Limb Loss Awareness Month ended yesterday but the fight for our patients continues. 

This year, the Amputee Coalition, AOPA’s Policy Forum, and the So Every BODY Can Move campaign quietly shook the ground under payers and policymakers. Coverage rules are shifting, states are rewriting laws, and O&P voices are finally being heard (maybe?). 

What are you doing about it? Will your practice help sustain the wave…or watch from the shore wringing your hands? 

If setting goals in your practice mostly falls flat, you’re not alone. Research shows the way we usually set goals practically guarantees overload, firefighting, and burnout—not meaningful change. This week, I am flipping the script: one goal per “season,” behavior-based targets instead of abstract wishes, and guardrails, so you don’t accidentally break the rest of your practice while chasing a metric. If you’re ready for goals that actually work in real life, start here.

If you’re still on the fence about “getting ready” for value‑based care, Part 2 of this series is where the math gets interesting. We skip the buzzwords and lay out what you actually gain from tightening outcomes, upgrading your professional identity, and acting like a true allied health partner—even if VBC never lands on your doorstep. From sharper clinical decisions to a stronger shield in a fraud‑sensitive world, this is the upside story no one’s telling O&P practices yet. 

Do you really have to change the practice for value‑based care—or can you just keep my head down and do what you do? Instead of doom‑and‑gloom, I want to walk you through a real cost–benefit analysis of tightening outcomes, shifting how people see prosthetists and orthotists. In a world where we are not well understood and where CMS is cracking down on DMEPOS fraud, can we thrive and be a valued part of the Value-based care chain? 

People are saying we should fight for value-based care (which means —track outcomes, join networks, prove your value). But almost no one is talking about the bill that comes with that shift. In Part 2, The Hidden Costs of Change (and How Not to Get Burned), we break down the real price tag: data, culture, politics, and risk you don’t control. Before you play the VBC game, you need to know exactly what you’re putting on the table. 

Everyone’s talking about “value-based care” like it’s the magic fix for O&P—better outcomes, more respect, maybe even better pay. But what if the same trend that could finally validate your clinical value also sets you up to be squeezed as a disposable line item? In Part 1 of The Value-Based Care Trap, we unpack what VBC really means for prosthetics and orthotics—and why it’s both your best opportunity in years and a quietly loaded bear trap. 

Do you think O&P lives in a simple “bill the Lcode, get the check” world? Think again. Medicare says we’re fee-for-service, but your day-to-day reality already looks a lot like bundled, episode-based care—with all the risk and none of the control. If you’re still managing your practice as if every visit stands alone, you’re walking blind into the next wave of payment change. Before value-based care hits your doorstep, you need to see the fee-for-service illusion for what it is. 

Change is coming to your clinic… and your nervous system knows it. Improved software, more visibility, “efficiency initiatives” – no wonder everyone’s on edge. This blog pulls back the curtain on what’s really driving that anxiety and gives you plainspoken, practical ways to handle it. Whether you’re frontline staff, a manager stuck in the middle, or a leader who can’t share every detail, you’ll get specific scripts, mindsets, and moves to lower the stress and increase real cooperation. 

You think leadership is about being respected… until it costs you sleep, friendships, and your “nice boss” reputation. This week I talk about the brutal, unfiltered price tag of leading a small O&P practice: making decisions that hurt people you care about, being quietly resented for doing what’s best, and biting your tongue when rumors swirl. If you’ve ever wondered, “Is it just me, or is this supposed to feel this hard?”—you’re exactly who this was written for. 

Medicare just slammed the brakes on new DMEPOS enrollments—and honest O&P providers are suddenly guilty until proven otherwise. Are your notes strong enough to save you in an audit, or do they look like they were written by a robot after the fact? Discover why documentation could quietly prove or destroy your credibility, how CMS is using timestamps and metadata against sloppy suppliers, and what smart practices are doing right now to stay off the revocation list. 

I went to the Academy meeting expecting the usual sessions and handshakes—but what happened this week left me genuinely inspired. Barriers that once divided pedorthics and O&P melted away, replaced by collaboration, generosity, and a powerful sense of purpose. A six-figure donation, a lifetime achievement award, and a room full of people who care deeply about this profession reminded me: our future doesn’t just happen—it’s built by those who show up, speak up, and dare to make things better.

If your team looks “fine” on paper but feels fried, this one is for you. You don’t need a new system; you need a new way of leading through the one you already have. In Part 2 of my “Truth in Action” series, I want to show you how to build a practice where results and relationships actually feed each other—through the way you design work, run meetings, and manage pressure. Three small leadership experiments could reset the entire nervous system of your organization. 

You say you value people, but does your leadership behavior agree—or are you quietly sacrificing relationships on the altar of results? In O&P care, it shows up in rushed huddles, drive by decisions, and workflows that treat people like widgets. The cost is higher than you think: burnout, turnover, and flatlined performance. In this blog, I want to look at why the real sweet spot is results and relationships—and how three simple engagement modes might be making or breaking your practice. ​

In today’s post‑truth world, your brain is being hacked—and you probably don’t even notice it. Patients arrive with “Google truths,” staff repeat hallway narratives, AI floods your feeds, and suddenly your leadership decisions feel shakier than ever. This week’s blog unpacks a quiet superpower that cuts through the noise: discernment. Discover how your worldview, your emotions, and your habits are shaping what you treat as “true” —and what to do about it. 

In today’s post‑truth world, your brain is being hacked—and you probably don’t even notice it. Patients arrive with “Google truths,” staff repeat hallway narratives, AI floods your feeds, and suddenly your leadership decisions feel shakier than ever. This week’s blog unpacks a quiet superpower that cuts through the noise: discernment. Discover how your worldview, your emotions, and your habits are shaping what you treat as “true” —and what to do about it. 

In today’s post-truth world, your “facts” don’t automatically earn respect, loyalty or action. Your carefully crafted strategy can still die in the hallway gossip. This article breaks down why messages fall flat, how trust has quietly become your most valuable leadership asset, and three specific shifts leaders must make to turn skeptics into committed, aligned stakeholders who actually follow through. 

If you’re like most people, your 2026 resolutions are already on life support. You don’t need more willpower, a new planner, or a perfect streak—you need a better comeback strategy. In my first blog of the year, I’m sharing why “never missing a day” is overrated, how to bounce back after real-world chaos, and simple ways to change your attitude and workflows without burning out. Ready to make this the year your habits actually stick? 

Belonging. Presence. Truth told kindly. As the year winds down, a simple encounter on a recent trip stopped me in my tracks and re-centered how I think about human connection at work. It reminded me that four short phrases can radically change the way we show up for patients, families, colleagues—and even ourselves. In this piece, you’re invited to slow down, reflect, and choose one small shift that could transform your everyday interactions in the new year. 

In O&P care, the science gets you to “good”—but it’s the art that makes you unforgettable. Last week, I was slacking off…I went to Napa with my sister.  That trip inspired this blog.  While visiting a Napa winery that turns the same grape varietal from the same vineyard into very different wines, It made me think.  This blog explores how small, intentional nuances can elevate both patient care and staff development. Rather than “blending” people into protocols and roles, you’ll be challenged to notice and cultivate the unique strengths in each person you serve, moving everyday work closer to truly exceptional. 

This week we’re discussing how aligning your people, processes, and tools with strategically crafted mission, vision, and values statements can transform your business. Learn why cultural fit is crucial and how to create a unified, purpose-driven organization that thrives. Take your company from good to great!