Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.-Scott Adams, The Dilbert PrincipleEven though they comprise only a relatively small segment of the total amputee population, upper-limb amputees are benefiting from the newest creative developments in prosthetic technology and clinical practice. You can read what a panel of upper-extremity specialists regard as the most significant developments in these areas in this issue's feature article, "The State of the Art in Upper-Extremity Prosthetics." The San Diego Triathlon Challenge is a creative brainchild that began almost ten years ago to help disabled athletic star Jim MacLaren and has since expanded to help many more athletes to achieve their goals. Since 1994, the event has raised over $2.7 million; more than 875 disabled athletes have received grants, and an endowment fund has been established to assure assistance to athletes. This year's event, which raised about $812,000, is described in "The Sports Page." The dreaded date of April 15 isn't the only deadline coming up in April. The day before, April 14, is the date healthcare entities must be in compliance with the HIPAA privacy rules. To find out what your practice needs to do, turn to the article "HIPAA Privacy Regulations: A Compliance Challenge." The year 2002 was a turbulent one in many ways. What lies ahead in 2003? John Michael, MEd, CPO, FAAOP gives his views in the "Perspective" page. The O&P EDGE introduces a new department, "Today's Consumer," in this issue. We hope you will put our magazine in your waiting rooms for patients to read real life stories about their peers. Our readers are part of our team. As always, your news, views, questions, and comments are welcome!
