Katz, MHA, CO
Vice President | Scottish Rite for Children
Background
Mr. Katz earned his Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical
Center’s Prosthetic and Orthotic program after attending The University of Texas at Austin. He attended
the University of Texas at Arlington where he earned his Master of Science in Health Care Administration.
Don earned his Six Sigma Green Belt in Healthcare from Villanova University in 2012.
He was elected to serve as president of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (the
Academy) in 2003 and was recognized as the Blatchford Lecturer with the United Kingdom Chapter of the
International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics that same year. He became a Fellow with the Academy
in 2001, an Associate Fellow with the Scoliosis Research Society in 1998 and was the recipient of the
Academy’s Award for Research in 1997, the Tamarack award in 2011 from the Orthotic and Prosthetic
Education and Research Foundation (OPERF) and is a multiple winner of the Honorary Thrandhardt
Lecture Award. He served as the chairperson for OPERF from 2012-2022 and co-chaired a transition
committee to help form The Orthotics and Prosthetics Foundation for Education and Research, serving
that organization as Immediate Past-Chairperson through 2024. He received the Sam E. Hamontree
Business Education Award in 2013, was the recipient of the Academy’s Distinguished Practitioner award in
2012 and the Titus-Ferguson Award in 2015. He authored the book chapter, “Orthoses for Spinal
Deformities,” in the Atlas of Orthoses and Assistive Devices published by the American Academy of
Orthopaedic Surgeons, and has published original research in the journal of Spine, the Journal of Pediatric
Orthopaedics, the Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics, the journal of Gait and Posture, and the Journal of
Bone and Joint Surgery.
Why did you apply?
I very much appreciated one of the objectives in the establishment of this award. That is, to illustrate how
orthotists whom are actively engaged in clinical practice have the ability to also conduct and publish
meaningful research to enhance the science and understanding of orthotic practice.
How did the funding help you meet your goals?
Receiving this award helped shine a light on the value of orthotic research, and the opportunities made
possible at Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.
How did the funding impact your career?
Being recognized by one’s peers helps elevate everyone involved. The recipient appreciates the
recognition while the profession itself is elevated due to the importance placed on this type of recognition.
What did the funding mean to you personally?
Working at a not-for-profit, hospital-based practice has countless benefits from a professional standpoint,
but being able to receive any form of a monetary bonus isn’t one of them. The generosity of Tamarack
Habilitation Technologies, Inc. is nothing short of extraordinary, and it came at a time when “paying it
forward” for my children’s university-based education made it all the more meaningful.
