Andrea Spridgen

The primary goal in O&P is to improve or restore mobility, enable individuals to participate in activities of daily living, or alleviate the impact of medical conditions they are facing. While these efforts frequently involve a multidisciplinary approach, within O&P they are the result of a partnership between clinicians providing direct patient care and the technicians fabricating the devices.

The theme of this month’s issue is a focus on the patient. Unlike most of our readers, as an editor, I do not have the opportunity to regularly experience the impact O&P care has on the lives of patients firsthand. But I was fortunate to get a glimpse into the difference O&P professionals can make in patients’ lives through a recent conversation I had with my ballet teacher.

As I sat down to write my column, the news flashed a special report that a new pope had been chosen. While this was most impactful to the Catholic community, what I found most notable was the gathering of so many people from multiple countries and cultures with a common sense of celebration and unity—even as they waved flags maintaining their own national identities.