ISPO Canada Member News- Summer 2022

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

A message Bill Miller, ISPO Canada President!

Dear ISPO Canada Members,

In this newsletter we have many exciting updates for you from our national and international societies.

On the International front, we are excited to announce the launch of the new website! This project has been led by our own Dr. Ed Lemaire. After several years consulting with stakeholders, the beta version of the website has been introduced. Give it a quick visit and let us know what you think.

The ISPO World Congress is coming! We are eagerly anticipating our first face to face International World Congress since Japan 2019. The portal for abstract submissions is open now and closes September 12, 2022. Make sure to submit your research and see you in Gaudalajara, Mexico In April 2023!! Related to the upcoming international meeting we are cohosting (with the US and Mexico) the ongoing webinar series. The next webinar will occur on Friday July 29th. The webinar seris is entirely free to our members!

Nationally, ISPO Canada will be having a presence at the OPC Conference in Whistler, B.C. August 3-6. We will have a booth set up which will be hosted by many of our executive including Amy Richardson (vice President) and myself. I also have the privilege of providing a keynote talk at the pre-conference on Aug 3. The title of my talk is “Better together: Working with patients to improve their outcome”. I am excited to share some recent and ongoing research that involves bringing communities together with a common goal of making life better for individuals who use prosthetic and orthotic services.

Our target date for the fall AGM is Oct 22, 2022. For a third year in a row, we will be cohosting online education sessions with OAPO. Stay tuned for details released on our website, social media and in our upcoming newsletters.

Finally we highlight two new board members Brittany Pousett and student member Jenna Chow. We also added a Research and Education spotlight! Read on to learn more about the people who are working hard to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities by organizing events and education to support you in continuing to provide the best health care for your clients.

We hope you enjoy this issue of the newsletter.

Best,

Bill

President, ISPO Canada

ISPO International Website is Live!

ISPO International has launched their new website! It features enhanced features like easy search navigation; easier and more transparent membership sign-up; several new educational initiatives. There are many resources and access to ISPO's journal, Prosthetics and Orthotics International (POI). We hope you like the new structure of the website! Click below to visit.

ISPO International

Annual Membership Renewal

It's time to renew your membership! By joining ISPO 2022, you will:

Be part of a worldwide community, expand networks, and make a positive contribution to the development of rehabilitation, mobility device and other assistive product services
Enhance your learning experiences by accessing the latest scientific updates through ISPO’s journal Prosthetics and Orthotics International (POI) and receiving exclusive registration rates to ISPO and National Society events, such as the ISPO World Congress
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
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!

Q2 Research & Education Spotlight

In each newsletter we would like to highlight current research in the P&O field. As ISPO members, we support quality articles and research on the medical, clinical, rehabilitation, technical, educational and research aspects of prosthetics, orthotics and rehabilitation engineering.

In this issue, we interviewed Katia Turcot, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Department of
Kinesiology, Université Laval.

Article: Balance control deficits in individuals with a transtibial amputation with and without
visual input.

Key Takeaways

Amputees displayed an asymmetrical loading pattern during quiet standing tasks with greater loads on their sound side compared to their affected side
Visual input is critical for maintaining balance in transtibial amputees
When vision was deprived, balance was significantly affected in amputees compared to when vision was normal

This research team is most interested in the lower limb amputee population and is currently working on many projects surrounding the topic. The goal of their research is to develop biomechanical indicators that clinicians can use when working with clients. Click below to read more about the article and their upcoming research!

Learn more 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, July 29th at 11 AM EST. The topic will be "Modalities for Falls Prevention in our Geriatric Population" presented by Dennis Jannisse, C.Ped. Future webinars will be updated on our iSPO Canada website here.

Register below of the next webinar!

Register here!

2022 OPC National Conference

The 2022 OPC National Conference will be taking place in person, in beautiful Whistler BC from August 3-6th, 2022 at the Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler and the Whistler Conference Centre.

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, debate the issues, and challenges they face every day.

You will be joined by Certified Clinicians; Registered and non-Registered Technicians; Educational Instructors; Facility Owners; Residents; Interns; Students; Associates; Allied Health; Researchers; Manufacturers/Distributors; and Suppliers in the Orthotic and Prosthetic professions from across the country who will be in attendance.

Last day to register is July 22, 2022. Please visit the conference website here.

Register here!

ISPO & OAPO AGM and Education Day

For a third year in a row ISPO Canada will be cohosting online education sessions with OAPO. The target date for the fall AGM is Oct 22, 2022. Event details will be posted on the ISPO Canada website closer to the date.

Event details here!

ISPO 19th World Congress Call for Papers!

Every 2 years, ISPO invites professionals involved in the care of persons in need of prosthetic, orthotic, mobility, and assistive devices to its unique and interactive flagship meeting, the ISPO World Congress. The ISPO 19th World Congress will take place from April 24 to 27, 2023 in Guadalajara, Mexico. The theme this year will be "The Art and the Science." Visit the link below for updates leading to the event!

The Scientific Committee of the ISPO 19th World Congress invites you to submit your proposals for symposia and instructional courses as well as your abstracts for free paper and poster presentations. Symposium and instructional course proposals can be submitted until Monday, 12 September 2022 and free paper and poster abstracts until Monday, 10 October 2022. For more information on the guildelines and paper submission, click here!

Event details here!

Member profile highlight!

In each newsletter we would like to highlight long standing ISPO members. In this edition, we would like to highlight Brittany Pousett!

Meet Brittany and hear her ISPO memories!

Brittany is a Certified Prosthetist and currently works at Barber Prosthetics as a Prosthetist and the Head of Research. Her greatest joy is working with people and helping them do things they love to do. "I have witnessed (and shed) many happy tears watching my patients achieve their goals and I am truly honoured to be in this role."

Brittany recalls how she came to join ISPO: "I originally was drawn to get involved with ISPO Canada because it was the organization, I was least familiar with I wanted to learn more about how these different organizations can work together in their unique spheres to develop the profession and improve the care we offer to our patients. Since being involved, I have discovered a rich, collaborate interdisciplinary community that is passionate about supporting the growth of P&O professionals and the patients we care for."

One thing Brittany is passionate about is making research accessible and relevant to clinicians. Joining ISPO has given her an opportunity to join the research and education initiatives to bring awareness and accessibility to high-quality education and research resources.

Outside of her professional life, Brittany enjoys anything that gets her outside with her husband and kids – snowboarding, skiing, or skating in the winter and hiking, paddle boarding, kayaking, biking, or camping in the summer. She also loves gardening and cultivates a pretty great vegetable garden in her backyard.

Her best advice to new graduates is: "Welcome to a wonderful community! Some of the richest parts of being involved in P&O are the relationships I have made with people across the country. I encourage you to get involved in whatever you are drawn to (locally, provincially, nationally, internationally). At all levels you will find like-minded people passionate about providing great care for their patients and making the fields of P&O better for the future."

To read more about Brittany's story, click below!