Me Again Mentoring

Goal: $10,000.00

Specific Need

We are in need of financial assistance for our Orthotic and Prosthetic Mentoring non profit program. Everyone knows someone who has needed our services and yet never heard of our professional titles. Our mentors have decades of experience in OUR communities, OUR counties, on OUR healthcare teams. These mentors have been the professionals providing Orthotic and Prosthetic care for the past 20 and in some cases up to 40 years and have a passion to work one on one with the next generation interested in providing compassionate and quality Orthotic and Prosthetic and Post Mastectomy care. Nearing the end of careers, these mentors recognize the level of need for trained practitioners for NWPA. The pathway into our O&P industry is either by a college/Masters program OR by experience and certification. Me Again Mentoring plans to introduce and offer experiences and opportunites to students with mentors to be successful, future practitioners.

Mission

Me Again Mentoring plans to introduce and support the next generation of Orthotic/Prosthetic and Post Mastectomy practitioners both through college/ Masters bound education pathways and experience/certification pathways. A team approach provides the best patient outcomes and access to rural O&P healthcare must be maintained by investing in the next generation of OUR students by mentorship, ensuring healthcare relationships remain meaningful.

Profile

The Industry of Orthotics and Prosthetics which includes post mastectomy, lymphedema compression and diabetic foot care is at a critical point with too few practitioners locally to care for the growing populations of patients. Me Again Mentoring is responding by creating intentional training pathways for local youth and incumbent adults, introducing them to a largely unknown health profession. Preserving essential hand fabrication skills while integrating modern technology is imperative. Through mentoring, clinical supervision, and education to employment, we will prepare future practitioners to deliver compassionate, patient-centered care in Northwestern PA.

We believe that when multigenerational teams blend traditional hand skills with today's technology, entire communitites thrive. Northwestern PA offers a place where people can raise families, build impactful careers, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. These relationships matter and when younger generations choose to stay and older generations feel respected, communities flourish.