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Alliance Highlights Government Relations ForumThe newly formed Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance convened at
the Government Relations Forum at the 32nd Annual Academy Meeting
in Chicago, to talk about its mission and bring attendees up to
date on recent regulatory activities affecting the industry.
Peter Thomas, long-time Washington attorney and O&P
advocate, with the firm of Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville PC,
general counsel for NAAOP and now administrator for the Alliance,
spoke on the main themes of the Alliance. The entity will address
issues including quality and qualifications, coverage and
reimbursement, and education and research, as a unified voice for
the industry representing the interests of the American Board for
Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics (ABC), the American
Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (the Academy), the American
Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA), and the National
Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics
(NAAOP) on federal and state government matters.
Thomas noted that the formation of the Alliance "is a watershed
event," and reminded attendees that the Alliance is a coalition of
the groups it represents, not a new entity, and its mission is to
bring a unified voice to the regulatory table. He said that issues
for the Alliance should be raised within each individual group and
then would be brought to the Alliance through the proper
channels. 
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