Barr Foundation Tribute of The Week : Tyler Wilson / Executive Director of AOPA
Tony Barr
Description
Collection
Title:
Barr Foundation Tribute of The Week : Tyler Wilson / Executive Director of AOPA
Creator:
Tony Barr
Date:
9/8/2006
Text:
Its been said Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is
what makes life meaningful '.
Tyler J. Wilson, after 6 years of being executive director of AOPA , has
resigned effective September 15, 2006.
Most likely , one his most recent assignments , which he labeled as
unfortunate was to inform me recently, upon our attempted registration to
this years AOPA conference, that the Barr Foundation would no longer be
provided the customarily provided non profit compregistration at their
annual meetings.
The Barr Foundation has enjoyed exhibiting at every AOPA annual event for
the past 15 years to personally thank and expose the generosity of AOPA
members in their support of our 10 year mission to assist amputees
domestically and in the USA , to provide prosthetic rehabilitation whom
other wise would have no funding.
It was and remains important for us to expose the generosity of AOPA , their
members who donate components and the prosthetists that sponsor patients,
and to show to the community they are giving back.
Tyler was directed by the AOPA to deliver the news to me . Please don't
shoot the messenger, however , although AOPA fully supported the work
and humanitarian assistance efforts and accomplishments of the Barr
Foundation, the AOPA board of directors was upset with what was described
as, your personal attacks of AOPA policies directed to the Listserve and
media .
He continued to say these alleged attacks, which I prefer to label input
of suggested areas of reform, were the failure of AOPA to separate DME
interests from O&P interests, failure to support and advocate regulation of
the profession, or at the very least mandate a ABC/BOC certification to all
providers of comprehensive O&P care, and other aspects that involved my
personal input, as a amputee and amputee advocate, toward bringing the much
needed reform within the industry, the profession, and to better assure
quality patient care.
I cant help feel that Tyler was also very much personally supportive of many
of the same issues with his own published statements.
Our sense at Sunriver last year was that this whole area really needs
heightened attention, and without greater emphasis, the O&P field is really
going to suffer, Wilson said, adding, This really has to be put at the top
of the priority list.
The American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (the Academy) has
played the largest role in outcomes studies, Wilson noted, and AOPA wants to
offer its support and resources to assist. Outcomes studies to provide
evidence-based care require much thought and funding, many resources, and
the input of many individuals and organizations to move the process along,
he explained.
For a long time our field has not done a very good job at establishing the
efficacy of various O&P treatments-and that failure has dogged the
profession, Wilson stressed. It is going to jeopardize increasingly the
willingness of payers to reimburse appropriately for our services. We feel
AOPA has a role to play in helping to further the design, content,
execution, and publication of outcomes studies that validate what we do.
The goal was to take a look at where the O&P field is going, what are some
of the forces changing the field, and where are we going to be five or ten
years from now. Given that picture, what are the key challenges confronting
this field and what can AOPA do ?
With more and more entrants into the O&P field, which Wilson described as
non-traditional providers of O&P care it is critical for traditional
providers to really establish ourselves and differentiate ourselves as the
highest and best providers of O&P care.
There are several ways to achieve this, he pointed out, including
accreditation, licensure, and outcomes studies to show that what we do is
going to result in better patient care and better outcomes. He continued,
We are looking at a variety of areas which will establish our legitimacy as
the best providers of care.
Tyler Wilson also played a key role in helping to spur the February 2006
O&P Alliance.
Although not many developments have been reported from the Alliance since
its inception in Feb 2006, the initial purpose was well intended and it was
hoped to bring 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
organizations said.
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.O&P is on its way to implementing Einstein's three rules of
work: Out of clutter find simplicity; from discord find harmony; in the
middle of difficulty lies opportunity.While the purpose of the Alliance was
to come 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. Tyler said.
(?)
It is my personal opinion this has not been accomplished and will never
happen while the industry trade associations continue to prioritize their
goals over the others, as they also failed to accomplish in not reaching
consensus and resolution in thier challenge to mandate meaningful
providers qualification standards at the failed Neg Reg meetings. I hope I'm
wrong ,but I'm afraid the O&P Alliance is destined to also fail.
Thank you Tyler for telling it like it is and in pointing out many of these
challenges and short coming facing the industry and profession. Good luck
in all your future endeavors and hopefully to better achieve the support
from your peers to be better able to IMPLEMENT SOLUTIONS to the challenges
you will confront to make life meaningful !
Have a great weekend everyone,
Tony Barr
Barr Foundation
<outbind://9/www.oandp.com/barr> www.oandp.com/barr
<outbind://9/www.ErtlReconstruction.com> www.ErtlReconstruction.com
********************
To unsubscribe, send a message to: <Email Address Redacted> with
the words UNSUB OANDP-L in the body of the
message.
If you have a problem unsubscribing,or have other
questions, send e-mail to the moderator
Paul E. Prusakowski,CPO at <Email Address Redacted>
OANDP-L is a forum for the discussion of topics
related to Orthotics and Prosthetics.
Public commercial postings are forbidden. Responses to inquiries
should not be sent to the entire oandp-l list. Professional credentials
or affiliations should be used in all communications.
what makes life meaningful '.
Tyler J. Wilson, after 6 years of being executive director of AOPA , has
resigned effective September 15, 2006.
Most likely , one his most recent assignments , which he labeled as
unfortunate was to inform me recently, upon our attempted registration to
this years AOPA conference, that the Barr Foundation would no longer be
provided the customarily provided non profit compregistration at their
annual meetings.
The Barr Foundation has enjoyed exhibiting at every AOPA annual event for
the past 15 years to personally thank and expose the generosity of AOPA
members in their support of our 10 year mission to assist amputees
domestically and in the USA , to provide prosthetic rehabilitation whom
other wise would have no funding.
It was and remains important for us to expose the generosity of AOPA , their
members who donate components and the prosthetists that sponsor patients,
and to show to the community they are giving back.
Tyler was directed by the AOPA to deliver the news to me . Please don't
shoot the messenger, however , although AOPA fully supported the work
and humanitarian assistance efforts and accomplishments of the Barr
Foundation, the AOPA board of directors was upset with what was described
as, your personal attacks of AOPA policies directed to the Listserve and
media .
He continued to say these alleged attacks, which I prefer to label input
of suggested areas of reform, were the failure of AOPA to separate DME
interests from O&P interests, failure to support and advocate regulation of
the profession, or at the very least mandate a ABC/BOC certification to all
providers of comprehensive O&P care, and other aspects that involved my
personal input, as a amputee and amputee advocate, toward bringing the much
needed reform within the industry, the profession, and to better assure
quality patient care.
I cant help feel that Tyler was also very much personally supportive of many
of the same issues with his own published statements.
Our sense at Sunriver last year was that this whole area really needs
heightened attention, and without greater emphasis, the O&P field is really
going to suffer, Wilson said, adding, This really has to be put at the top
of the priority list.
The American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (the Academy) has
played the largest role in outcomes studies, Wilson noted, and AOPA wants to
offer its support and resources to assist. Outcomes studies to provide
evidence-based care require much thought and funding, many resources, and
the input of many individuals and organizations to move the process along,
he explained.
For a long time our field has not done a very good job at establishing the
efficacy of various O&P treatments-and that failure has dogged the
profession, Wilson stressed. It is going to jeopardize increasingly the
willingness of payers to reimburse appropriately for our services. We feel
AOPA has a role to play in helping to further the design, content,
execution, and publication of outcomes studies that validate what we do.
The goal was to take a look at where the O&P field is going, what are some
of the forces changing the field, and where are we going to be five or ten
years from now. Given that picture, what are the key challenges confronting
this field and what can AOPA do ?
With more and more entrants into the O&P field, which Wilson described as
non-traditional providers of O&P care it is critical for traditional
providers to really establish ourselves and differentiate ourselves as the
highest and best providers of O&P care.
There are several ways to achieve this, he pointed out, including
accreditation, licensure, and outcomes studies to show that what we do is
going to result in better patient care and better outcomes. He continued,
We are looking at a variety of areas which will establish our legitimacy as
the best providers of care.
Tyler Wilson also played a key role in helping to spur the February 2006
O&P Alliance.
Although not many developments have been reported from the Alliance since
its inception in Feb 2006, the initial purpose was well intended and it was
hoped to bring 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
organizations said.
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.O&P is on its way to implementing Einstein's three rules of
work: Out of clutter find simplicity; from discord find harmony; in the
middle of difficulty lies opportunity.While the purpose of the Alliance was
to come 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. Tyler said.
(?)
It is my personal opinion this has not been accomplished and will never
happen while the industry trade associations continue to prioritize their
goals over the others, as they also failed to accomplish in not reaching
consensus and resolution in thier challenge to mandate meaningful
providers qualification standards at the failed Neg Reg meetings. I hope I'm
wrong ,but I'm afraid the O&P Alliance is destined to also fail.
Thank you Tyler for telling it like it is and in pointing out many of these
challenges and short coming facing the industry and profession. Good luck
in all your future endeavors and hopefully to better achieve the support
from your peers to be better able to IMPLEMENT SOLUTIONS to the challenges
you will confront to make life meaningful !
Have a great weekend everyone,
Tony Barr
Barr Foundation
<outbind://9/www.oandp.com/barr> www.oandp.com/barr
<outbind://9/www.ErtlReconstruction.com> www.ErtlReconstruction.com
********************
To unsubscribe, send a message to: <Email Address Redacted> with
the words UNSUB OANDP-L in the body of the
message.
If you have a problem unsubscribing,or have other
questions, send e-mail to the moderator
Paul E. Prusakowski,CPO at <Email Address Redacted>
OANDP-L is a forum for the discussion of topics
related to Orthotics and Prosthetics.
Public commercial postings are forbidden. Responses to inquiries
should not be sent to the entire oandp-l list. Professional credentials
or affiliations should be used in all communications.
Citation
Tony Barr, “Barr Foundation Tribute of The Week : Tyler Wilson / Executive Director of AOPA,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 24, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/227201.
