Welcome to the ISPO Canada Member News As an ISPO Canada Member, we would like to stay in touch with you! In this issue, you will find an introduction to our new board members, information about the upcoming World Congress and links to our social media. We welcome your feedback on the Member News, and look forward to being in touch! If you'd like to get in touch, please use our new contact email: info@ispocanada.ca | Message from Rajiv Kalsi, ISPO Canada President Welcome to this edition of the ISPO Canada Newsletter! 2021 has begun with promising news of a vaccine rollout which appears to be moving into high gear as more vaccine becomes available. We are still expected to maintain physical distancing and restrict our contacts with groups of people, so zoom conferences and virtual meetings will take precedence over in-person meetings for a while yet. I would like to let you know about some virtual events ISPO Canada is participating in this year. The first is a monthly webinar series initiated by ISPO Mexico and supported by U.S. ISPO and ISPO Canada. The free series occurs on the last Friday of every month, and we have a set of speakers lined up that we hope you will find of interest. The other event is the Ontario Association for Amputee Care (OAAC) bi-annual conference, being held virtually on May 7, 2021. ISPO Canada is excited to sponsor the poster session for this event. Please find details about these events and how to register in this newsletter. I hope that the current pandemic situation loosens its grip, and we can all adjust to a new and hopefully improved post-pandemic future. Regards, Rajiv Kalsi President, ISPO Canada | | Annual Membership Renewal It's time to renew your membership! Membership comes with a host of benefits: - Be part of a community which makes contributions to the development of rehabilitation, mobility and assistive devices, Nationally and Internationally
- Be an active member in the development of ISPO initiatives by joining committees or working groups
- Free subscription to Prosthetics and Orthotics International (POI), a leading international scientific publication in the field of prosthetics and orthotics
- Reduced registration fees at ISPO World Congress, workshops, and professional activities from ISPO International
- Reduced registration fees at the ISPO Canada Symposium and other ISPO Canada sponsored events
- ISPO bi-monthly newsletter and regular ISPO Canada Member News
- Access to ISPO members-only portal, including online access to POI, recordings of sessions from ISPO events, connection to the member directory
Check out our website to learn more about becoming a member! Renew your ISPO Canada Membership Today! | OAAC Virtual Conference: May 7, 2021 The Ontario Association for Amputee Care (OAAC) is pleased to announce its 2021 Virtual Conference taking place on Friday May 7, 2021 from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm EST. The 2021 OAAC Virtual conference is intended for physicians, nurses, allied health professionals (i.e., prosthetists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, etc.), researchers, graduate students, and people with limb loss. We are pleased to have assembled a diverse set of speakers from across Canada and the U.S. to present on topics of interest to the limb loss community. Registration is now open! Full conference details here! | ISPO 18th World Congress: Update ISPO 18th World Congress will be a virtual event in 2021! The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) has decided to hold the ISPO 18th World Congress planned for 1 to 4 November 2021 as a virtual event and not on site in Mexico. ISPO puts the health and safety of participants, presenters, exhibitors, and staff at the highest priority. Therefore, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made an in-person 2021 World Congress in Guadalajara unviable. To secure global knowledge exchange and give professionals involved in the care of persons in need of prosthetic, orthotic, mobility, and assistive devices the opportunity to connect, a virtual event will be organised by ISPO International. Details will be published on the World Congress website as they become available. We recognise the importance of having an in-person event in Latin America. Therefore, in collaboration with ISPO Mexico, ISPO Canada, and US-ISPO, the ISPO World Congress will meet in Guadalajara in April 2023, once the world’s health and economic situations have strengthened. Check for updates here! | International ISPO Webinars ISPO Mexico is hosting a free monthly webinar series, which occurs on the last Friday of every month. Registration is now open. The next series will occur on Friday, April 30 and the topic will be “Occupational Therapy and Upper Limb Loss Rehabilitation” taught by Shawn Swanson Johnson, OTR/L. Please visit the link below for information on how to register. Register here! | Member profile highlight! In each newsletter would like to start highlighting long-time standing ISPO members. For the first newsletter of 2021, we would like to highlight Gertrude Mensch! | Meet Gertrude Mensch and hear her ISPO memories! Gertrude was a physiotherapist who specialized in Amputation Rehabilitation. Throughout her career, she worked at the Henderson General Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. To keep up with the advancements of prosthetics, Gertrude attended several National Prosthetic conventions. She would also provide in-service staff education on Amputation Rehabilitation and each team member's roles. Gertrude became an ISPO member in 1974, after attending an ISPO workshop. Since joining ISPO, she took on the responsibilities of secretary for ISPO in Canada and was elected to represent Canada on ISPO’s International Executive Board. In 1983 Gertrude received the honour of ISPO Fellowship. | | Her greatest achievements would be her numerous publications in journals, papers, and even her own book! Her best advice to new graduates is: "The answer is simple: Keep on learning. No one can take away from you what you have learned. Also join your professional association. It guides, advises and helps you keep up standards. It is your partner." To read more about Gertrude's incredible story, click below! Gertrude's story! | Student member highlight! Meet Alison Grant! Ali is a second-year student in the George Brown College Prosthetic and Orthotic Clinical Methods Program. She is also an ISPO Canada stduent board member. Upon graduating in May, Ali is moving to Winnipeg, MB to start her Orthotic Residency at Snider Orthotic Design. Outside of studying, Ali loves doing yoga and exercising outdoors with her dog Ernie. | | On Facebook! Follow our ISPO Canada page on Facebook to learn more about the organization and be social with us. The more active our community is, the greater benefit to all! Find us on Facebook | On Twitter! We are sharing content from ISPO International and the world of prosthetics and orthotics! Join the community on Twitter and be part of the conversation and stay informed! Follow us on Twitter | On Linkedin! You can now find us on Linkedin! Connect with us for regular society updates and resources. Stay connected and network with other professionals to share and exchange ideas and information! Connect with us on Linkedin | On Instagram! Follow us on instagram for regular society updates, current news and resources and reminders for upcoming events. Stay connected with members and engage with our community! Follow us on Instagram | | | | | |
