The Changing Landscape - May 2020
Feature
The Changing Landscape: Manufacturers Enter the US Clinical Care Market
By Betta Ferrendelli
In the past few years, Ottobock and Össur have quietly been making inroads into the O&P clinical care market in the United States. The companies, which collectively have more than 150 years of O&P experience, share a goal of becoming involved with...
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Vertical Integration in International O&P
By Betta Ferrendelli
Vertical integration, in which a company owns its suppliers or distributors, may be a novel concept in O&P manufacturers' involvement in clinical care in the United States, but it has long been a thriving part of the clinical care landscape in...
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Working Remotely: What Physical Distancing Can Teach Us About Working Together
By John T. Brinkmann, MA, CPO/L, FAAOP(D)
While it will never be possible to perform the core tasks of our profession remotely, considering the ways in which workplace interactions in other professions are affected by physical proximity…may help us find ways to make O&P business…more effe...
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O&P Community Rallies to Produce PPE
By Maria St. Louis-Sanchez
As medical professionals around the world fight the COVID-19 pandemic, communities have stepped forward to help them however they can. O&P professionals around the country have been using their skills to make personal protective equipment (PPE) t...
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Giovanna Dubuc: Motivating Others Through Music, Determination
Spend five minutes with Giovanna Dubuc and you'll learn that her list of accomplishments is longer than many who are twice her age. Dancer, violinist, rock climber, and motivational speaker are just some of the items on that list. Fifteen-year-old...
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Crisis Leadership
For many years to come, we will all look back at the first half of 2020 and recall the challenges we faced. The electronic records system was down for weeks so medical professionals couldn't access patient records, and the world faced a pandemic a...
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The Challenges and Ethics of Charitable Care
By Caryn Earl, CPO/L
Why do we do what we do? Before we knew of the challenges ahead, before we considered the cost of a foot, the hours of labor required to provide quality O&P care to a patient and family, or the tenuous bottom line of an office, a department, or a...
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Financial Relief Package Offers Support to O&P
The CARES Act, a $2 trillion financial relief package in response to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy and the healthcare sector, was signed into law on March 27. The American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA) summarized...
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CMS Postpones O&P Prior Authorization, Makes Policy Changes Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it will pause the prior authorization program for national durable medical equipment prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS). Prior authorization for six lower-limb prosthe...
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Help Available to File COVID-19 Business Insurance Claims
The National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics (NAAOP) has partnered with Miller Friel, a business insurance law firm in Washington DC, to help O&P practices, manufacturers, and suppliers follow a step-by-step approach...
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DME MACs, AOPA Clarify Device Replacement Waivers
On March 18, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it was permitting waivers regarding replacement of durable medical equipment prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) to help Medicare beneficiaries impacted by the...
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NAAOP Calls for Safety Protocol Guidance for O&P Providers
On March 19, Glenn Crumpton, LPO, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics (NAAOP) sent a letter to all state governors, COVID-19 State Task Forces, and health insurance commissioners stating that O&P patients must have access to continued care during the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Performant Suspends New ADRs
Performant, the national Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) for Medicare durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) claims, announced that it has suspended the issuance of any new Additional Documentation Request (ADR) letters for at least 30 days, effective March 18.
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Footing Key in Stair Ascent for Those With Chopart Amputation
A study published in Prosthetics and Orthotics International evaluated people with a Chopart amputation utilizing a clamshell device during stair ascent in an effort to identify potential biomechanical deficits. According to the study's authors...
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Gait Test Can Support Clinician’s Prosthetic Knee Choice
Researchers at the Methodist Rehabilitation Center, Jackson, Mississippi, evaluated changes in temporal-spatial gait characteristics between walking with a non-microprocessor prosthetic knee (NMPK) and a microprocessor prosthetic knee (MPK). They...
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Study Sees Lower Overall Volume Loss With Elevated Vacuum
Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of elevated vacuum for managing limb fluid volume compared to suction suspension with an in-socket measurement modality during many hours of activity. Although individual results varied, 11 of 12 participan...
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Hanger Reports 2019 Results
Hanger, Austin, Texas, announced its financial results for the fourth quarter (4Q) and year-end 2019. 4Q financial highlights include: Net revenue was $300.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2019, compared to $284.9 million for th...
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CAF Distributes Record Number of Grants
The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) announced a record-breaking 3,921 individual grants awarded to athletes worldwide—making it the largest grant distribution in the organization's 26-year history. Through the 2020 grant distribution, challen...
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Fillauer Names New Marketing Director
Fillauer, Chattanooga, Tennessee, named Victoria Ledbetter as its new director of marketing. She will oversee marketing operations, sales enablement, digital communications, and overall content and brand strategy. She will also be responsible for...
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WillowWood Names New CFO
WillowWood, Mount Sterling, Ohio, named Craig Higgins as its new chief financial officer. Higgins will focus on financial planning, operating budgets, and decision support analysis. "I'm starting at WillowWood at a very unpredictable time not only...
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NAAOP Names 2020 Fellows, Postpones Program
The National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics (NAAOP) Fellowship selection committee and board announced the 2020 summer fellows. Nikki Grace-Strader and Lucas DeLuca were selected out of six candidates. Grace-Strader h...
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Hanger Acquires Scheck & Siress
Hanger, Austin, Texas, acquired Scheck & Siress, headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. Hanger released a statement on the acquisition: "We do not generally comment on specific tuck-in acquisitions. We have tremendous respect for Scheck & Si...
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Editor's Note - May 2020
By Andrea Spridgen
In the past few months, nearly everyone has been adjusting to the changing landscape of our everyday lives as we traverse the territory of living through the COVID-19 pandemic. O&P has adapted its methods to continue providing services.
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Consistently capture true anatomy under weight bearing conditions with the Symphonie® Aqua System, available through Cypress Adaptive. This innovative, hydrostatic technology replicates the exact forces one would experience while standing in a prosthetic socket. The accuracy of the weight bearing impression eliminates the need for cast modifications and enables the practitioner to achieve consistent outcomes and efficiently provide the patient with a comfortable, well-fitting socket.
Our accommodative foot orthotics are specially designed for patients with foot deformities. We offer a variety of materials for foot conditions such as neuropathy, Charcot foot, edema, or amputation, or conditions resulting from health issues like obesity, diabetes, sports injuries, or heart conditions. Custom-made foot orthotics provide support and relief wherever necessary. Apis provides qualified customers with a free 3D scanner to eliminate impressions or casting—now it's just a click. Fulfill all your pedorthic needs under one roof. Call our friendly customer service representatives for more information or free samples.%2FShowcase_allard.jpg)
All 2 ½ models include the 2.0 features you love: choice of wrap-around or D-ring straps, shorter wings, and a Starter SoftKIT™. It is easier to adapt ToeOFF® 2 ½ & BlueROCKER® 2 ½ to shoes with lower heel heights because there is a lower forefoot curvature and more space in the shoe toe box. %2FSC_STNG.jpg)
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Össur is a global leader in noninvasive orthopedics that help people live a life without limitations. Its business is focused on improving people's mobility through the delivery of innovative technologies within the fields of prosthetic, osteoarthritis, and injury solutions.%2FSC_Becker.jpg)
The new Small Adult Triple Action® offers true independent adjustment of alignment, range of motion, and stiffness to promote natural, dynamic motion control throughout the gait cycle.
For safe nighttime treatment of correctable pediatric hip contractures, the MultiMotion Hip Abduction System positions the child's legs in an optimal position and stabilizes the hip joint. Stretching the adductors gradually allows for better joint mobilization. The system has adjustable flexion and extension stops: Small has 14° intervals, and Regular has 12° intervals. The Hip Abduction System consists of two components: the MultiMotion Corrective Joint and the Abduction Bars. These two components are mounted to a custom-fabricated orthosis.
Propel your stride to perfection with Propulsion™ bracing from Tillges Technologies. The Propulsion bracing line includes custom-fabricated, dynamic-response, pre-preg carbon fiber AFO, partial foot AFO, and KAFO designs. These designs are crafted using dynamic carbon fiber, which stores energy to aid in ambulation. To learn more or to place an order, call or visit 
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