Mark Hopkins Receives Clinical Commitment Award

Mark Hopkins, PT, CPO, MBA and CEO of Dankmeyer Inc, was awarded the Clinical Commitment Award at the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (AAOP) annual meeting February 2026. This award recognizes members who have quietly demonstrated a commitment to improving the professional image of the orthotic and prosthetic profession to patients, co-workers, and colleagues.

Mark is a Certified Prosthetist Orthotist and a Licensed Physical Therapist, who has been with Dankmeyer since 1992. He completed his MBA at The Johns Hopkins University.  He is currently adjunct faculty at the University of Maryland School of Medicine School of Physical Therapy and The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Mark became CEO of Dankmeyer in 2012 when he became an owner upon Charles Dankmeyer’s retirement. Mark is a huge advocate for our residency program and an important part of all of Dankmeyer’s annual professional education programs.

Also in attendance at the AAOP meeting in Nashville, TN were Dankmeyer practioners Sheryl Sachs CPO, Helena Ringer CPO, Cole Branche CPO and Claire Vallery CPO. Claire is a Dankmeyer team member who is currently a PhD Student at the University of Delaware in the Delaware Limb Loss Lab with a focus in clinical outcomes research.  Claire was a presenter at the meeting, sharing her research on falls from her paper called "Baseline Fall History and Multisite Pain Predict Future Falls Among Adults with Lower-limb Amputation."

Congratulations to Mark for this well deserved award. Congratulations to Claire on her presentation. We are happy for them both and proud to have them represent Dankmeyer at this important professional meeting.

Welcome to Dankmeyer, Kory Biggerstaff and Cristina Birch!

We welcomed two new members of the Dankmeyer team at the Baltimore Washington (Linthicum) office in the last few months.

Kory Biggerstaff joins Dankmeyer's Fabrication team as a Digital Fabrication Technician.

"Hi everybody! I’m super excited to make a prosthesis for you. I got started in 3D printing way back in 2020. Now I get to do it as my day job, and plus I get to help people!"

Cristina Birch joins Dankmeyer as an Insurance Authorization Specialist.

"My name is Cristina, and I’m excited to be at Dankmeyer! I come to Dankmeyer with a background that spans over seven years in healthcare coordination across several major healthcare systems, where I worked in surgical coordination and taking care of high-risk patients. Outside of work, I hold a bachelor's degree in graphic design, and I’m a proud mom to a daughter who just began her freshman year of high school. As a Maryland native, it’s wonderful to be part of a team that feels so close to home."

If you see them, please say hello!

Welcome Adaugo Emerson!

Join us in welcoming Adaugo to Dankmeyer!

Adaugo joined us in September as part of the Fabrication team where she is a Technician Assistant. Adaugo is a recent graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Adaugo is deeply committed to improving mobility and quality of life for underserved populations through innovative prosthetic and orthotic solutions. Outside of her academics and work, Adaugo is an active leader in the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). Adaugo also enjoys running, spending time at the gym, and nurturing her artistic side through drawing. Her personal mission is to leverage her engineering skills and passion for biomedical innovation to design affordable, medical devices that improve healthcare access and quality for all.

We are so happy to have Adaugo as part of our team!

Meet Helena Ringer, CPO!

We are so happy to share that Helena Ringer passed her certification exams and is now a Certified Prosthetist Orthotist. These exams are composed of both written material and hands on clinical evaluations by the examiners at the American Board of Certification. Helena’s new credentials follow her undergraduate, graduate, and residency work - the latter over an 18 month dual residency with us at Dankmeyer.

Her hard work over these many years has paid off, and now she is a CPO!

Congratulations, Helena! We are proud of you and happy to be a continued part of your journey in the profession.