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OrthoPoP Announces Formation of PT/OT Advisory Board to Advance Musculoskeletal Education and Frontline Care

National panel of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy leaders to guide app development and serve as the voice of the profession

Carmel, Indiana (December 9, 2025) -- OrthoPoP, an orthopedic education platform focused on musculoskeletal (MSK) pain and triage support, today announced the formation of a Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Advisory Board. The new board will be composed of key opinion leaders (KOLs), experienced clinicians, and academic experts who will help guide the evolution of the OrthoPoP app and ensure it reflects the real-world needs of PTs and OTs.

"Physical and occupational therapists are increasingly on the front lines of musculoskeletal care. They're often evaluating patients who arrive with incomplete diagnoses, unclear pain sources, or mixed imaging results. Our goal with OrthoPoP is to give therapists a fast, structured way to explore likely MSK conditions, better understand pain patterns, and educate patients—while fully respecting the therapist's clinical judgment."

Research suggests that orthopedic conditions are misdiagnosed in up to 38.5% of early encounters, especially in non-specialist settings. PTs and OTs frequently receive referrals that list a symptom, such as "shoulder pain" or "knee pain," without a clearly identified underlying cause. OrthoPoP was created as an evidence-informed, educational tool that helps clinicians, students, and caregivers understand how pain region, mechanism of injury, and function may relate to musculoskeletal structures and likely conditions.

The new PT/OT Advisory Board will:

• Provide expert input on pain-region content and MSK differentials (education-only)
• Advise on clinical relevance and usability for practicing therapists and students
• Help shape caregiver-facing educational modules and front-line triage support tools
• Serve as a "voice of the customer," representing outpatient, hospital-based, home health, pediatric, geriatric, and sports rehab settings
• Act as strategic influencers as OrthoPoP grows partnerships with educators, health systems, and value-based care organizations

Advisory board members will participate in 3–4 virtual meetings per year and will be offered an honorarium for meeting participation and approved consultation activities.

"PTs and OTs are uniquely positioned to spot subtle functional patterns and red flags that may be missed earlier in the care pathway. We want OrthoPoP to be built with them, not just for them. The advisory board will ensure that everything we create is grounded in clinical reality and supports therapists in doing what they do best."

OrthoPoP Announces New President of Business Development

Carmel, Indiana (December 5, 2025) -- OrthoPoP Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Dan Hessel as President of Business Development. Dan brings decades of experience in corporate strategy and sales, having recently retired from Terumo Medical Corporation where he led the integration of selling strategies across five business units in North and South America.

"We are fortunate to find someone with Dan's vast sales experience, especially as OrthoPoP ramps up introduction of our AI-enabled orthopedic app. We expect Dan to open doors in several healthcare areas, all of which are looking for improvements in treatment efficiency, reduced costs, and convenient orthopedic education—from physical/occupational therapy organizations to healthcare clinics, insurers, and educational institutions."

OrthoPoP Inc. looks forward to leveraging Dan Hessel's expertise as it expands its innovative solutions in the healthcare sector.

Holyoke CO Hospital (MMH) Pilots New Orthopedic AI Education/Clinical Support App

Carmel, Indiana (December 1, 2025) -- Douglas Blacklidge, CEO of OrthoPoP Inc., announced a relationship with Melissa Memorial Hospital in Holyoke, Colorado, to assess OrthoPoP's innovative AI-enabled orthopedic app in clinical settings. Following successful beta testing and a launch at the HLTH 2025 Conference in Las Vegas, the collaboration aims to:

• Accelerate patient treatment by promptly identifying and addressing likely causes of their pain
• Support medical providers and specialists with educational resources
• Reduce healthcare costs by minimizing any unnecessary tests and procedures
• Ensure appropriate conditions are addressed in advance of physical therapy

"Hospital administration is always on the lookout for the latest clinical tools that will assist our medical professionals in providing the best care possible for the community. We were impressed with the preview of the OrthoPoP app and look forward to this collaboration."

About Melissa Memorial Hospital (MMH)

MMH is a 15-bed critical access hospital: 24/7 ER, Nursing Unit, Family Practice and Specialty Clinics, inpatient and retail Pharmacies, surgical services, and various ancillary services support the outstanding patient care provided at MMH. With strong board leadership comprised of community members and focusing on the health and wellness of the community, the excellent and compassionate MMH staff is committed to providing the care needed. The team values integrity, collaboration, courage, service, passion, and ownership. Visit melissamemorial.org

OrthoPoP To Attend Major HLTH 2025 Conference

Carmel, Indiana (October 6, 2025) -- Douglas Blacklidge, CEO of OrthoPoP Inc., announced that OrthoPoP will attend HLTH 2025 in Las Vegas and feature its new “At Home” version of a revolutionary AI-enabled software app for transforming the understanding of painful orthopedic conditions. With expected attendance of more than 10,000, HLTH 2025 is a major healthcare-related innovation conference attended by many of OrthoPoP’s potential customers.

“We are excited to participate in this conference and to highlight how OrthoPoP can contribute to healthcare savings and improved customer satisfaction. “Publicly available data reveals that up to 40% of non-urgent musculoskeletal visits could be avoided with effective home-based evaluation and care for a potential savings of $40 billion per year. While the OrthoPoP app is for informational and educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, it is a revolutionary AI-enabled, clinical educational tool designed to help users explore possible causes of symptoms and better prepare for informed discussions with their healthcare providers. Patients and initial care providers using Orthopop will have orthopedic expertise at their fingertips and have instant access to information shared by AI. This is the future of musculoskeletal education and care” shared Blacklidge.

OrthoPoP Introduces New App at Largest N.A. AI Industry Event

Carmel, Indiana (August 18, 2025) -- Douglas Blacklidge, CEO of OrthoPoP Inc., introduced the company's AI-enabled decision support software on August 11 at North America's largest AI industry event in Las Vegas. "As an AI start-up, we had the opportunity to present and demonstrate our revolutionary new app," said Blacklidge. "With successful beta testing in process, participation at the AI industry event marked the roll-out of the OrthoPoP education app, which teaches orthopedic pathology interactively and clinically, starting with pain identification." Following roll-out of the education version, the company will be introducing an enterprise version for insurers, providers, the military, underserved communities, etc., and this will be quickly followed by "At Home" access. Distinguishing features of the app include:

• Patient pain-point identified and mapped by surgeons
• Converts an unknown point/location to a likely condition which, unlike typical symptom checkers, was documented by experienced subject matter medical specialists
• Reference to condition-appropriate labs, studies, imaging or specialty care
• Condition-appropriate initial care plan recommendations
• Expert filtering questions
• Interactive body part illustrations including visuals of muscles, nerves, and bones
• AI connectivity for additional information
• ICD-10 code identification
• Advanced treatment suggestions
• Summary reports

"At the conference there was a lot of interest in our advanced app, and we were able to show that the future of orthopedic care is accessible to anyone with a smartphone."