The American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA) has established a new award, the Sam E. Hamontree, CP, Business Education Award. The Hamontree Award will recognize the best business-education paper submitted for presentation at the AOPA National Assembly each year and, according to AOPA, is envisioned as a counterpart to the Thranhardt Award given each year for the best clinical paper. It is designed to promote “the highest quality business education to the orthotics, prosthetics, and pedorthics profession; and to highlight business expertise during the AOPA National Assembly,” AOPA said. The Hamontree Award will be promoted and presented each year during the AOPA National Assembly, and the winning paper or papers will be selected by the Assembly Planning Committee Business Education Workgroup from the business papers submitted. Hamontree Award winners will present their paper at the annual assembly during a general education session and will receive a $1,000 honorarium and framed certificate.
The funding for the award was provided in honor of Sam Hamontree, CP, whose more than 50-year career in O&P included serving as 1970 AOPA president, receiving the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (the Academy) Titus Ferguson Award in 2003, and being honored with the 2000 AOPA Lifetime Achievement Award. Hamontree also served as chair of the AOPA Business Procedures & Liaison Committee for many years and led the development of several business tools for O&P, including the Relative Values schedule that was developed into the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) L-Code system, the AOPA Accounting Manual, the AOPA Business Survey, and the AOPA Cost Accounting Manual.
The funding was provided by Lynne and Steve Hamontree, CPO, Marlene Hamontree, and Joelle and Michael Hamontree.
To compete for the 2010 Sam E. Hamontree, CP, Business Education Award visit https://aopa.wufoo.com/forms/sam-e-hamontree-cp-business-education-award/
