The national organizations within O&P choose their leaders at varying times during the year. For the most part, though, these leaders are in office by the time the new year rolls around. AOPA, ABC and the Orthotic and Prosthetic Assistance Fund (OPAF) welcomed new presidents to their organizations in December. The Board for Certification in Pedorthics Inc. (BCP) put new leadership in place in October. And, the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education (NCOPE), which normally installs its new leaders in January, welcomed back its current chairman for the second half of his two-year term.
As a result of changing its governance year, the Academy now installs new board members in July.
In most of these organizations, with the exception of NCOPE, the leaders serve one-year terms. BCP allows presidents to be re-elected once, and BOC’s chairman can serve up to four one-year terms consecutively.
The organizations listed here encompass certification, education, philanthropy and advancement of the profession and the industry. But who will be leading these groups in the coming year?
In the following pages, the Almanac profiles the presidents of ABC, BCP, NCOPE and OPAF. AOPA’s new president, Mike Hamontree, was profiled in a more in-depth interview in last month’s issue. BOC will not be voting on a new chairman for a few months yet, and the Academy’s new president will not take office until July. When these leaders are chosen, we will profile them in the Almanac as well.
By Marique Newell
William W. DeToro, CO, FAAOP, has an interesting thought on industry leadership: “One must be willing to take abuse from those who don’t see and appreciate your views,” he said, “and that is just something we who are willing to serve must accept.”
Perhaps the past few years on the ABC board have helped him come to this view. As the new year unfolds, DeToro is braced for a challenging, exciting term as president of ABC.
Among his many goals, he intends to be a tenacious and strong leader throughout the ABC/BOC unification proceedings.
“I am confident that we will work together to make this unification happen,” said DeToro, who is president of Anatomical Concepts Inc. in Boardman, Ohio. “And, as far as I am concerned, the sooner the better.”
With one term as AOPA’s president under his belt and with over 37 years of O&P experience, DeToro is more than qualified and more than ready to take the reins of ABC and guide the organization through the twists and turns of a new year.
One certifying body
DeToro has been a proponent of unification ever since he served as ABC’s representative for the RegNeg proceedings a few years ago. He said it was during that process that he realized how having two credentialing bodies for a small industry like O&P created confusion for outside parties.
“This confusion can only help support those who are not qualified by making it easier for them to add to the confusion and argue for their right to infiltrate O&P, even though they have little if any formal education and training in the profession,” DeToro explained.
He cannot make a formal statement on where the groups are in the unification talks, but DeToro certainly has his own stance on whether or not the two credentialing bodies should merge.
“I desperately want this unification to occur,” he said. “I will assist in such an attempt, [but] only if, in doing so, in the long run, it is in the best interests of the patients we serve.”
The ABC and BOC board members agree that merging is in the best interests of the O&P profession. Many members of the O&P community might disagree, but DeToro recognizes there will always be a debate on the issue, no matter the outcome.
“If we had a national election, we would win,” he predicted. “We would end up with a clear majority. But, even after you win, you’re still not going to satisfy everybody’s concerns.”
DeToro stated that the unification talks will continue for as long as necessary, but he hopes that a resolution is reached by the end of the year.
Unification is the formidable issue facing ABC right now. But DeToro realizes that, regardless of what happens in talks with BOC, ABC must maintain—or even exceed—its high standards.
“As much as I want unification to occur, if it doesn’t, ABC is going to continue on,” he said. “We’re not just going to sit on our laurels and pretend we’re the big guys. We’re going to make sure that we continue to maintain respect—not just in this country, but in the world.”
One project that DeToro hopes to see fully developed by the end of his term is the registered mastectomy and orthotic fitter categories, which ABC introduced in 2003.
“[These] categories will be greatly supported this coming year and beyond to ensure that all due professional respect is provided to those individuals who choose to have the ABC recognition,” he explained.
Along with strengthening its existing programs, DeToro noted that ABC will also work to market itself better in the coming year.
“We’re interested in making sure that the whole universe of O&P, neurology, orthopedics and so on, knows what ABC is all about,” he stressed.
In all of the issues he must consider as president, DeToro’s focus will remain on leading ABC toward whatever is best for the O&P community and its patients. Luckily, he has decades of experience to inform his decisions on those matters.
Throughout his 37 years in O&P, DeToro volunteered on numerous committees and served on both ABC’s and AOPA’s boards. He’s owned a facility since 1978 and has been ABC certified since 1973. He’s even watched two of his own children enter the field.
“For all of the bad things that happen to us as we age, let me assure you of this: experience is one asset that can’t easily be replaced,” DeToro remarked.
Marique Newell is the staff writer for the O&P Almanac.
By Marique Newell
Ernesto Castro, C.Ped., the new president of The Board for Certification in Pedorthics Inc. (BCP), can easily explain why he hasn’t left the field of pedorthics for close to 50 years. “Once it is in your blood, that’s it,” he said.
Pedorthics was in Castro’s blood since he was a child. When he was just 11 years old, he was behind the counter at his father’s small shoemaking shop, learning the trade and honing his skills. By the time Castro was 16, his father had turned the business over to him, cementing his lifelong interest in the field.
At age 19, Castro left his father’s store behind and moved to Texas, where he opened a custom boot-making shop. He sold it in 1981 and moved to California, returning to Arizona seven years later.
In 1990, Castro started his own business. It eventually turned into Mesa-based Arizona AFO Inc. and Custom Footwear Inc., where he is president and owner.
During his career, Castro has also taught several courses and helped develop college curricula on pedorthics.
That seems like enough to keep anyone busy. Still, Castro has an ambitious agenda for his year as BCP’s president.
First on the agenda is keeping the excitement high at BCP.
“My job is to keep everyone focused and excited,” he explained. “And since all the members of the board are leaders and very focused and excited about pedorthics, my job will be easy. We have always worked as a team and will continue to.”
Castro also wants more teamwork in the field. He cited ABC, BOC, AOPA and PFA as organizations that all have common goals which require an industry effort to achieve.
“To be able to accomplish any positive, common goal, all of us must work together with mutual respect for one another,” Castro stated.
He noted how, during the leadership of Ralph Kendall, C.Ped., last year, the executive committees of ABC and BCP met so ABC could better understand BCP’s position concerning standards and scope of practice. According to Castro, the meeting was extremely productive and strengthened the relationship between the two certifying bodies.
In addition to building teamwork, another one of Castro’s goals for the year is to strengthen the accreditation process. He plans to do this by better promoting the advantages of becoming a BCP-accredited facility to the profession.
He would also like BCP “to influence government policy by being proactive in state licensure laws, supporting PFA in [its] initiatives and working closer with ABC and BOC,” he noted. “We’re for whatever is right, and in some instances, state licensure is right to protect the public.”
Many other organizations put tremendous energy and resources into public relations and marketing, and BCP intends to do the same this year. Castro noted that BCP will continue working hard to develop greater public awareness for the industry.
“As the credentialing body for pedorthics, BCP’s main mission is to protect the public,” Castro said. “We want every person that doesn’t know what a certified pedorthist is to know and understand what we do.”
Castro noted that one of BCP’s initiatives, to partner with suppliers and individuals interested in promoting public awareness of pedorthics, is well under way.
And, although BCP increased its certification requirements last year, Castro mentioned that a fourth goal is setting higher educational standards.
The pedorthics field already has a solid foundation of education and support, but legislation from Capitol Hill could shake that foundation at any time.
“The major challenge that we can all agree on is government issues that are facing our profession today,” Castro remarked. “We need to continue strengthening our relationships to assure that those [who] are deciding what our work is worth thoroughly understand the importance of what we do.”
When he describes BCP’s biggest legislative challenge, his words could be those of any AOPA, ABC, BOC or PFA president: “Getting everyone to understand particular Medicare codes that fall within our scope of practice.”
However daunting, Castro remains unfazed by any uphill battles he may have as BCP’s president.
He praises the steadying support of his wife and business partner, Isabel. But, experience has been his real teacher.
“I have been an entrepreneur since I was 16,” he said. “The school of hard knocks has taught me well. And this knowledge that I have gained in order to grow and sustain a successful business, I hope to bring into my position as president to continue the positive momentum of the BCP board and our initiatives.”
Marique Newell is the staff writer for the O&P Almanac.
By Carrie Parsons
With a year of experience already under his belt, Bryan Malas, CO, is charging full steam ahead into his final year as the chairman of the National Commission on Orthotic & Prosthetic Education (NCOPE). His two-year term will end on Dec. 31.
Although his chairmanship is half over, Malas won’t be resting on his laurels—in fact, he’ll be doing just the opposite. He’ll be overseeing NCOPE’s most ambitious agenda ever.
At the top of that list is an O&P Education Summit, which NCOPE will host jointly with the Academy this April. The Summit will explore the future of O&P education.
“The fundamental question is: where do we want to be in 10 years with education?” Malas said.
Malas has tapped Bill Barringer, CO, FAAOP, a past chairman of NCOPE and the chief of the University of Oklahoma’s orthotics section, to oversee the Summit. “Bill is the ideal person for this [role], because of his history with education, and not only with education, but with the profession,” Malas explained.
Funding for the O&P Education Summit will be covered by the Academy’s grant from the Department of Education. NCOPE will work on details such as who will take part in the Summit, how it will be run and what topics will be covered.
One issue that’s been discussed at some length is who to invite. NCOPE is asking a number of groups to send representatives to the Summit, including the Academy, ABC, BOC, the O&P master’s-level programs, the bachelor’s programs, the technical/assistant-level programs, AOPA and the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO).
Malas, Barringer and other Summit planners are also spending a great deal of time determining what questions to pose to participants.
Once the Summit is over, a core group of participants will cull the information that comes out of the meeting and produce a report, which will be made public to the O&P community.
There are various ways NCOPE could use the information, Malas said, “anywhere from possibly making a standards change or just simply a strong recommendation or suggestion.”
The Summit will definitely be a large focus for NCOPE this year, but Malas will tend to other areas as well.
One of his goals is to increase committee activities. In fact, one of the committees will begin looking more closely at how NCOPE can better help residents with the research process.
NCOPE has also been working hard transitioning to outcomes-based standards, which the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs is mandating be done by 2007. “It’s been a lot of work, but we’re very close to completing the outcomes standards,” Malas reported.
One issue NCOPE, along with the rest of the field, has been struggling with for several years is how to increase the number and quality of individuals applying to O&P schools. Under Malas’s leadership, NCOPE has taken a step toward raising those numbers and now requires residents to perform one public service duty, such as talking about O&P at a local junior high or high school.
While Malas has been moving NCOPE forward, he himself has been making changes, too. After 12 years at Northwestern University, he left to take a position at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago as director of the orthotics department.
The position offers new challenges, says Malas. He has increased clinical and administrative responsibilities and also a great deal of opportunity for research in the future.
“That’s one of the things I think that’s always been attractive about this field, is that there are a lot of different possibilities and a lot of different facets within the profession itself,” he noted.
Malas first became aware of the multifaceted nature of O&P at the age of 13, when he took a job cleaning the lab of an orthotist in his hometown.
That orthotist, David Pinto, CO, of the University of California at Davis, became one of his mentors. And by the time Malas was 15, he knew he wanted to practice O&P.
He received his bachelor’s degree in anatomy physiology from California State University at Long Beach, his orthotic training from Northwestern University and his master’s in health profession education from the University of Illinois, Chicago.
Although he is no longer with Northwestern full time, Malas still teaches as an adjunct faculty member there. In fact, he has lectured a number of times at the school in that capacity already.
Malas also recently accepted a position on ISPO’s Education Committee, which will give him a global perspective.
The O&P profession can expect more involvement in O&P education from Malas for years to come. In fact, he can’t imagine ever getting away from it completely. As he puts it, “Education is in my blood.”
Carrie Parsons is the managing editor of the O&P Almanac.
By Carrie Parsons
Like the majority of Americans, Jack Richmond was completely unaware of O&P—that is, until he lost his leg in an accident 17 years ago. Now, as president of the Orthotic & Prosthetic Assistance Fund (OPAF), Richmond is making it one of his goals to spread the word far and wide about the O&P community. He assumed the presidency on Dec. 1.
After Richmond received his first prosthesis, he became enthralled with the O&P field and even switched careers to become part of it. He started out as a technician, then worked in physical therapy doing gait training with amputees, and finally, he transitioned to selling O&P products and services.
What he enjoys most about his current position as area sales manager for The Fillauer Companies, headquartered in Chattanooga, Tenn., is that it gives him an opportunity to talk with many practitioners, hear their ideas, learn what inspires them and find out what they think is in O&P’s future.
As a sales manager, Richmond is accustomed to making people aware of his company and its products. That’s experience he can use to lead OPAF in creating greater awareness about the O&P profession and technology.
Richmond believes that since OPAF has broadened its focus to that of assisting individuals who use orthoses and prostheses, the organization is now in a good position to reach more people.
In fact, the unprecedented growth of OPAF’s initiatives last year—including the Washington, D.C. Community Initiative, Fit for Life™ Program, Grant Program and Public Service Announcement Program—has enabled the organization to reach its greatest number of individuals with disabilities ever.
Because of these programs, OPAF was able to introduce O&P to literally thousands of people. And Richmond has high hopes that OPAF can find sufficient funds to expand the activities of these programs.
Financial support is especially needed to replicate the Washington, D.C. Community Initiative across the country. Through generous volunteer efforts, OPAF will launch a pilot program of that initiative in the Milwaukee area this year.
Stronger financial support and greater collaborations with other nonprofit organizations would also allow OPAF to expand its resources for individuals with disabilities.
For instance, Richmond would like to see if there’s a way OPAF could work with the various camps for individuals with disabilities—such as amputee camps and camps for kids with multiple sclerosis. He believes there might be an opportunity to assist them through OPAF’s existing Grant Program, but also through providing the camps with volunteers from the O&P community. Such a program would likely raise further public awareness of the field.
“My vision for the O&P Assistance Fund…is that it will continue to develop as a pathway through which members of the O&P community will have the opportunity to increase the awareness of the life-changing services they have to offer,” he explained.
Richmond himself has given back to the field for years in various ways. He spent several years as president of a support group in Florida. He currently serves on the Barr Foundation’s board, and he co-founded the Barr/United Amputee Assistance Fund. He has also been involved with the Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) for the last 10 years as a peer advisor and has attended and spoken at ACA’s annual meetings. And, of course, he’s devoted several years of service to OPAF, occupying various positions on the board since 2001.
“I am someone who thought his life as he knew it was over with the loss of a limb,” Richmond remarked. “O&P did nothing short of giving my life—and more—back to me. I’m privileged to have the opportunity to spread the word about the people and technology that have done so much for so many.”
Richmond is a competitive athlete who first became involved with OPAF around the time it started shifting away from its athletic focus. He says initially that focus drew him to become involved in the organization. But he believes that OPAF’s broader mission has “been a positive transition.”
In his personal life, Richmond still focuses on athletics. In 2005, he hopes to run the New York City Marathon again. It would be his fifth one. He’s also a recreational cyclist.
And he spends a great deal of time with his 15-year-old son and 17-year-old, college-bound daughter.
Richmond’s passion for the field has even rubbed off on his daughter. She told him that she wants to go into O&P. “It’s extremely exciting for her dad,” he remarked.
Richmond is also excited about leading OPAF this year. And you can bet that, whether he’s talking to one of his kids, a practitioner or amputee, he’ll continue to spread the word about all of the good things being done in the O&P field and by OPAF.
Carrie Parsons is the managing editor of the O&P Almanac.