New Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance Formed
Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance
Description
Collection
Title:
New Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance Formed
Creator:
Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance
Date:
2/9/2006
Text:
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Peter W. Thomas, Esq.
Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville, P.C.
Phone: 202-872-6730
Fax: 202-785-1756
Email: <Email Address Redacted>
Four Organizations Representing the Field of Orthotics and Prosthetics
Announce Formation of Government Relations Alliance
WASHINGTON, D.C., February 9, 2006--The American Board for Certification in
Orthotics and Prosthetics (ABC), the American Academy of Orthotists &
Prosthetists (AAOP), the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA)
and the National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and
Prosthetics (NAAOP) today announce the formation of a new alliance which
will bring the four organizations together for the purpose of working on
federal and state government affairs.
The Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance, as the new coalition will be known,
marks a new era in both cooperation and coordination among ABC, the Academy,
AOPA and NAAOP. Together the four organizations represent a large segment
of the orthotics and prosthetics profession. The unified effort on
legislative and regulatory issues will lead to less duplication in activity
among the four groups. All have an interest in programs, policies, rules
and regulations coming from Congress, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) and state legislatures.
Working with one Washington, D.C., law firm and relying on the combined
staff and volunteer leadership of the entire coalition, the Orthotic &
Prosthetic Alliance brings a more focused approach to tackling the
governmental issues that pose a concern both for professionals and
businesses throughout the orthotic and prosthetic (O&P) community as well as
for O&P patients. The four partners in the Alliance expect to achieve
better results in getting the O&P message heard by federal and state
lawmakers and in educating CMS officials about the needs and unique
qualifications of O&P professionals.
While coming together for the purposes of the Orthotic & Prosthetic
Alliance, ABC, the Academy, AOPA and NAAOP have all agreed to stay true to
their respective missions and advance their own agendas in areas not related
to the consensus goals of the larger group.
NAAOP President Mark DeHarde states, I am very pleased about the
breakthrough commitment to unity by the Academy, ABC, AOPA and NAAOP. The
new Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance will bring all professional stakeholders
to the table to work in the best interests of our patients who rely on
comprehensive O&P care to realize their fullest potential. We must learn to
speak with one voice to assure their future.
Academy President Paul Prusakowski, CPO, FAAOP, says his organization is
very excited about joining with our sister organizations in the O&P field
in this new government relations venture. The Academy believes that by
working together we can do more for the field than by working on our own.
Though our organizations have a number of different missions, the one we
have in common is making sure that the O&P field and the professionals that
work in it are respected and appreciated for their unique ability to serve
the public and make people's lives better.
The Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance's lobbyist is long-time Washington
attorney and O&P advocate Peter W. Thomas in the firm of Powers Pyles Sutter
& Verville, P.C. Thomas has been the general counsel for NAAOP and will
continue in that capacity in addition to the work he will do on behalf of
the Alliance. Thomas' firm is also the administrator for the Alliance.
Thomas says, Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville and I are honored to serve as
lead counsel for the new Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance. With serious
policy threats looming, it is more important than ever to work
collaboratively on a consensus agenda in Washington, D.C. This Alliance is
long overdue and creates an historic opportunity to meet the needs of O&P
patients and the providers who serve them.
The Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance is the result of several months of
discussion by the leadership of the respective organizations. Its genesis
occurred as all four organizations came to realize that there would be
better progress on government affairs if the various groups put aside
historical differences and worked together toward common goals.
AOPA President Walter Racette, CPO, comments Although some might have
thought the idea of a coalition improbable, once in a room together,
everyone realized that what could be done for the good of the profession far
surpassed any individual organization's effort. I believe the formation of
the Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance is the beginning of a new era of
cooperation that will help focus the resources, vision and effort needed in
the coming years to improve patient care, encourage development of new
technology and advance our profession.
ABC President Jeff Yakovich, CO, is similarly upbeat in his assessment:
Formally bringing O&P's four leading groups together for the purpose of
cooperation in government relations efforts is in the best interests of the
profession and our patients. With facility accreditation being the central
requirement for Medicare's new qualified supplier guidelines, ABC is pleased
to actively participate with our sister organizations in crafting a unified
message to our lawmakers and Medicare decision makers. We are proud of the
unity being shown in our profession today.
The first formal meeting of the Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance steering
committee will take place at the Academy's Annual Meeting in Chicago on
March 3; however, a strategic planning process for developing the Alliance's
legislative and regulatory objectives is already underway.
* * * * *
The American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics (ABC) is
the nation's leading orthotic and prosthetic certification and accreditation
organization. Established in 1948, ABC sets objective standards for over
11,000 individuals and organizations providing orthotic and prosthetic
patient care.
The American Academy of Orthotists & Prosthetists (AAOP) is the organization
representing the professionals in O&P. Its mission is to ensure that
practitioners' concerns are represented within the field and to the public,
and to provide the continuing education that they need to serve their
patients at the highest level. The Academy works to enhance the visibility
of the entire field and to ensure that all publics understand the unique
role that this allied health profession plays in serving its patients..
The American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA) is a national trade
association representing patient care facilities, distributors and
manufacturers in the O&P industry. With over 1,950 members, AOPA is an
advocate at all levels of government on behalf of the O&P field. The
organization serves as the leading provider of business management
information and guidance on coding and reimbursement issues.
The National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics
(NAAOP) is a strong government relations advocate for all those
participating in comprehensive O&P patient care. NAAOP champions causes
concerning patient access, funding, advanced technology and outcomes through
leadership in national and state policy formation. NAAOP was established in
1987 to help create a federal research and development program in orthotics
and prosthetics and since then NAAOP has expanded its government relations
agenda to address national health care reform, Medicare and Medicaid reform,
managed care standards and Veterans Administration issues.
# # #
Contact: Peter W. Thomas, Esq.
Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville, P.C.
Phone: 202-872-6730
Fax: 202-785-1756
Email: <Email Address Redacted>
Four Organizations Representing the Field of Orthotics and Prosthetics
Announce Formation of Government Relations Alliance
WASHINGTON, D.C., February 9, 2006--The American Board for Certification in
Orthotics and Prosthetics (ABC), the American Academy of Orthotists &
Prosthetists (AAOP), the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA)
and the National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and
Prosthetics (NAAOP) today announce the formation of a new alliance which
will bring the four organizations together for the purpose of working on
federal and state government affairs.
The Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance, as the new coalition will be known,
marks a new era in both cooperation and coordination among ABC, the Academy,
AOPA and NAAOP. Together the four organizations represent a large segment
of the orthotics and prosthetics profession. The unified effort on
legislative and regulatory issues will lead to less duplication in activity
among the four groups. All have an interest in programs, policies, rules
and regulations coming from Congress, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) and state legislatures.
Working with one Washington, D.C., law firm and relying on the combined
staff and volunteer leadership of the entire coalition, the Orthotic &
Prosthetic Alliance brings a more focused approach to tackling the
governmental issues that pose a concern both for professionals and
businesses throughout the orthotic and prosthetic (O&P) community as well as
for O&P patients. The four partners in the Alliance expect to achieve
better results in getting the O&P message heard by federal and state
lawmakers and in educating CMS officials about the needs and unique
qualifications of O&P professionals.
While coming together for the purposes of the Orthotic & Prosthetic
Alliance, ABC, the Academy, AOPA and NAAOP have all agreed to stay true to
their respective missions and advance their own agendas in areas not related
to the consensus goals of the larger group.
NAAOP President Mark DeHarde states, I am very pleased about the
breakthrough commitment to unity by the Academy, ABC, AOPA and NAAOP. The
new Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance will bring all professional stakeholders
to the table to work in the best interests of our patients who rely on
comprehensive O&P care to realize their fullest potential. We must learn to
speak with one voice to assure their future.
Academy President Paul Prusakowski, CPO, FAAOP, says his organization is
very excited about joining with our sister organizations in the O&P field
in this new government relations venture. The Academy believes that by
working together we can do more for the field than by working on our own.
Though our organizations have a number of different missions, the one we
have in common is making sure that the O&P field and the professionals that
work in it are respected and appreciated for their unique ability to serve
the public and make people's lives better.
The Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance's lobbyist is long-time Washington
attorney and O&P advocate Peter W. Thomas in the firm of Powers Pyles Sutter
& Verville, P.C. Thomas has been the general counsel for NAAOP and will
continue in that capacity in addition to the work he will do on behalf of
the Alliance. Thomas' firm is also the administrator for the Alliance.
Thomas says, Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville and I are honored to serve as
lead counsel for the new Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance. With serious
policy threats looming, it is more important than ever to work
collaboratively on a consensus agenda in Washington, D.C. This Alliance is
long overdue and creates an historic opportunity to meet the needs of O&P
patients and the providers who serve them.
The Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance is the result of several months of
discussion by the leadership of the respective organizations. Its genesis
occurred as all four organizations came to realize that there would be
better progress on government affairs if the various groups put aside
historical differences and worked together toward common goals.
AOPA President Walter Racette, CPO, comments Although some might have
thought the idea of a coalition improbable, once in a room together,
everyone realized that what could be done for the good of the profession far
surpassed any individual organization's effort. I believe the formation of
the Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance is the beginning of a new era of
cooperation that will help focus the resources, vision and effort needed in
the coming years to improve patient care, encourage development of new
technology and advance our profession.
ABC President Jeff Yakovich, CO, is similarly upbeat in his assessment:
Formally bringing O&P's four leading groups together for the purpose of
cooperation in government relations efforts is in the best interests of the
profession and our patients. With facility accreditation being the central
requirement for Medicare's new qualified supplier guidelines, ABC is pleased
to actively participate with our sister organizations in crafting a unified
message to our lawmakers and Medicare decision makers. We are proud of the
unity being shown in our profession today.
The first formal meeting of the Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance steering
committee will take place at the Academy's Annual Meeting in Chicago on
March 3; however, a strategic planning process for developing the Alliance's
legislative and regulatory objectives is already underway.
* * * * *
The American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics (ABC) is
the nation's leading orthotic and prosthetic certification and accreditation
organization. Established in 1948, ABC sets objective standards for over
11,000 individuals and organizations providing orthotic and prosthetic
patient care.
The American Academy of Orthotists & Prosthetists (AAOP) is the organization
representing the professionals in O&P. Its mission is to ensure that
practitioners' concerns are represented within the field and to the public,
and to provide the continuing education that they need to serve their
patients at the highest level. The Academy works to enhance the visibility
of the entire field and to ensure that all publics understand the unique
role that this allied health profession plays in serving its patients..
The American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA) is a national trade
association representing patient care facilities, distributors and
manufacturers in the O&P industry. With over 1,950 members, AOPA is an
advocate at all levels of government on behalf of the O&P field. The
organization serves as the leading provider of business management
information and guidance on coding and reimbursement issues.
The National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics
(NAAOP) is a strong government relations advocate for all those
participating in comprehensive O&P patient care. NAAOP champions causes
concerning patient access, funding, advanced technology and outcomes through
leadership in national and state policy formation. NAAOP was established in
1987 to help create a federal research and development program in orthotics
and prosthetics and since then NAAOP has expanded its government relations
agenda to address national health care reform, Medicare and Medicaid reform,
managed care standards and Veterans Administration issues.
# # #
Citation
Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance, “New Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance Formed,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 2, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/226211.
