Orthotic & Prosthetic Technological Association (OPTA)

We, as technical professionals in the orthotic and prosthetic industry, have been striving for a long while to gain more control over our futures. There have been a lot of advances made throughout the years towards getting technical education for us. A number of technicians have dedicated a large portion of their time to teaching at various state and national meetings. All of this has led up to the point where we are now. Five dedicated individuals met in Greenville, South Carolina, last December to try to hammer out the type of organization we could be proud of. Ronnie N. Graves , Prosthetics Research Specialists, Inc., was elected chairman. Peter Pananciulman , Scheck & Siress, was elected to be vice chair. Steve Hill , OTS, is the secretary. Jeff Green, Southern Prosthetics Supply, is the treasurer. Tony Wickman , Freedom Fabrication, is the political liaison. How do we as an organization, achieve our goals? What goals do we set? Some of us already have a library of technical education literature and materials. We need to consolidate these resources and offer them to any technical person who wants them. We need to develop a presence on the web and provide learning opportunities. We need a way for technicians to test their capabilities and earn higher standards of recognition for each step they complete. We need to educate businesses that it is in their best interest to hire and keep a credentialed technician to supervise their technical staff. We already have one company which provides on-the-road learning. There are a couple more who provide education in their learning centers. We all need to take full advantage of these. There are many state and national meetings that offer education. In order for us to improve on our own, we need to attend these. It gives us a more balanced look at how devices are fabricated around the country. Always try to improve yourself. A lot of phone calls have already been received praising OPTA for starting this endeavor. A lot of questions have been asked. Not only are technical staff members hungry for knowledge, they also want to actively help. Here's how: We need to know how fabricators are doing things. Write down your techniques, take a few photos, and send them to us. The library will consist of many ways to do the same jobs. It will be a library of techniques. For a truly scientific approach, each task will need to be able to be duplicated, repeatedly producing a quality product. Write the techniques down as if you were training someone who had absolutely no knowledge of how to do it. This will help to train people in the future. We need manufacturers to supply us with instructions for all of their products. Imagine how useful it would be to have the instructions all in one location on the web or in one facility and to be able to fax, "snail-mail," or e-mail them. We need sponsors to help us make this a reality that will last long-term. It takes teamwork. We need fabricators, repair people for machinery, and leaders who have set up labs before to assist us in providing education across the country. We also need to thank the organizations that have helped to bring technical education to where it is today: ABC [American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics], AOPA [American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association], and AAOP [American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists]. Contact Ronnie Graves at Prosthetic Research Specialists, 720 Southland Avenue, Bushnell, Florida 33513-8394; 800.952.6744; RGraves405@aol.com .

Orthotic & Prosthetic Technological Association (OPTA)

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