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Above Knee Amputee Bike Riding

Above knee amputee demonstrates how he rides a bike.

Web 2.0 Apps - Everybody's Doing It. (Even Newspapers!)

I gave a talk in Florida at the FAOP meeting and in Texas at the TAOP meeting on Blogs, Podcasts, Wikis, Microsites, Lenses and Email Newsletters: Using Today's Web Technology to Maximize Your Marketing Reach.
I know it's a long title but, if you're talking about stuff that people are unfamiliar with, it doesn't hurt to have a long title.

Basically, the talk was about Web 2.0 applications and how to use them in your O&P business.
Why?
Everybody's doing it.
Even the newspapers.

I got this article recently from Online Media Daily's email newsletter.

"A new study of newspapers' Web offerings shows that online video has become a nearly ubiquitous feature offered by major U.S. publications. The Bivings Group study, which analyzed the Web offerings of the top 100 newspapers according to Fas-Fax data from the Audit Bureau of Circulations, found that 92 of the largest newspaper sites now offer video, a 31 percent jump from a year ago. Their video sources are varied: 39 papers offer original video content, 26 use video from the Associated Press, 13 use video from local news outlets and 10 papers use at least two types of video content on their site.

The study found that use of other online features increased in nearly every category, too. Ninety-seven of the 100 papers offer RSS and text feeds, while 95 have at least one reporter blog. Forty-nine papers have podcasts, compared with 31 last year, while 44 provide some sort of bookmarking, compared with just seven last year. The number of sites requiring users to register also increased to 29, with three requiring paid subscription after registering. Mobile offerings from U.S. newspaper publishers are also on the rise, with some 53 papers creating content specifically for mobile devices.

Newspapers are also adding social media features. The number of papers permitting user comments rose from 19 to 33, while nearly 25 percent accept some kind of user-generated content, from videos to photos and articles. Five papers, including USA Today, The Denver Post and The Washington Post offer social networking on their site..." READ MORE

Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc. Announces the Acquisition of the Assets of Surefit, LLC

BETHESDA, Md., July 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — "Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc. (Hanger) (NYSE: HGR) is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Southern Prosthetics Supply, Inc. (SPS) has acquired certain assets of SureFit, LLC (SureFit), a leading manufacturer and distributor of therapeutic footwear for diabetic patients in the podiatric market....

...Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc. headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, is the world’s premier provider of orthotic and prosthetic patient care services. Hanger is the market leader in the United States, owning and operating 619 patient care centers in 45 states and the District of Columbia, with 3,461 employees including 1,027 practitioners (as of 3/31/07). Hanger is organized into four units. The two key operating units are patient care which consists of nationwide orthotic and prosthetic practice centers and distribution which consists of distribution centers managing the supply chain of orthotic and prosthetic componentry to Hanger and third party patient care centers. The third is Linkia which is the first and only provider network management company for the orthotics and prosthetics industry."

Benchmark Medical and Physiotherapy Associates to combine.

Pa., Tenn. therapy chains set to merge

By Stacey Burling
Inquirer Staff Writer

"Benchmark Medical Inc., an outpatient physical-therapy chain based in Malvern, is merging with Physiotherapy Associates Inc., of Memphis, to form a company that will operate more than 800 clinics, employ 5,500 people, and generate revenue of $420 million, the companies' owners announced yesterday.

Bill Floyd, chief executive officer of Benchmark, will be CEO of the merged company, which will use the Physiotherapy Associates name.

Water Street Healthcare Partners, a Chicago private-equity firm, had recently acquired Physiotherapy for $150 million. Wind Point Partners, also a Chicago private-equity firm, formed Benchmark in 2000. The two equity firms will be the majority owners of the new company.

Financial terms of the deal between Benchmark and Physiotherapy were not disclosed...."

Podcast 55: JIM MACLAREN

Podcast 55 Features Jim McLaren