<b><i>Coming together is a beginning, staying together is </i><i>progress, and working together is success -</i> Henry Ford</b> <img class="" style="float: right;" src="https://opedge.com/Content/OldArticles/images/2005-05_11/Fairley-Miki.jpg" width="256" height="241" hspace="4" vspace="4" /> The American Academy of Orthotists & Prosthetists has been reaching out to other organizations involved in O&P and rehab care. Goals include cooperative research initiatives which can help define treatment protocols and provide outcomes data for payers, benefiting patients and providers alike. Partnering goals also include advancing O&P education. For instance, Northwestern University and Georgia Tech have been involved in helping design the Academy's new Online Learning Center. Academy President David F. Moretto, CP, FAAOP, stressed the importance of collaboration in the opening welcome session at the recent co-located meetings of the Academy and ACPOC in Orlando. He noted that "collaboration" has even been added to the Academy's mission statement: "The American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists is dedicated to promoting professionalism and advancing the standards of patient care through education, literature, research, advocacy, and collaboration." <h4>Incentives for Quality</h4> Developing a healthcare system that intelligently balances best patient care and outcomes with the most cost-effective and efficient use of resources may sound like an impossible dream. However, Medicare and some private payers are taking a serious look at an innovative payment methodology, Pay for Performance (P4P). To find out more about P4P and how it may impact your practice, read "<a href="https://opedge.com/2860">Quality Can Pay - If You Can Prove It</a>," by healthcare attorney John Latsko. <h4>Streamlining Practice Management</h4> Streamlining clinical and administrative functions through computer technology likewise can free up time and save money. The feature article, "<a href="https://opedge.com/2861">Take-Charge Software Helps Manage O&P Practices</a>," by Judith Philipps Otto, examines some of the systems now available. <b>And</b>..."Giving back" and giving hope to the seemingly hopeless are rewards that volunteers have enjoyed in working with "Próteses por Ecuador." Youll find their story on <a href="https://opedge.com/2862">O&P at the middle of the world</a> in this month's issue. Once again, science fiction may soon become science fact. You'll enjoy the fascinating research going on at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, described in "<a href="https://opedge.com/2863">Thought-Control Prostheses - Soon a Reality</a>."
