BOC Announces Winner of First Newberry Award

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (July 6, 2017)—The Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC) is pleased to announce Harry “J.R.” Brandt, BOCO, CO, LO as the inaugural recipient of the Jim Newberry Award for Extraordinary Service. In making the announcement, BOC Board Chair L. Bradley “Brad” Watson, BOCO, BOCP, LPO commented that Brandt is a highly respected practitioner and orthotics and prosthetics (O&P) advocate, and has played a significant role in BOC’s growth and success.

Brandt is a former member and chairman of BOC’s board of directors, and as such was instrumental in developing BOC’s accreditation process. He also supervised BOC’s cadre of expert site surveyors, and served as a BOC representative to the O&P Alliance and as a test development volunteer. Throughout his career, Brandt has demonstrated expert knowledge of O&P, specifically of Medicare and other accreditation standards. He is well-known for providing outstanding service to his patients and extraordinary dedication to mentoring others in his field.

Brandt’s illustrious career spanned more than 36 years in the O&P profession, beginning as an orthotic technician in 1981 at Metro Orthopedics of Landover Hills, MD, and most recently a pediatric practitioner and Director of Orthotics for California-based Collier Orthotics and Prosthetics. He also spent more than 15 years as the manager of the Orthotics and Prosthetics Department at Shriners Hospital for Children in Sacramento, California. Additionally, Brandt provided manufacturer’s training courses to O&P practitioners throughout China prior to working as the Director of External Relations at BOC.

According to Watson, “J.R.’s tireless dedication to the orthotic and prosthetic field, as well as to our mission to assure the competency, professionalism and safe practice environments of BOC credential-holders, made him an extremely deserving first winner of this prestigious award. On behalf of the entire BOC board, we are delighted to have the opportunity to publicly recognize his decades of service to BOC and to the O&P profession.”

The Jim Newberry Award for Extraordinary Service is an honor named after longtime practitioner, BOC board member and leader James Newberry, Jr., BOCP, BOCO, BOCPD, who passed away in 2016. It recognizes outstanding individuals who perform extraordinary service to BOC, the community of stakeholders BOC serves and those who live out the superior example modeled by Newberry during his more than four decades in the field of orthotics and prosthetics.

“What an incredible honor. Not only to receive such an award, but to have been so close to the namesake of the award. This is truly a special honor for me. BOC has been a large part of who I am since 1989 and to have known Jim since 1982 is even more special,” commented Brandt upon learning of his selection.

In addition to an upcoming celebration event, BOC will also commemorate Brandt and subsequent award winners on the Jim Newberry Award web page and on signage to be displayed at BOC headquarters.

Visit bocusa.org for more information.