Certificate in O&P Business Management

The Certificate in O&P Business Management is a comprehensive certificate program that offers a series of business and management courses to provide business owners, managers, and practitioners of O&P patient care facilities, O&P manufacturers and distributors an opportunity to explore crucial business challenges—from finance, sales and marketing to business operations, reimbursement policies and management.

The NEW and IMPROVED Certificate in O&P Business Management is similar to non-degree continuing education programs that universities offer in conjunction with their MBA programs. The courses will be offered online, at the AOPA National Assembly, and at targeted seminars throughout the country (such as the Mastering Medicare: Essential Coding and Billing Techniques Seminar).

This unique leadership experience will provide YOU an opportunity to learn fresh insights, new tools, and proven techniques for developing better business practices, while improving your company’s  returns.

Need more information? Read through the FAQs. Or download the one-pager.

2024 COURSE SCHEDULE

REGISTER FOR THE UPCOMING LIVE VIRTUAL CORE COURSE: Healthcare Operations

Area of LearningCore CourseElective Courses
Healthcare OperationsHealthcare Operations for O&P Professionals:  
Operations Management (OM) is to make “Right” (“Optimal”) decisions to achieve organizational goals. In this module, you will study the tools and techniques for planning, design, operation, control, and improvement of the processes which produce goods and deliver services.

Offered as a live virtual April 23rd & 25th from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm ET Register
Cost $500
Hosted by the University of Hartford, Barney School of Business
Learn how to get claims paid, survive audits, collect interest from Medicare, and file successful appeals. In addition, our experts have updated the Policies and Procedures section and will be presenting the new rules for Standard Written Orders which replace the need for an initial/dispensing order and a separate detailed written order.

Mastering Medicare: Advanced Coding and Billing Techniques
Offered as a Live Virtual Course three times per year. Upcoming course early 2024
Cost $295-420
Hosted by AOPA

Clinical Documentation and Evaluation
Currently available on demand
Cost $99 Members/$199 Non Members
Hosted by AOPA
Register
Healthcare ManagementHealthcare Management for O&P Professionals  
Understanding how to provide effective and efficient Healthcare Management is an essential ability for O&P Professionals to have as they juggle multiple roles while planning and managing their own and sometimes the work or others. The focus of this course is on developing more knowledge about, and skills in, how to better manage multiple, individual, and team priorities at work.  

Open from January 17 – May 8, 2024
Cost $500
Hosted by the University of Hartford, Barney School of Business
Register
Ethics and Compliance in Orthotics and Prosthetics
Ethics are the foundation for your compliance plan. This program will cover- What are ethics? How does the concept of ethics drive your compliance plan? Why are ethics and compliance important? What are your responsibilities to patients, physicians, and the profession?


Ethics and Compliance in Orthotics and Prosthetics
Currently available on demand.
Cost $99 Members/$199 Non-Members
Hosted by AOPA
Register
FinanceFinancial Management for O&P Professionals
The Financial Management module is designed to provide business financial management concepts and perspectives for O&P professionals. Key topics and concepts: Healthcare Today, Business Models, Accounting & Finance Pillars, and Strategic Decisions.

Offered as a live-virtual Course February 12 and 13, 1 - 4pm ET
Register
Cost $500
Hosted by the University of Hartford, Barney School of Business
Managed Care Contracting for O & P involves principles of Finance, Law, Marketing and Cost Accounting/Rate Analysis

How to Analyze and Negotiate Managed Care Contracts
Currently available on demand
Cost $99 Members/$199 Non Members
Hosted by AOPA
Register
Sales and MarketingSales and Marketing for O&P Professionals
The course examines marketing’s role in an enterprise. It lays out the functions of marketing and exposes the student to a variety of marketing tools including approaches to personal selling and details the many digital marketing tools available.

Open from January 17 – May 8, 2024
Register
Cost $500
Hosted by the University of Hartford, Barney School of Business
This course is designed just for you, building on marketing basics that helps you build your understanding and create a plan that fits into your clinic workflow. Starting with brand and what makes you different, we'll layer on strategy and identify tactics, using a worksheet format to develop a focused plan.

O&P Marketing Strategies: Turning Trends into Actions
Available on demand
Cost $99 Members/$199 Non Members
Hosted by AOPA
Register

ENROLLMENT

Earning your Certificate is as easy as 1-2-3:

  1. To enroll in the program, complete the online form
  2. Select and complete four required Core Courses and four Elective Courses within four years and pass a Course specific quiz for each program. (one Core and one Elective course from each of the four areas of learning.)  Note that you must register for each Core and Elective Course you want to take to count towards your Certificate:
    1. To enroll in Core Courses, access University of Hartford storefront. (Instructions can be found here).
    2. To enroll in Elective Courses, click on links in table above.
  3. Participants who successfully complete the program will be awarded a frameable certificate from both the University of Hartford and AOPA during a ceremony at the AOPA National Assembly and will be recognized in the O&P Almanac and on the AOPA website.

Learn more about the University of Hartford Core Courses here.

Contacts:

For questions about the overall Certificate or Electives please contact info@aopanet.org.

For questions about Core Courses please contact AOPA@hartford.edu.

About the University of Hartford’s Barney School of Business: Real-world focus. Proven Results. The Barney School of Business is recognized for its ever-evolving curriculum, tangible learning opportunities, and innovative Career Ready program. Bloomberg Businessweek and The Princeton Review have ranked Barney as one of the top business schools in the country. Our accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) places Barney among the top five percent of business schools in the world.