8:00 AM  Exhibitor Setup

8:30 AM  Registration & Breakfast

9:00 AM  Welcoming Remarks/COPA Update
by Spencer Greene, Hanger Regional Director & COPA President

9:15 AM  Government Affairs Update
by Bryce W. A. Docherty, Founder & CEO, TDG Strategies, LLC

9:45 AM  Best Practices: Appropriate Benchtop and Clinical Testing Protocols for Socket Safety
by Gary Berke, MS, CP, FAAOP, Xtremity

Thermoplastic polymers (polypropylene, copolymer, etc.) have been used for prosthetic sockets for many years. Recently, 3D printing and newer custom thermoplastic materials have made their way to prosthetics, and with that, the concern over the effect on patient perception, fit, and function as well as practitioner acceptance grows. Benchtop testing standards for TransTibial sockets (TT) are currently limited and therefore clinical validation of the use of various polymer sockets is required for practitioners to accept this as a definitive prosthetic socket alternative. This paper will explore the recommended techniques for clinical and benchtop testing standards and the results as they pertain to the Xtremity socket system.

10:30 AM  BREAK

10:45 AM  Toolkit Update
by Linda Collins, Össur

11:00 AM  What I Learned in My First Year as a Lobbyist
by Whitney Doyle, Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology

As practitioners, we are advocating for our patients every day. What happens when our advocacy needs to go beyond the gait lab and into the Capitol? This presentation will share my experience as a registered lobbyist in Florida. Topics will include where to find information, where to begin your advocacy efforts and the successes and challenges during my first year lobbying for a nonprofit. Participants will learn how to get started as a lobbyist and a few simple steps on how to reach legislative success.

11:45 AM  Message from Challenged Athletes Foundation

12:00 PM  LUNCH & EXHIBIT

1:30 PM  A Collaborative Approach to Improving the Healthcare Access Landscape for Patients Living with Limb Loss and Limb Difference
by Ashlie White, MA, Amputee Coalition

If you could change one restrictive insurance policy overnight, what would it be? The most common answers to this question might surprise you, but the range of answers provided is perhaps the most telling. Systems change is a long game, and for a niche health specialty like O&P, it requires everyone to be on the same page, to pool resources, and to stand together. The Science Policy Interface provides a framework for evidence-informed policy making and underscores the importance of diverse involvement. This session will provide a roadmap for ways you can view your role in healthcare access advocacy.

2:30 PM  Communication, Proprioception, and Other Ways To Think Outside the Box
by Cosi Belloso, MSPT, Owner of Palanca, Inc.

After listening to this lecture, attendees will be able to recall and/or demonstrate the following:
• The importance of patient education and communication and strategies for improvement based on speaker’s clinical experience.
• Utilizing above mentioned communication strategies to provide patient education regarding the concept of proprioception, how it relates to initial prosthetic training, and foundational exercises applicable to every level of amputation.
• Community resources and strategies to provide patients with an improved care experience in the post acute/outpatient clinical setting.

3:15 PM  Scanning, Modeling and 3D Printing of an AFO–The Digital Process Chain
by Richard Miltenberger, Mecuris GmbH

Gain insight into 3D scanning and skeletal correction of a patient’s limb. The lower extremity can now be digitally manipulated in all planes, accommodating the practitioner’s preferred alignment and treatment goals. A 3D printed AFO is generated using the cloud-based software “The Mecuris Solution Platform.” Attendees will learn:

• the knowledge of how to orient and correct the skeletal alignment of the scan
• how the practitioner can digitally create an AFO ready for 3D printing
• the pros and cons of scanning vs. hybrid methods.

4:15 PM  Twenty-Two Year “Lean” Journey in Prosthetics and Orthotics
A Virtual Presentation by David Hughes, Cornerstone P & O

5:00 PM Happy Hour & Dinner

Ashlie White, MA
Director of Strategic Alliances, American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA)

Ashlie White, MA, is the Director of Strategic Alliances for the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association. Prior to joining AOPA, she served as the Director of Operations for Beacon Prosthetics and Orthotics. She served eight years as the Director of Government Affairs for the North Carolina Orthotics and Prosthetics Trade Association (NCOPTA), and four years on the Board of Directors for the National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics (NAAOP). Ms. White holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and a Master’s Degree in Digital Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

Bryce Docherty
Founder & CEO of TDG Strategies, LLC

Bryce Docherty is Founder & CEO of TDG Strategies. For over 25 years, Mr. Docherty has represented a vast array of healthcare and medical interests before all areas of state government, including physicians and surgeons, pharmacists, mid-level healthcare providers, medical device manufacturers, pharmaceuticals, telehealth disrupters, and health facilities.

Some of Mr. Docherty’s prior representations and involvements include:
• Partner at KP Public Affairs, one of California’s largest lobbying and public affairs firms.
• President & CEO of The Docherty Group, an independent full-service consulting, government relations, and association management firm.
• Executive Director of the California Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (COPA).
• Adjunct Professor at Touro University.
• Associate Director of Government Relations for the California Medical Association.
• Legislative advocate for the Michigan State Medical Society.
• Director of Government Relations and Assistant Director for other California-based healthcare trade associations and non-profit charitable foundations.

Richard Miltenberger, CPO
Atlas3D LLC, Mecuris GmbH

Richard Miltenberger is a CPO with 14 years in the O&P industry. As part of his career, he spent 5 years working at the C5 combat amputee care center at the Naval Medical Center San Diego, and has since been involved in private clinical practice, research and development, and digital design. He is a consultant with the Mecuris Solution Platform, training CPOs in 3D modeling and digital design of orthotic and prosthetic devices.

Cosi Belloso, MSPT
Owner of Palanca, Inc and host of Cosi Talks

Cosi Belloso, MSPT is a physical therapist with 20 years experience. She has served her patients in clinical settings including ICU, acute/post-op, inpatient rehab, outpatient, and home health. She has treated within several specialties including high level trauma care, spinal cord injury, burn trauma, pediatrics, oncology, transplant, cardiac and traumatic brain injury. Her passion is working with the amputee/limb loss community.
She opened her private outpatient clinic, Palanca, in 2018 to provide rehabilitation to those recovering from limb loss and provides pre-prosthetic care, gait training and return to running and sports programs.
She is also the host of Cosi Talks, a live talk show broadcasting every Wednesday evening to a global audience. Cosi Talks provides amputees, their clinicians and caregivers an opportunity to gain information, education, and empowerment while recovering from limb loss during all stages. Her online video and book fitness program, Cosi Talks Strong Body, was launched in November 2021 to further provide resources for her viewers, patients, and fellow clinicians.

Justin Pratt, CP, Össur

Upon joining Össur Americas, Justin was assigned to the role of Clinical specialist, which serves as a clinical educational resource for Certified Prosthetists as well as various Össur teams within sales, marketing, and engineering. Justin then transitioned to supporting the education and continued development of POWER KNEE, focusing on this technology while supporting various other aspects of the business. In the Spring of 2015, Justin was assigned to be the Össur Academy Director, managing the Össur Academy Team which held responsibilities with Education platforms, strategic planning, and execution of various clinical projects, supporting the marketing team as well as Research and development. In April 2020, Justin was promoted to Sr. Director of Össur Academy Americas, Prosthetics. This continued the responsibilities with his clinical team as well as extended with the Touch Solutions/Upper Limb Bionics Team.