OPGA at AOPA 2022: Connection, Counsel, and Community

Published in Orthotics & Prosthetics on October 13, 2022

AOPA The AOPA 2022 National Assembly took place from Sept. 28—Oct. 1, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas, and OPGA was able to connect with many fellow O&P professionals. Whether at the booth to discuss the services and solutions offered through OPGA, including payer relations, referral source data, business insurance, and more, or learning who the 2022 O&P Woman of the Year was, or meeting with various key players in O&P, OPGA team members were amazed by the true connection they felt at the assembly.

OPGA’s Adam Miller, President, and Denise Doyle, Director of Business Development, both attended AOPA for the first time this year. What stood out to them the most was the level of engagement and sense of community throughout the assembly.

“One thing that I was very surprised about was just the simple engagement of the people that were there,” said Miller. “People were genuinely interested in talking to (us). You didn't have to insert yourself into conversations in order to make that connection. Overall, everyone seemed very engaged, both from a supplier partner and practice-side.”

“The synergy was exceptional,” said Doyle. “People were excited to see everyone face-to-face again.”

The theme of this year's assembly was “The Intersection of Humanity and Technology,” and there was a prominent showcasing of innovation, technology, and the future of the profession. The assembly consisted of education tracks, workshops, general sessions, and an immersive exhibit hall in which many of the exhibitors were OPGA supplier partners.

“I felt like there was a very good representation from the supplier partner side,” said Miller. “At the same time, the show organizers did a really nice job of making sure there was dedicated exhibit time. You don't often see that with a lot of national shows such as this.”

The dedicated exhibit hall times helped encourage connection between attendees and exhibitors. OPGA’s booth in the exhibit hall was very well-attended and included representation for solutions on payer relations, referral source data, business insurance, and much more.

“We appreciate those who stopped by our booth to greet us,” said Miller. “Since Denise and I are newer to the profession, we truly felt welcomed.”

O&P Woman of the Year

WOY One of the main highlights of the assembly for OPGA was the announcement of the 2022 O&P Woman of the Year Award winner. Nina Bondre, Education Specialist with Ottobock Healthcare, was announced as the winner in the OPGA booth on Thursday, Sept. 29 at 9:45 a.m. CT.

The announcement took place in a hybrid format, with two of the four finalists attending virtually via computer screen at the booth, while the other two finalists were at the booth in-person.

“Being part of the O&P Woman of the Year process and ceremony this year was a great experience,” said Doyle. “This event continues to be impactful to OPGA members and the profession.”

Connections Throughout O&P

Throughout the conference, OPGA met with several members, advocacy groups, supplier partners, and more.

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“I feel we represented ourselves across the board with all of those that were there in attendance, and we threw in every little bit of time mingling and communicating with all the key players that were present,” said Doyle. “As a first-time attendee of AOPA and being newer to OPGA, I feel that the assembly was very impactful.”

Knowing that both Denise and Adam were newer to OPGA, it was apparent just how welcoming and tightly knit the O&P profession really is. Almost everyone they met with wanted to make sure Adam and Denise got familiarized with everybody else in the profession, something that was deeply appreciated by OPGA.

“I had always heard that the O&P profession was very tight knit, but I didn't realize how tight knit it was,” stated Miller. “This profession is all in it together, and anything that they can do to help one another is extremely apparent. Knowing that both Denise and I are relatively new, a lot of people went out of their way to introduce us to people or share a share something about new opportunities, what's going on in the profession, or issues that people are facing.”

AOPA “Thank you to those who took the time to talk with Adam and I,” commented Doyle. “We truly appreciate your kind words, comments, and feedback since both of us were new to this show. The conversations we had at AOPA and continue to have with our members and supplier partners each day help position ourselves as a membership and help us strategize for the future on where we need to be and what we can do better or differently.”

“Everybody cares about the patients that they serve, but it really feels like it's a team effort across the board," concluded Miler. “It was just a very positive atmosphere of people really wanting to help Denise and I being new in O&P for things that they think that we should know or people we should meet, and it was refreshing.”

The passion for O&P was evident during the AOPA 2022 National Assembly, and OPGA looks forward to future events to continue working towards the good of the O&P profession.

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