David E. Evans has been named BOC’s first Certificant of the Year.
Photo Credit: Stephen Petegorsky Photography
The Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC) has named David E. Evans, BOCP Emeritus™, as the recipient of its first “Certificant of the Year” award. The award was established to honor a BOC-certified professional for his or her outstanding contributions to their profession, including commitments to service, research, and outreach.
Evans, a prosthetist certified by BOC since 1998, has devoted his career to providing care and support to those who have suffered traumatic injuries, many related to military service, resulting in amputation. As a Vietnam veteran who lost both of his legs below the knee while in combat in the early 1970s, he is able to connect with and care for patients in a personal and meaningful way. For more than 30 years, Evans has traveled the world, providing prosthetic legs and arms for more than 3,000 people wounded in war zones as well as victims of mining incidents, gunshots and other conflict-related circumstances.
Additionally, Evans has invested a great deal of time to advancing the impact of the prosthetics profession through training. More than 1,000 aspiring professionals have benefitted from David’s instruction on patient care techniques. He has focused on providing knowledge and resources in many developing countries across the globe, with grant funding from the U.S. Department of State.
“I am honored to receive BOC’s Certificant of the Year award,” said Evans, who is retiring this year but remaining connected to BOC in Emeritus status. “I have dedicated my life to helping others, based on my own experiences as a bilateral amputee. I have assisted many patients who experienced something similar; enhancing their lives through prosthetics in both field and clinical settings.”
BOC-certified Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Specialists, Mastectomy Fitters, Orthotic Fitters, Orthotists, Pedorthists, and Prosthetists are eligible for the award. The nomination period for the 2021 award will open in September 2020.
“Establishing this award gives us a new platform to recognize certified professionals who are making significant contributions in our field while also impacting peoples’ lives,” said Matthew Gruskin, MBA, BOCO, BOCPD, credentialing director for BOC. “David Evans has demonstrated exceptional service to patients, while also guiding and educating the next generation of O&P professionals. He is an extraordinary individual who has gone above and beyond to make a positive difference in the lives of practitioners and patients in many areas of the world. We are proud to present him with our inaugural Certificant of the Year award and look forward to honoring other professionals of this caliber for many years to come.”
_____
Update: It is with deep sadness that we report that David E. Evans, BOCP Emeritus, BOC’s first Certificant of the Year, passed away earlier this month shortly after we announced his selection. A prosthetist and Vietnam veteran, Dave devoted his life to providing care and support to those who experienced traumatic injuries. His legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of the thousands he cared for in his more than four decades of service.
“We were deeply saddened to hear of Dave’s passing after we announced his selection as BOC’s first Certificant of the Year,” says Claudia Zacharias, MBA, CAE, BOC’s president and CEO. “His lifelong passion for helping others inspires us all.”