Certificate in O&P Business Management

The Certificate in O&P Business Management is a comprehensive certificate program that offers a series of business and management courses to provide business owners, managers, and practitioners of O&P patient care facilities, O&P manufacturers and distributors an opportunity to explore crucial business challenges—from finance, sales and marketing to business operations, reimbursement policies and management.

The NEW and IMPROVED Certificate in O&P Business Management is similar to non-degree continuing education programs that universities offer in conjunction with their MBA programs. The courses will be offered online, at the AOPA National Assembly, and at targeted seminars throughout the country (such as the Mastering Medicare: Essential Coding and Billing Techniques Seminar).

This unique leadership experience will provide YOU an opportunity to learn fresh insights, new tools, and proven techniques for developing better business practices, while improving your company’s  returns.

Need more information? Read through the FAQs. Or download the one-pager.

2023 COURSE SCHEDULE

Area of LearningCore CourseElective Courses
Healthcare OperationsHealthcare Operations for O&P Professionals:  
Operations Management (OM) is to make “Right” (“Optimal”) decisions to achieve organizational goals. In this module, you will study the tools and techniques for planning, design, operation, control, and improvement of the processes which produce goods and deliver services.

Offered as a online through the University's Blackboard August 28 - December 13, 2023 Register
Cost $500
Hosted by the University of Hartford, Barney School of Business
Mastering Medicare: Advanced Coding and Billing Techniques
Offered as a Live Virtual Course three times per year. 2023 dates to be announced.
Cost $295-420
Hosted by AOPA

Clinical Documentation and Evaluation
Offered as a Live Virtual Course
March 22 at Noon – 2:00pm.
Cost $99 Members/$199 Non Members
Hosted by AOPA
Healthcare ManagementHealthcare Management for O&P Professionals  
Understanding how to provide effective and efficient Healthcare Management is an essential ability for O&P Professionals to have as they juggle multiple roles while planning and managing their own and sometimes the work or others. The focus of this course is on developing more knowledge about, and skills in, how to better manage multiple, individual, and team priorities at work.  

Offered in-person at the 2023 National Assembly September 6, 2023 8am - 5pm
Cost $500
Hosted by the University of Hartford, Barney School of Business
Ethics and Compliance in Orthotics and Prosthetics
Offered as a Live Virtual Course
January 18 at Noon – 2:00pm.
Currently available on demand.
Cost $99 Members/$199 Non-Members
Hosted by AOPA
FinanceFinancial Management for O&P Professionals
The Financial Management module is designed to provide business financial management concepts and perspectives for O&P professionals. Key topics and concepts: Healthcare Today, Business Models, Accounting & Finance Pillars, and Strategic Decisions.

Offered as a Live Virtual Course DATES TBA
Register
Cost $500
Hosted by the University of Hartford, Barney School of Business
How to Analyze and Negotiate Managed Care Contracts
Offered virtually on demand
Cost $99 Members/$199 Non Members
Hosted by AOPA

Using Cost Accounting to Maximize Your Practice’s Profitability
Offered as a Live Virtual Course
April 19 at Noon – 2:00pm.
Cost $99 Members/$199 Non Members
Hosted by AOPA
Sales and MarketingSales and Marketing for O&P Professionals
The course examines marketing’s role in an enterprise. It lays out the functions of marketing and exposes the student to a variety of marketing tools including approaches to personal selling and details the many digital marketing tools available.

Offered online through the University's Blackboard August 28 - December 13, 2023
Register
Cost $500
Hosted by the University of Hartford, Barney School of Business
What's your WHY? How to Create a Brand Value: Branding Yourself and Your Company
Offered as a Live Virtual Course
Dates TBA
Cost $99 Members/$199 Non Members
Hosted by AOPA

O&P Marketing Strategies: Turning Trends into Actions
Offered as a Live Virtual Course
June 21 at Noon – 2:00pm.
Cost $99 Members/$199 Non Members
Hosted by AOPA

Download the 2023 Course Schedule

ENROLLMENT

Earning your Certificate is as easy as 1-2-3:

  1. To enroll in the program, complete the online form
  2. Select and complete four required Core Courses and four Elective Courses within four years and pass a Course specific quiz for each program. (one Core and one Elective course from each of the four areas of learning.)  Note that you must register for each Core and Elective Course you want to take to count towards your Certificate:
    1. To enroll in Core Courses, access University of Hartford storefront. (Instructions can be found here).
    2. To enroll in Elective Courses, click on links in table above.
  3. Participants who successfully complete the program will be awarded a frameable certificate from both the University of Hartford and AOPA during a ceremony at the AOPA National Assembly and will be recognized in the O&P Almanac and on the AOPA website.

Contacts:

For questions about the overall Certificate or Electives please contact info@aopanet.org.

For questions about Core Courses please contact AOPA@hartford.edu.

About the University of Hartford’s Barney School of Business: Real-world focus. Proven Results. The Barney School of Business is recognized for its ever-evolving curriculum, tangible learning opportunities, and innovative Career Ready program. Bloomberg Businessweek and The Princeton Review have ranked Barney as one of the top business schools in the country. Our accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) places Barney among the top five percent of business schools in the world.