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! I would like to highlight some of the initiatives we have undertaken since the start of the year: continuation of the monthly webinar series presented by ISPO Mexico, US ISPO, and ISPO Canada to promote topics of interest to the P&O community; promotion of the virtual ISPO World Congress being held November 1-4, 2021; sponsorship of the Ontario Association for Amputee Care Conference (OAAC) held on May 7th. ISPO Canada’s sponsorship enabled trainees and students to attend the event free of charge, and provided first and second place prizes for winners of the poster competition; initiation of a survey to members, past members and non-members. The survey results will help guide our organisation’s activities over the next 3-5 years. Our goal is to be an organisation that is relevant and responsive to the needs of the P&O community in Canada. With Covid 19 cases finally slowing and trending downwards in Canada we can look to a new normal. However, we should recognize that the rest of the world, particularly residents of lower income countries, need to be vaccinated at similar rates as we have achieved in Canada to truly beat the worst effects of this virus. The pandemic underlines the need for global efforts to tackle the many problems we face worldwide. Finally, I would like to acknowledge that the recent uncovering of the remains of children at residential schools in B.C. and other provinces underlines the need for continued truth and reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada. We have a long road ahead to understand the impact of the colonial system on First Nations people. It is my hope that sustained effort is made to right the wrongs of the past, and allow for equal opportunity in communities that have long been disadvantaged. I wish you all a wonderful summer and look forward to connecting in the Fall at our AGM, on Saturday, October 23rd. Regards, Rajiv President, ISPO Canada | | ISPO Canada Survey Results ISPO Canada recently conducted a survey of our members, past members and non-members. We wanted to find out what we are doing well, what priority areas we can work on in the next 3-5 years and how to grow our member base. Here are some highlights of what respondents said: - ISPO Canada is uniquely positioned to bring together users, professionals and industry across the country (most respondents strongly agreed or agreed with this statement)
- ISPO provides a unique link to an interdisciplinary team across Canada
- ISPO Canada newsletter, POI (Prosthetics Orthotics International Journal) and the current webinar series are valued benefits of being a member
- ISPO Canada connects members with the work of ISPO International and the global rehabilitation community
- ISPO provides opportunities for multidisciplinary education
- ISPO Canada’s strength is its diversity, global contact and focus on mobility
Thank you to everyone who filled out our survey and congratulations to the survey contest winner, Bram Kok! We are reviewing the results to help formulate a strategic plan for our activities over the next 3-5 years, and will have information to present at our next AGM. | The OPC 2021 National Conference will be hosted virtually! The OPC National Conference is aimed at providing vital educational content and business development tools to adapt and navigate this era of technological change and advancement in our industry. It provides a forum for new research and cutting-edge technology and topics for leading O&P professionals to discuss ideas and debate the issues and challenges they face every day. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn, earn MCE’s and connect with fellow O&P professionals. For more information about the conference, click here! The schedule and information about the speakers will continually be updated. Register here! | International ISPO Webinars ISPO Mexico, along with US ISPO and ISPO Canada, is hosting a free monthly webinar series, leading up to the ISPO World Congress. To listen to some of the past webinars, click here! The next webinar will occur on Friday, September 3 at 11 AM EST. The topic will be 3D Brace Concept –Rigo-Chêneau (principles and classification) presented by Dr. Manuel Rigo, Medical director of the ‘Rigo Quera Salvá Institut’, scoliosis rehabilitation clinic. Please stay tuned for registration information. Find updates here! | AGM and Educational Session ISPO Canada and The Ontario Association of Prosthetics and Orthotics(OAPO) are pleased to host a virtual AGM and Educational Session on Saturday, October 23rd, 2021. Stay tuned for more details about the event! | 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. 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. The preliminary program has now been released and registration is open! Event details here! | Member profile highlight! In each newsletter we would like to start highlighting long standing ISPO members. In this edition, we would like to highlight Alain Plouffe! | Meet Alain Plouffe and hear his ISPO memories! Alain is a Certified Orthotist who currently oversees the Orthotics, Pedorthics, Prosthetics & Seating Program at the Queen Alexandra Centre in Victoria BC. His greatest joy is seeing how a patient's quality of life can be impacted through the P&O field by providing creative solutions with a combination of art and science. Alain recalls how he came to join ISPO: "I spent a good portion of my career working overseas for the International Committee of the Red Cross. During that time, I had the privilege of collaborating with professionals from all over the world and saw varying levels of access to training and education in our field. When I decided to come back to Canada, I wanted to stay involved in promoting P&O standards both locally and abroad. Joining ISPO and becoming an auditor seemed like a great way to do so." Joining ISPO has allowed Alain to connect with and learn from other like-minded professionals. | | Outside of his professional life, Alain enjoys everything the west coast has to offer by being outdoors with his family whenever possible. His best advice to new graduates is: "View the profession through a wide lens, think outside the box and challenge best practice. P&O continues to evolve and there are many opportunities for us to grow as professionals and be innovative for our patients." To read more about Alain's story, click below! More on Alain! | Student member highlight! Meet Elham Esfandiari! Elham is a last year PhD candidate in Rehabilitation Sciences at University of British Columbia with supervision of Dr. William C Miller. She already has a BSc and MSc in Prosthetics and Orthotics. She has been developing an online user-centred self-management program for people with lower limb loss for her PhD dissertation, called "Self-Management for Amputee Rehabilitation using Technology (SMART)". Her background and 6 years of working with veterans with lower limb injuries, inspired her to focus her research on this project. Her favorite things to do in spare time are gardening and fluid acrylic painting. And last but not least, she is from Shiraz, Iran. Shiraz is famous as a city of wine, poets, and flowers in Iran. | | Join the ISPO Canada Board! We are looking to recruit members to join the ISPO Canada board! Below are the positions available: - 2 student positions
- 1 general board member position
- 1 vice-president position
If you are interested in applying, please contact: info@ispocanada.ca | 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 | | | | | |
