Nikki Grace is ready for action

WATERLOO, Iowa – In her new role as director of the Orthotic and Prosthetic Group of America, a division of VGM & Associates, Nikki Grace sees opportunity to both “re-invigorate the brand” and move the needle on innovative technologies like osseointegration, which enabled her to walk again. 

“I'm focused on getting us out there again and getting people understanding how we relate to their clinic or to their practice,” said Grace, the 2023 O&P Woman of the Year and a 2022 National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics Breece Fellow. “I also see OPGA expanding in different ways to profile emerging technologies to really be the harbinger of education information on these new technologies that are coming to the market.” 

HME News: In your new role at OPGA, what are some of your immediate priorities for your members? 

Nikki Grace: A lot of new technologies are just being touched on, so offering real, in-depth training, webinars and in-person certification courses around OI, around upper extremity myoelectric prosthetics and even around business development.  

HME: Technology is expensive – has that been a stumbling block with payers? 

Grace: No, actually. We're seeing approvals happen already. In October of last year, we were able to get a code for osseointegration connectors into the system, which was a huge hurdle because not having that code and having to submit them under a miscellaneous code is an almost guaranteed denial.  

HME: What about business management – is that something clinicians need to work on? 

Grace: Absolutely. I just attended a conference where this was a large topic of discussion. When you drill this down, it really comes down to most of these business owners only have experience as an employee and they aren't understanding how insurance contracts work or how just general business management works. I also see an opportunity to touch on what VGM does really well, which is servant leadership and introducing ways for clinic owners to have more communication with the people working in their clinics. 

HME: You have a lengthy advocacy background and have strong ties within the O&P community. How will you build on that? 

Grace: Our 2025 plan for OPGA is to highlight our relationships in the O&P industry and gain additional brand recognition through partnerships with organizations like NAAOP and the Amputee Coalition. I know in three years of Orthotic & Prosthetic Alliance meetings that they recognize that there is a need for more education around these emerging technologies but in three years of meetings we haven't drilled down on a lot of things we can action.