnt plan on pursuing a career in O&P. "There were only four women in the state of Michigan in either discipline in the late 70s," says Lupo. "It was not a field for women back then." She went to Michigan State University in East Lansing to pursue a degree in hotel and restaurant management. While there, she worked part-time at a Wright & Filippis branch location, where, she says, "Ken Woodward, CPO, and then branch manager, introduced me to orthotics, and I was hooked!"
Lupo went to Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, in 1980 and became a certified orthotist in 1984. She specialized in pediatric orthotics at Wright & Filippis until 1996, when she became director of orthotics, post-mastectomy care, and also became the director of the orthotic residency program. She is a member of the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA) Coding Committee and speaks to a variety of professional audiences about the field of orthotics.
1. What has motivated/inspired you in your life and/or professional pursuits? What mentors have encouraged you?
I would have to say my mother was the person to teach me never to take "no" for an answer when I wanted to do something. Whether it was being the first girl altar server in lower Michigan or first female caddy, among other things, she always stood behind me. Professionally, it was my fathers compassion, commitment, and professionalism that inspired me to follow in his footsteps.
2. What are your personal and/or professional goals for the future?
Wow, I still have a lot of goals! I would like to continue educating my staff and our profession on the necessity for accurate billing practices and how that influences our future as a profession. My passion is my work in Ghana and providing orthotic and prosthetic—especially breast prosthetic—care in West Africa to those who would not otherwise receive it.
3. Please describe your approach to patient care. What are your top priorities/goals when working with a patient?
My approach was always to listen to what patients say. I believe practitioners often miss important information by believing they are the expert and not hearing what a patient may be trying to tell them. I must admit, the only patients I currently see are ones that I am trying to resolve a conflict or problem for. I find that the majority of time, it is usually a communication problem between the patient and the practitioner.
4. What do you see in the future for O&P care and the field?
As director of our residency program, I have met some very intelligent and focused individuals. I look forward to seeing the quality clinicians that enter our profession. I see the advances in materials used for total contact devices as one of the most exciting areas in years.
5. What advice would you give to someone just entering the O&P profession?
Expose yourself to as many practitioners as possible, learn what you can, and take the best from all of them and make it your own. 
Table Of Contents - May 2007
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