<img style="float: right;" src="https://opedge.com/Content/OldArticles/images/2007-03_05/Henry,-Karen-2(sm).jpg" hspace="4" vspace="4" /> <i>The </i><i>O&P EDGE </i>kicked off the new year with a number of changes-my position as editor being one of them. Last month, Meredy DeBorde, our marketing and sales director, left the publication. She said she is going to "step back and take a nice long break and enjoy a simple life." While we will certainly keep in touch, we will miss her presence at the magazine and wish her the best as she enters this new chapter of her life. I am pleased to announce that Diane Colgan has joined our staff as the new advertising representative. She can be reached at <a href="mailto:diane@opedge.com">diane@opedge.com</a> to address your advertising questions and needs. I had the opportunity to meet many of you at the Hanger Educational Fair in Reno, Nevada, last month. As I chatted with those who stopped by <i>The O&P EDGE </i>table and during my wanderings around the exhibit hall, two recurring themes emerged. First, all of you get this magazine, which I was thrilled to hear. Second, I heard from a number of vendors and a few office managers as well who told me they knew of someone who was or who were themselves either starting up a practice, moving to a new facility, or opening a second (or third) office. <h4>Facilitating Facility Design</h4> Those of you who fall into the second group know that building a new facility or making changes to an existing one can be a daunting task if you don't know where to start. Judith Philipps Otto kicks off <a href="https://opedge.com/3025">our feature section</a> by helping to answer the question of where to start if you are considering building a new facility, renovating your existing facility, or just making logistical changes to improve efficiency and flow in your building space. She calls on the experience and expertise of a number of practitioners and companies who have "been there, done that," to give you a first-hand perspective on the various approaches that have been taken. Randy Schmitke provides some excellent advice on the <a href="https://opedge.com/3026">pros and cons of leasing a facility versus buying one</a>, and Sherry Metzger discusses the many <a href="https://opedge.com/3027">critical safety considerations </a>that come into play for every O&P facility and provides a list of resources for those who need more information. To give you a detailed look at one practitioner who has built several facilities from the ground up, I talked with Ability Prosthetics and Orthotics owner Jeffrey Brandt about his<a href="https://opedge.com/3028"> unique business model and approach to building a multi-facility practice</a> . We also moved our <a href="https://opedge.com/3029">Perspective </a>department to the front of the magazine. Your opinions are important to us, and we think they're important to others as well. Please keep sending us your views, telling us your stories, and letting us know how we are doing and what we can do in future issues to better serve your needs. <img style="float: right;" src="https://opedge.com/Content/OldArticles/images/2007-03_05/KarenHenrySig.jpg" hspace="4" vspace="4" />
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