Replies (part 1) "honest question about our o and p organizations"
Aaron Laster
Description
Collection
Title:
Replies (part 1) "honest question about our o and p organizations"
Creator:
Aaron Laster
Date:
3/18/2022
Text:
Here are the MANY interesting and great responses to my post about honest
question about O and P organizations. These responses clearly seem to show
that this conversation is needed and that possibly the organizations are
out of touch with constituents. Let's keep the conversation going! I had to
split the replies into multiple emails due to size, please read all parts
because it is worth the read!
Aaron Laster
----Unfortunately, it's all an incestuous mess. AOPA, ABC, The Academy,
Ncope, and the Alliance are all generally useless. The same folks bounce
around throughout the groups. In order for our profession to move
successfully ahead in the future a new governing body needs to be created.
All are a joke.
---When I immigrated to the USA in 1990, the academy was the scientific arm
of our profession. There were no manufacturer presentations and it
certainly was a science based meeting. The presentations were evidence
based studies, double blind studies and single case presentations, which
were awfully interesting challenging cases - I loved every minute of it.
The exhibit halls had restrictions as well.....only tables with white cloth
were allowed to reduce the competitive nature of manufacturers. No
extravagant $$$$$ expo builds were allowed, it was purely science.
AOPA was the manufacturers $$$$ expos and the manufacturers presented their
non-evidence based in house research focused on new products. This is where
the workshops happened to teach clinicians on the treatment protocols
associated with new products and it was informative.
I agree that the Academy meetings have become manufacturers show cases and
a platform for the Masters students to present their thesis or research
papers.....somewhat similar to the AOPA meetings and we have very blurred
lines right now.
What happened to the Academy I wonder? - most probably revenue driven as is
everything else. The issues that I think should be addressed are the lack
of professional representation due to the fact that we are still DME. We
will never get the respect as a profession while associated with wheelchair
salesmen. The cost of schooling for the masters program is not sustainable
compared to the reduced revenue from the insurance industry due the fact
that we are still classified as DME. $$$$$ were spent on getting our notes
accepted as part of the patients' medical records and yet private insurance
still insists on a doctors Rx....interesting. Just listen to our
association's Chairman's reports and its pure fluff to make them feel good,
but really nothing constructive is being done to improve our status as a
profession. We need an overhaul of the prosthetic industry as a whole, and
it needs to happen sooner rather than later.
----Hey Aaron, super curious to hear what responses you got to this.....
My two cents: There should be one large conference (with different tracks:
scientific for researchers, practical for practitioners, and business for
admin). If you want to jump between tracks, so be it, but the national
meetings are basically the same at this point.
——Great questions! I don't think 5 sessions on diversity on inclusion is
necessary at all. It seems like if anyone is having issues with diversity
of staff or patients that sitting in on a course (which let's be honest, if
they have issues on the topic they are likely not attending) is not going
to change their thought process if the world itself and news these days
doesn't change it. So this seems like a lot of people looking for pats on
the back for easy presentations on the topic. Also with diversity it seems
like this would be a NCOPE and school issue seeing as you can only. hire
practitioners who have come out of school so businesses can only pick from
those who have gone to school. So if diversity of practitioners is an
issue, that conversation should be directed to schools and maybe the
profession needs more proper publicity for people to even know we exist as
a profession to go into.
----You have great questions and I don't have a single solid answer but I
will attempt to break some of this down. And don't forget about ACPOC which
is an interdisciplinary organization made up of physicians, PT, OT and O&P.
Business are members of AOPA and individuals are members of the Academy and
yes there is a lot of overlap. I know the idea of combining the 2 comes up
on occasion. NAAOP simply works for everyone and has no membership and the
Alliance, you are correct that it is an avenue to keep all of the groups on
the same page and not step on each other's toes. I am active in the
Academy, serving on multiple committees and have for several years. I'm
also on a workgroup between the Academy and AOPA, meeting with UHC to fix
the problems with prior authorizations. I can tell you from the inside,
there is plenty of work to go around and I encourage you to get involved. I
budget our department for the hospital to be a member of AOPA. I pay dues
to the Academy and to ACPOC. I am excited to see the education level rise
along with the amount of solid scientific research. Not everyone is a
member of both and I know few can attend every meeting. From an
individual perspective, attending AOPA or the Academy meeting will offer an
abundance of credit opportunities, learning about new devices, fabrication
services and vendors. And let's not forget about networking with
colleagues. I was nominated to the Academy board this year and if I end up
in that position, I may find a different perspective.
If you want a real legislative experience, go to DC with AOPA to the Policy
Forum. During your time, you will learn about the current political
environment, and bills we are working to pass, stop or change with the help
of NAAOP. You'll meet with legislators to discuss the bills critical to our
profession. It's a great experience. The Academy doesn't do anything like
that but supports the efforts. My first patient is about to arrive, but I
am happy to discuss further. Never apologize for questioning the system or
its organizations.
----It’s a good conversation to start...please share responses, would be
interested to hear what others think. Personally in our office we feel
there is too much overlap and to many groups representing a very small
field that could be represented more effectively if the forces combined.
You have the ABC/Academy/NCOP - pushing for advanced degrees and
certification requirements, CEU's... but as long as we stay under the
supplier definition it’s a waste of time and money when these young
professionals are not paid for their time and expertise.
We are subjected to ridiculous audits because of mail order fraud and abuse
because just about any and their uncle has been able to get a DMEPOS
supplier number...now we have to get PA's for OTS items or bid
competitively to be paid inadequate reimbursements.
We need our groups to come together and push for O&P to be recognized as
Allied Health Professionals, then all the education and certifications will
actually mean something, other than paying people to create organizations
that don't actually affect much positive change.
----Good questions, I am also curious, please let me know what you found
out. Thanks
—Honestly exhausted on some political topics like the diversity and
equality. 1 course/ lecture I am ok with, but the meetings now have
multiple plus the womens get togethers and things like that. It’s
exhausting. Stop segregating us in the name of “inclusion”.
—Seems like a lot of students want an easy paper and with the politics
these days you cant turn down a topic like inclusion. I remember in
school topics really had to be about designs and biomechanics. Lots of
patting themselves and their friends on the back these days.
----Hi Aaron! Respect for posting! Please share your responses if you don't
mind I am also curious on how others value the benefits of each.
----What a great post. I am the board president of the Academy, also a
small O&P business owner and CPO. I hope a conversation might help me
answer some of your questions but I am also eager to hear your input as the
Academy is always striving to meet the needs of our O&P clinicians.
----Excellent questions Aaron. I too have long wondered why the need for
multiple organizations. I would think one organization with one leadership
structure and multiple departments would make more sense and be more cost
effective; but I am sure there is a large political component and as we
know many times things are done for reasons that don’t make sense to the
body of participants.
Re: the focus on diversity and inclusion - this seems to be a go-to for
everyone nowadays. It is something that all employers need to deal with
unless they want to be canceled and/or sued. That said, 5 courses on it is
a bit much.
I don’t think anyone should apologize for having open and honest
discussions. We as a profession have to be honest with ourselves if we are
to survive in the current and future reimbursement environment.
I hope you will post responses
question about O and P organizations. These responses clearly seem to show
that this conversation is needed and that possibly the organizations are
out of touch with constituents. Let's keep the conversation going! I had to
split the replies into multiple emails due to size, please read all parts
because it is worth the read!
Aaron Laster
----Unfortunately, it's all an incestuous mess. AOPA, ABC, The Academy,
Ncope, and the Alliance are all generally useless. The same folks bounce
around throughout the groups. In order for our profession to move
successfully ahead in the future a new governing body needs to be created.
All are a joke.
---When I immigrated to the USA in 1990, the academy was the scientific arm
of our profession. There were no manufacturer presentations and it
certainly was a science based meeting. The presentations were evidence
based studies, double blind studies and single case presentations, which
were awfully interesting challenging cases - I loved every minute of it.
The exhibit halls had restrictions as well.....only tables with white cloth
were allowed to reduce the competitive nature of manufacturers. No
extravagant $$$$$ expo builds were allowed, it was purely science.
AOPA was the manufacturers $$$$ expos and the manufacturers presented their
non-evidence based in house research focused on new products. This is where
the workshops happened to teach clinicians on the treatment protocols
associated with new products and it was informative.
I agree that the Academy meetings have become manufacturers show cases and
a platform for the Masters students to present their thesis or research
papers.....somewhat similar to the AOPA meetings and we have very blurred
lines right now.
What happened to the Academy I wonder? - most probably revenue driven as is
everything else. The issues that I think should be addressed are the lack
of professional representation due to the fact that we are still DME. We
will never get the respect as a profession while associated with wheelchair
salesmen. The cost of schooling for the masters program is not sustainable
compared to the reduced revenue from the insurance industry due the fact
that we are still classified as DME. $$$$$ were spent on getting our notes
accepted as part of the patients' medical records and yet private insurance
still insists on a doctors Rx....interesting. Just listen to our
association's Chairman's reports and its pure fluff to make them feel good,
but really nothing constructive is being done to improve our status as a
profession. We need an overhaul of the prosthetic industry as a whole, and
it needs to happen sooner rather than later.
----Hey Aaron, super curious to hear what responses you got to this.....
My two cents: There should be one large conference (with different tracks:
scientific for researchers, practical for practitioners, and business for
admin). If you want to jump between tracks, so be it, but the national
meetings are basically the same at this point.
——Great questions! I don't think 5 sessions on diversity on inclusion is
necessary at all. It seems like if anyone is having issues with diversity
of staff or patients that sitting in on a course (which let's be honest, if
they have issues on the topic they are likely not attending) is not going
to change their thought process if the world itself and news these days
doesn't change it. So this seems like a lot of people looking for pats on
the back for easy presentations on the topic. Also with diversity it seems
like this would be a NCOPE and school issue seeing as you can only. hire
practitioners who have come out of school so businesses can only pick from
those who have gone to school. So if diversity of practitioners is an
issue, that conversation should be directed to schools and maybe the
profession needs more proper publicity for people to even know we exist as
a profession to go into.
----You have great questions and I don't have a single solid answer but I
will attempt to break some of this down. And don't forget about ACPOC which
is an interdisciplinary organization made up of physicians, PT, OT and O&P.
Business are members of AOPA and individuals are members of the Academy and
yes there is a lot of overlap. I know the idea of combining the 2 comes up
on occasion. NAAOP simply works for everyone and has no membership and the
Alliance, you are correct that it is an avenue to keep all of the groups on
the same page and not step on each other's toes. I am active in the
Academy, serving on multiple committees and have for several years. I'm
also on a workgroup between the Academy and AOPA, meeting with UHC to fix
the problems with prior authorizations. I can tell you from the inside,
there is plenty of work to go around and I encourage you to get involved. I
budget our department for the hospital to be a member of AOPA. I pay dues
to the Academy and to ACPOC. I am excited to see the education level rise
along with the amount of solid scientific research. Not everyone is a
member of both and I know few can attend every meeting. From an
individual perspective, attending AOPA or the Academy meeting will offer an
abundance of credit opportunities, learning about new devices, fabrication
services and vendors. And let's not forget about networking with
colleagues. I was nominated to the Academy board this year and if I end up
in that position, I may find a different perspective.
If you want a real legislative experience, go to DC with AOPA to the Policy
Forum. During your time, you will learn about the current political
environment, and bills we are working to pass, stop or change with the help
of NAAOP. You'll meet with legislators to discuss the bills critical to our
profession. It's a great experience. The Academy doesn't do anything like
that but supports the efforts. My first patient is about to arrive, but I
am happy to discuss further. Never apologize for questioning the system or
its organizations.
----It’s a good conversation to start...please share responses, would be
interested to hear what others think. Personally in our office we feel
there is too much overlap and to many groups representing a very small
field that could be represented more effectively if the forces combined.
You have the ABC/Academy/NCOP - pushing for advanced degrees and
certification requirements, CEU's... but as long as we stay under the
supplier definition it’s a waste of time and money when these young
professionals are not paid for their time and expertise.
We are subjected to ridiculous audits because of mail order fraud and abuse
because just about any and their uncle has been able to get a DMEPOS
supplier number...now we have to get PA's for OTS items or bid
competitively to be paid inadequate reimbursements.
We need our groups to come together and push for O&P to be recognized as
Allied Health Professionals, then all the education and certifications will
actually mean something, other than paying people to create organizations
that don't actually affect much positive change.
----Good questions, I am also curious, please let me know what you found
out. Thanks
—Honestly exhausted on some political topics like the diversity and
equality. 1 course/ lecture I am ok with, but the meetings now have
multiple plus the womens get togethers and things like that. It’s
exhausting. Stop segregating us in the name of “inclusion”.
—Seems like a lot of students want an easy paper and with the politics
these days you cant turn down a topic like inclusion. I remember in
school topics really had to be about designs and biomechanics. Lots of
patting themselves and their friends on the back these days.
----Hi Aaron! Respect for posting! Please share your responses if you don't
mind I am also curious on how others value the benefits of each.
----What a great post. I am the board president of the Academy, also a
small O&P business owner and CPO. I hope a conversation might help me
answer some of your questions but I am also eager to hear your input as the
Academy is always striving to meet the needs of our O&P clinicians.
----Excellent questions Aaron. I too have long wondered why the need for
multiple organizations. I would think one organization with one leadership
structure and multiple departments would make more sense and be more cost
effective; but I am sure there is a large political component and as we
know many times things are done for reasons that don’t make sense to the
body of participants.
Re: the focus on diversity and inclusion - this seems to be a go-to for
everyone nowadays. It is something that all employers need to deal with
unless they want to be canceled and/or sued. That said, 5 courses on it is
a bit much.
I don’t think anyone should apologize for having open and honest
discussions. We as a profession have to be honest with ourselves if we are
to survive in the current and future reimbursement environment.
I hope you will post responses
Citation
Aaron Laster, “Replies (part 1) "honest question about our o and p organizations",” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 1, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/255839.
