What You Bring to the Table

By Karen Henry

Summer is upon us , and along with the rising mercury and sprouting gardens comes the inevitable summer barbeque. If your family is anything like mine, the hosting family mans the coals and supplies the main course, while the rest ante up with their favorite side dishes. A family get-together wouldn't be complete without Aunt Jenny's fruit salad, Uncle Tom's baked beans, and Grandma's homemade strawberry ice cream. A weekend meal becomes a team effort, and everyone brings something special to the table.

And so it is in the healthcare profession. While ownership definitely has its privileges, there is something to be said for being a member of a team. Sherry Metzger looks at the valuable role O&P practitioners play on rehabilitation teams, discusses the benefits and drawbacks of being an active member of such a team, and provides information on how O&P practitioners in private practices can become a part of or form their own effective rehab teams.

Collaboration can be particularly useful between O&P practitioners and physical therapists. While both specialties bring a variety of skills and expertise to the table, the two sometimes overlap. When that happens, what is the best way to decide who should provide care? Miki Fairley talks with a number of practitioners about this question and "Why Scope of Practice Matters."

As we round out our discussion of rehab teams and successful collaboration, our own team is changing. With this issue, I am pleased to announce a new member of The O&P EDGE team. Brady Delander has joined the editorial department and will help us continue to keep you informed about developments in the O&P field as well as healthcare in general. He may be reached directly at brady@opedge.com

This issue of The O&P EDGE is also Miki Fairley's last as full-time contributing editor.

As the founding editor of The O&P EDGE , Miki has been instrumental in forming the magazine's editorial mission and cultivating readership. When I asked Miki what she is most proud of, she said, "It has been an incredible adventure and a thrill to see it grow from its inaugural 48 pages in May 2002 to issues that are consistently 64 pages and longer. I am especially proud of the reputation The O&P EDGE has attained for fair, unbiased, objective, and comprehensive coverage of the O&P field in our news and feature reporting."

I have purposely left out the many things Miki said she has loved about working in and getting to know many of the professionals in the O&P industry because that sounds too much like goodbye, and, well, this isn't goodbye. While she has officially stopped "punching the clock" as she edges closer to full-time retirement, she will remain part of the EDGE team as a part-time contributing editor and consultant. She brings a lot to our table, and I am happy to say that she's not giving up her seat completely—she's just moving it a bit closer to the beach or wherever her adventures take her.

Table Of Contents - July 2007

	Making a Team Work: Assembling a Rehabilitation Team in O&P Private Practices Feature
	Best Care: Why Scope of Practice Matters Feature
	Sean Brame: Unstoppable 11-Year Old Delivers Message of Hope, Perseverance Today's Consumer
	Marketing vs. Sales: What’s the Best Approach for Your Practice? Perspective
	Wendy Beattie: Engineer Finds True Calling Industry Leader
	Sports News Sports
	Slippery SUDs: Understanding FDA Regulations on the Reuse of Single-Use Medical Devices Policy & Practice
	Five Questions for Robert L. Rhodes, MPA, CO Face to Face
	Celebrating a Victory Progress on Parity
	Got FAQs Got FAQs?
	What You Bring to the Table Viewpoint