8:00 – 8:45 AM
Exhibitor Set Up

8:30 – 9:00 AM
Registration & Breakfast

9:00 – 9:15 AM
Welcoming Remarks/COPA Update by Spencer Greene, Hanger Regional Director & COPA President

9:15 – 10:15 AM
Keynote Speakers: Drs. Andrew Li and Jonathon Schofield
Keynote: Working Towards Prosthesis Embodiment: A Multidisciplinary Approach
What is prosthesis embodiment? What are the mechanisms behind prosthesis embodiment? What can we do to work towards attaining prosthesis embodiment for the limb loss patient?

10:15 – 10:30 AM
Break & Exhibit

10:30 – 11:15 AM
Mark Muller, CPO, MS, FAAOP, Chair of O&P Department, CSUDH
Digital Workflow, Additive Manufacturing, and Curriculum Enhancement in O&P Education
Digital workflow and additive manufacturing in O&P education. Most O&P education programs have been introducing digital workflow and demonstrating some form of additive manufacturing training for years now. So, what is different now? Employers and students have been asked what skills they would like new practitioners to possess, and digital skills are just as important as communication skills, assessment skills, and practice management skills. Current NCOPE O&P curriculum guidelines have little to no requirements on teaching digital image capture, CAD rectification, and do not address additive manufacturing or any other digital fabrication techniques, so where will these students learn these skills? The CSUDH MSOP program has rapidly enhanced their curriculum to include hundreds of hours of digital education and clinical application of digital workflow to address this need. Objectives for this talk: 1. Awareness of the need to teach digital workflow skills to new practitioners. 2. Awareness of how to incorporate digital workflows and new digital fabrication methods in O&P Practice 3. Understanding of how O&P curriculum is evolving to meet market demands.

11:15 – 12:15 PM
Panel Discussion: Engaging the Next Generation of O&P Professionals
Riley Liddell, Director of Orthotics & Prosthetics at Pacific Medical, Inc.; Gary Berke, Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor at Stanford University; Mellisa Warden, and Linda Collins (Moderator), Director of Reimbursement and Compliance Director, Reimbursement and Compliance at Pacific Medical, Inc.

12:15 – 1:45 PM
Lunch & Exhibit

1:45 – 2:30 PM
Karl Lindborg, CPO/LP, Clinical Practice Consultant/Upper Limb Specialist CPO/LP
The International Transradial Adjustable Limb (ITAL) Used as a Single “TRANSFORMER” Trans-Radial Prosthesis: From Immediate/Preparatory Body Powered Through a Trial External Powered Prosthesis
Upper limb prosthetic fittings can be challenging for prosthetists whose skill set is in providing lower limb prosthetic devices. This is due in part to the higher incidence of lower limb prosthetic fittings compared ‘to upper limb prosthetic fittings. Providing an easier pathway for fitting upper limb prosthetic fittings could simplify this challenge. The normal pathway for fitting an upper limb prosthesis is to begin with a body-powered prosthesis and then as the residual limb stabilizes and basic training is achieved, advancing to a more intimate fitting external powered prosthesis can be trialed. It is well known that early fitting of an upper limb prosthesis reduces the probability of the user rejecting the prosthesis. Specific to transradial fittings, starting an early fitting process with a modular preparatory body-powered prosthesis like the ITAL could provide immediate fitting results and the user’s limb matures and stabilizes, the ITAL device could be transformed to a trial external powered system by upcycling the preparatory prosthesis. Creation of a custom interface that can be placed in the ITAL would allow for easier myo-control testing and trialing of various external powered terminal devices. This in turn could allow occupational therapists and prosthetists the opportunity to clinically justify advancement to an externally powered system.

2:30 – 3:15 PM
Lucas DeLuca, Director of Community Engagement at the Amputee Coalition
The Power of Peer Support
By attending this session participants will learn what peer support programs the Amputee Coalition runs and how these programs address individual, community, and system-wide aide. Furthermore, we will review the ways participants can find and access these programs highlighting the importance of multimodalities. Lastly, once participants know what is offered and where it can be accessed, those in attendance will learn how they can become more involved to help facilitate and/or foster peer support programs in their local community.

3:15 – 3:30 PM
Break & Exhibit

3:30 – 4:15 PM
Kelly Grahovac, General Manager, The van Halem Group
O&P Audit Response Plan
Since the end of the PHE, O&P providers have experienced a barrage of audits from Federal, State, and private payors. In this session, Kelly will explain which contractors are auditing orthotics and prosthetics, what these contractors are reviewing in the audits, and how to respond to these audits to ensure providers can pass audits successfully. This presentation will identify key areas that auditors are focusing their efforts on currently, help understand potential audit risks, and identify tools and processes to help mitigate audit risk.

4:15 – 5:00 PM
Karl Lindborg, CPO/LP
Fabrication with Silicone (HCR High Consistency Rubber/Milled Silicone)
HCR silicone, also known as milled or rolled silicone, is emerging as a new interface material used primarily in upper limb prosthetics. There are applications for lower limb prosthetics and the HCR silicone can be also used in some orthotic applications. There is a range of stiffness categorized as shore or durometer that can be blended together to create softer spots for sensitive areas as well as stiffer areas for a more robust interface. Zippers, bladders, anchor screws, and even ribbon wire passages can be built into the interface to create seamless transitions in the prosthetic or orthotic device. Clear dx interface designs as well as an array of finished colors can be built into the final silicone design.

Learning Objectives:
• assessing appropriate candidates for HCR silicone
• materials needed to make a positive impression using 2-part impression silicone
• plaster preparation for positive mold-equipment utilized to fabricate and finish HCR silicone
• lab requirements for fabricating HCR silicone
• chemical properties of HCR silicone-primer used for zippers, anchors
• review of zippers, anchors, bladders, and reinforcement used in HCR silicone
• dx silicone fabrication process using clear silicone and dx frame
• working and curing time of HCR silicone
• definitive silicone fabrication and preparation of definitive frame

5:00 – 6:30 PM
Group Photo & Happy Hour

Dr. Andrew Li
Hand and Upper Extremity Microvascular Reconstructive Surgeon
University of California, Davis

Dr. Andrew Li is a board-certified Hand and Upper Extremity Microvascular Reconstructive Surgeon. His clinical practice includes peripheral nerve surgery including endoscopic carpal tunnel release, brachial plexus reconstruction, forearm, wrist, and hand trauma, rheumatoid hand deformities, tetraplegia hand function optimization, free tissue transfer, limb salvage, as well as limb loss optimization procedures such as targeted muscle reinnervation, and osseointegration in conjunction with Orthopedic surgery. He founded PETIT (Prosthesis Embodiment Through Intuitive Technology) at UC Davis, a multidisciplinary consortium here at UC Davis whose goal is to help our limb loss patients attain prosthesis embodiment: the consideration of a prosthesis not simply as an assistive device, but instead as a part of the patient’s self and identity.

Karl Lindborg, CPO/LP
Clinical Practice Consultant/Upper Limb Specialist CPO/LP, Intersect OPS

Karl Lindborg, Consultant with Intersect Orthotic and Prosthetic Solutions (Intersect OPS), is a Certified Prosthetist and Orthotist (CPO), and an Upper Limb Clinical Specialist. He graduated from the University of Washington School of Rehabilitative Medicine’s Prosthetic and Orthotic Program, and has worked in the private, institutional, and manufacturer sectors of the O&P industry. Karl has 16 years concentrated experience in upper limb advanced prosthetics technology, with an additional 24 years of experience as an upper and lower limb O&P Clinician/Technician. He has presented at state, regional, national, and international conferences and provides technical, clinical, and educational support to clinicians, manufacturers, and academic institutions. He is published in industry periodicals. Karl’s passion for his work, his industry, technological innovation, and the people who benefit from all three continues to drive him.

Kelly Grahovac
General Manager, The van Halem Group

Kelly Grahovac serves as the General Manager for The van Halem Group where she focuses on audits, appeals, compliance, and education across multiple lines of business and various specialties. Kelly uses her 20 years’ experience in Medicare regulations to assist providers as they navigate the ever changing healthcare payor landscape. Kelly is a known lecturer in the post-acute care industry, speaking at national conferences, state associations, and for private events. In addition, Kelly is a common contributor to a variety of industry publications.

Mark Clary, CPO, FAAOP
Vice-Chair of NCOPE

Mark has over 27 years of experience working in the O&P industry, including two years as a technician before completing his clinical training at Northwestern University and the University of Michigan, where he stayed on board as part of their clinical staff for eight years. More recently, he worked as a CPO at Yanke Bionics in Cleveland, Ohio for over 10 years prior to his decision to be a clinical educator for the new start-up company Xtremity in June of 2022. Mark is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists, and Immediate Past President of the Ohio Chapter, and currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the National Commission on O&P Education.

Emily Seelenfreund
Executive Director at Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program (BORP)

Emily Seelenfreund joined BORP Adaptive Sports and Recreation as its Executive Director in 2023. Previously Emily worked for the City of Oakland as their Programmatic Access Coordinator and for Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) as an attorney litigating cases protecting the rights of people with disabilities nationwide.
In 2019 she co-founded ParaCliffHangers, a nonprofit focused on indoor and outdoor adaptive climbing opportunities  Emily played collegiate wheelchair basketball and is a competitive rock climber, having won 2 silver medals at Paraclimbing world cups.

Mellisa Warden

Mellisa Warden is a lifelong athlete and advocate. While obtaining her BA in Political Science at Western Washington University, she volunteered at a therapeutic riding program where she was introduced to adaptive sports. Despite not pursuing a law degree as planned, Mellisa has spent her life advocating for a fair playing field in sports as an international equestrian and licensed official. When not competing, officiating, or working as a large animal vet tech, she spent weekends pacing marathons, sweeping ultras, and crewing at 100-mile races. After an accident in 2019 and failed salvage resulting in amputation, Mellisa found the skills she had acquired over a lifetime brought her to a new career in orthotics and prosthetics with a desire to help others realize that life is not over after limb loss.

Gary M. Berke MS, CP, FAAOP
Chief Clinical Officer, Xtremity Prosthetics

Gary is currently serving as an Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Stanford University. He is also the Chief Clinical Officer, at Xtremity Prosthetics in Denver, Colorado. He is a past president of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists and is currently serving on the AOPA socket strength workgroup and on the International Standards Organization (ISO) committee defining socket strength and testing standards.