Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation Visits Dankmeyer

As part of Anne Arundel (AA) County Business Appreciation Week, a team from the Anne Arundel County Economic Development Corporation (AAEDC) visited Dankmeyer on Wednesday 10/22/25. Led by AA County Executive Steuart Pittman, the delegation toured our Linthicum Heights location to understand the prosthetic and orthotic business and to establish a relationship on which we can build future collaborations. The AAEDC has resources available for county businesses including financial, workforce development programs and business leadership and networking opportunities. Getting to know the businesses in the county well allows the AAEDC to make the right connections and share the right resources more effectively.

To host the visit, Mark Hopkins, PT, CPO, MBA was joined by Angie Bryl, CPO, Sheryl Sachs, CPO, Jeremy Halteman, CPO and Lukas Baner, CTPO along with patient ambassadors David McCrae and Ernest Rhoney. They spent time with the AAEDC team to help them understand our 71 year history and our 30 years in AA County, our business and how it works and the impact Dankmeyer has on the community as an employer, provider of care, and purchaser of services in Maryland and AA County. The delegation toured the newly renovated facilities, watched demonstrations of prosthetic fabrication, and asked insightful questions about Dankmeyer and prosthetics and orthotics.

It was a great success and a lot of fun! We are looking forward to connecting with members of the visiting team and their colleagues to develop the relationship further and learn more about how we can help each other. We invited them to come back again next year, or anytime they are in the area and just want to stop in and see how we are doing.  As part of our mission, Dankmeyer serves our communities with pride and we were happy to share this with the AAEDC team.

URGENT UPDATE! AMPUTEE COALITION NEEDS YOUR HELP!!!

THIS IS AN URGENT UPDATE!

THE AMPUTEE COALITION NEEDS YOUR HELP!!!

The Amputee Coalition—the backbone organization for So Every BODY Can Move—is facing an existential threat due to a potential loss of critical federal funding for the National Limb Loss Resource Center (NLLRC). On Friday, May 30, the Presidential Budget eliminated funding for the NLLRC for Fiscal Year 2026 - starting 10/1/2025.

Funding for SEBCM is independent from the federal NLLRC grant, but it is essential to understand that this potential loss is incredibly serious—76% of the Amputee Coalition’s operations are supported by this federal funding grant. 

These services are essential for our limb loss and limb difference patients, and allow for us to provide them with resources and support they need throughout their care.

We must come together as a community of strength to support all of these programs and services. Here’s how you can take action:

1. Call your members of Congress and tell them how this impacts you and our community! Click here. From the AC:

   What to say on the Call:

   "Hello, I am a constituent who is an amputee/person who has limb difference/caregiver/friend/family member/Prosthetist Orthotist/neighbor/medical provider, and I demand Congressmember to save and fund the Limb Loss Resource Center in the FY26 budget, which was eliminated in Friday’s Presidential Budget. Funding the Limb Loss Resource Center would protect lifesaving programs and services such as peer support, which helped me after my amputation.” Replace this line with a short anecdote on a program that you have used.  

   This budget cut is a fundamental threat to lifesaving programs and services supported nearly in full by the Limb Loss Resource Center, which include information and referral services, peer visit matching, virtual support groups, certified peer visitor training, limb loss limb difference education days, youth programming, resource development, workforce development, along with outreach and education across the nation. 

   Calling both your Republican and Democratic members of Congress about saving and funding the Limb Loss Resource Center for FY26 is important. We have had bipartisan support for nearly 40 years.

2. Use the social media templates on the AC website to post your story with these demands, and tag your members of Congress. Click here.

We’ll continue to share updates as this develops.  Click here to stay informed.

Thank you for standing with us. Together, we can protect the support systems that support our patients and our community.

THE AMPUTEE COALITION NEEDS YOUR HELP!!!

THE AMPUTEE COALITION NEEDS YOUR HELP!!!

We write to you with an urgent request for your support.

The Amputee Coalition—the backbone organization for So Every BODY Can Move—is facing an existential threat due to a potential loss of critical federal funding for the National Limb Loss Resource Center (NLLRC). This crisis stems from an elimination of the NLLRC program in the Administration’s proposed FY26 federal budget.

Funding for SEBCM is independent from the federal NLLRC grant, but it is essential to understand that this potential loss is incredibly serious—76% of the Amputee Coalition’s operations are supported by this federal funding grant. 

The lifesaving programs and services supported by the NLLRC include information and referral services, peer visit matching, virtual support groups, certified peer visitor training, limb loss limb difference education days, youth programming, resource development, workforce development, along with outreach and education across the nation. 

These services are essential for our limb loss and limb difference patients, and allow for us to provide them with resources and support they need throughout their care.

We must come together as a community of strength to support all of these programs and services . Here’s how you can take action:

1. Click here to take a short survey and share your story about how the NLLRC has made a difference in your life—whether you are living with limb loss or limb difference, a caregiver or parent, or a clinician. These stories are critical for building our case to policymakers.

2. Stay tuned for an upcoming campaign to contact your members of Congress during the week of May 19. Your outreach will be essential to protect this funding at the federal level.

We’ll continue to share updates as this develops.  Click here to stay informed.

Thank you for standing with us. Together, we can protect the support systems that support our patients and our community.

Dankmeyer and Legs4Africa Donations 2024

These packages were ready and waiting for a UPS pickup to go off to Legs4Africa. The boxes contain prosthetic components that had been carefully examined, cleaned and sorted for donations. Legs4Africa provides special shipping labels.

This is not the first time we have sent materials to this organization. Two years ago, Dankmeyer prepared 259 pounds of donations for Legs4Africa. Many countries in Africa have underserved communities which need affordable rehabilitation.

Participation in our local communities as well as the world wide community of those with limb loss or limb difference is an important part of our mission.

Sheryl Sachs, MSPO, CPO Awarded for Advocacy

Sheryl Sachs, Dankmeyer CPO, was a prime mover in the effort to get the So EveryBody Can Move (SEBCM) legislation passed in Maryland. Sheryl was the State Lead Advocate for Maryland. SEBCM is a grassroots policy and advocacy initiative to create equitable and life-changing access to orthotic and prosthetic care necessary for physical activity for individuals with disabilities.

After months of hard work, dedication, and passion from countless advocates, partners, and legislative sponsors SB 614/HB 865 passed the Maryland legislature, and was signed into law by Governor Moore, This legislation will go into effect on January 1, 2025.

Dankmeyer’s Sheryl Sachs, CPO, has worked tirelessly to advocate for passage of the SEBCM legislation in Maryland. In September 2024, Sheryl received two awards to recognize her for her hard work. At the 2024 annual American Orthotics and Prosthetics Association (AOPA) National Assembly in Charlotte, North Carolina, Sheryl was recognized as Woman of the Year. Sheryl was nominated for the award by her peers in O&P, and was selected from four finalists to receive the award in the 2024 O&P Woman of the Year Ceremony.

Prior to the meeting, Sheryl was notified that she had been selected as one of the recipients of the AOPA Ralph R. “Ronney” Snell Legislative Advocacy Award. This honor is bestowed annually to recognize individuals who have made valuable contributions toward advancing the legislative and regulatory goals of the O&P field by motivating members of Congress and other decision makers to take action on behalf of O&P.

Several of Sheryl’s Dankmeyer colleagues were attending the Assembly and were there when she was presented with these awards. We are so proud of the work Sheryl has done that will serve to benefit all of those with limb loss and limb difference in Maryland.

Congratulations, Sheryl!