Questions about Orthopedic Primary Care?

Please see our FAQs below.
Anything we didn't answer? Get in touch or view our webinar, valued at 1 CE hour
What is Orthopedic Primary Care?
Orthopedic Primary Care (OPC) is a term coined by nurse practitioners A.J. Benham and Kathleen A. Geier to describe the treatment of patients whose musculoskeletal problems don’t need referral to an orthopedic surgeon. Drs. Benham and Geier developed the Orthopedic Primary Care (OPC) curriculum based on their own experience and numerous studies revealing that most primary care clinicians lack adequate preparation to effectively treat common conditions such as neck and low back pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and repetitive stress injuries.  

OPC also is the name we've given to our catalogue of online and blended-learning continuing education
courses covering the fundamentals of anatomy, pathophysiology, and evidence-based treatment for common
musculoskeletal conditions.

OPC is most applicable to non emergent, relatively stable conditions, either acute or chronic.
How will completing the OPC program help me improve my patient CARE?
​Participating in the OPC program will provide you with the latest evidence-based information on non-surgical, patient-centered approaches to maximizing function, managing pain, preventing further injury, and slowing disease progression for your patients with non-urgent, non-surgical musculoskeletal conditions.
​How will completing the OPC program help me grow my practice?
​By some estimates, chronic musculoskeletal disorders comprise between 20% to 60% of primary care office visits and overall health care expenditures. This number is expected to increase with the aging of the baby boom generation. Enhancing your expertise in the treatment of non-surgical orthopedic conditions will increase your value to both patients and employers by improving your ability to provide expert musculoskeletal care in a variety of clinical settings including family health practices, urgent care clinics, occupational health centers, retail clinics, and geriatric centers.
​What content is covered in OPC?
OPC covers fundamentals of anatomy, pathophysiology, and evidence-based treatment for common musculoskeletal conditions. In-person workshops provide opportunities to practice clinical skills including physical examination; X-ray & MRI interpretation; casting & splinting; joint aspiration and injections; and prescribing durable medical equipment (DME) and exercise.

We offer OPC in four formats: Online MIni Courses, Online only, Orthopalooza 2-Day Workshops and Blended Learning (online plus
workshops).
  • Online Mini Courses: 10 CE hours, self-study at your own pace.
  • Online-only: 65 CE hours, self-study at your own pace.
  • Orthopalooza 2-Day Workshops, offering a fast-paced opportunity to practice skills needed to confidently manage MSK conditions in primary care. Each workshop emphasizes active learning through the use of case studies, demonstrations, models, and guided practice of focused physical examination skills.
  • Blended learning: 80 CE hours, divided into four Course/Workshop pairings presented in a quarterly cycle over the course of a year. Although the cycle can be entered at any time, students must complete all online assignments for a Course prior to attending the hands-on Workshop for that Course. Each of the four Workshops is presented once a year.

How much of a time commitment does OPC require?​
Online Mini Courses: Each Mini Course consists of a single module, valued at 10 hours.

Online-only OPC Courses: Each Online Course (65 hours) consists of approximately 10-13 Modules. Students should expect to spend an average of three to six hours reading and completing online assignments for each Module. Total OPC program (4 courses): 260 hours.

Blended learning: Full online course, plus attendance at the related Course Workshop
for a total of 15 hours of hands-on learning per Course. (Total course: 80 hours; total four-course OPC program: 320 hours)

Hands-On 2-Day Workshops
Held in Lafayette, California, our 2023 clinical skills workshops are scheduled as follows.
  • January 27-28: Lower Extremity and Inflammatory/Degenerative Conditions​
  • April  21-22: Musculoskeletal fundamentals & skills
  • July 21-22: Upper Extremity & Pediatric Conditions
  • October (dates tbd): Spine & Metabolic Conditions
Where are OPC Workshops held?
Workshops are held at Creekside Commons in Lafayette, California. 
​Can I take just the online courses or just the weekend Skills Workshops?
Yes, each of these options can be taken on their own or in combination. Visit our online shop to select what's right for you.
​Who teaches OPC?
​Course creators AJ Benham, DNP, and Kathleen Geier, DNP, are core faculty for the OPC program, and there are occasional presentations by select content area experts. Between them, Drs. Benham and Geier have more than 60 years of orthopedic practice and teaching experience in a variety of settings including acute care, orthopedic clinics, occupational medicine clinics, and surgery. Drs. Benham and Geier hold certifications as family nurse practitioners, and have also been certified by the Orthopedic Nurses Certification Board.
What kind of educational credit will I earn by completing the OPC program?

Education Department, Jackson Orthopedic Foundation is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

​Jackson Orthopedic Foundation is approved to provide continuing education by the California Board of Registered Nurses, CEP #17398
​How will my achievement of OPC learning objectives be evaluated? 
JOF is approved to provide continuing education by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Continuing Education Provider # 17398. Student learning in OPC will be evaluated based on completion of online assignments and demonstration of skills in clinical lab sessions, depending on which course you take:
  • For online-only courses you may be responding to questions about assigned reading, developing a portfolio of tools for clinical use, and making presentations to classmates. No grades will be given, but all assignments must be completed, and all skills must be competently demonstrated to obtain CE contact hours and the OPC Certificate of Completion. Students will also be required to provide evaluations of the OPC program.
  • For blended courses, which combine online study with a weekend Skills Workshop, and for Orthopalooza, students also will be evaluated on their ability to competently perform complete general screening and focused musculoskeletal examinations, and to apply clinical reasoning to the development of differential diagnoses, evidence-based treatment plans, and patient education using case studies and standardized patients.
Can I apply OPC courses to my graduate degree in nursing?
​The original OPC curriculum was approved by Samuel Merritt University's Graduate Nursing Curriculum Committee in 2016. Although OPC is not currently offered in conjunction with any academic institution, JOF continues to explore opportunities for partnerships with graduate-level health education programs. A few OPC students have received credit for completing OPC as part of their individualized graduate level nursing education. Please feel free to contact us for tips on negotiating this possibility with your graduate program.   
How does OPC compare with other courses?
OPC is the only non-degree continuing education program in the United States for nurse practitioners interested in musculoskeletal care. While NP professional organizations offer specialty track courses at annual conferences, and Duke University offers a graduate level musculoskeletal certificate and DNP specialty track, OPC is the only program offering comprehensive musculoskeletal training specifically designed for advanced practice nurses in primary care settings. Having the option of completing the OPC certificate as a continuing education program rather than part of a graduate degree makes the program more accessible to NPs with time or budgetary constraints.
How much does OPC cost?
  • Tuition for each Online Mini Course is $65 (10 hours). 
  • Tuition for each Orthopalooza 2-Day Workshop is $250 (15 hours)
  • Tuition for each OPC Online Module (65 hours) is $300, which includes access to online learning materials, and continuing education certificates. All four Modules can be purchased at one time for $1,000 (a savings of $200).
  • Tuition for each OPC Blended Course (80 hours) is $500, which includes everything in the Online Module plus hands-on weekend Skills Workshop

At $300-$500 per full course, each OPC Course works out to about $6 per CE hour, or a bit more than a quarter of the industry average of $20 per CE hour. Comparable graduate-level academic credit for each Module (about one unit) would probably cost around $1,000.

Individual students demonstrating financial hardship may contact us by email to negotiate alternative payment plans on a case-by-case basis, such as through our Dolores Beanland Nursing Scholarship Fund.
​What kind of financial aid is available to pay for OPC?
Financial assistance may be available through your employer’s professional education reimbursement program. Individual students demonstrating financial hardship may contact us by email to negotiate alternative payment plans on a case-by-case basis, such as through our Dolores Beanland Nursing Scholarship Fund.
What if I enroll in the OPC program or orthopalooza but am unable to complete it?
For Online Courses: You will be provided with continuing education credit for any coursework you have completed at the time of your withdrawal from the program. Depending on the timing and circumstances of your withdrawal, you may be provided with a tuition credit that can be used on any JOF educational offering within two years of your withdrawal. Because space in the OPC program is limited, JOF cannot provide
tuition refunds to individuals who withdraw from the program after the second week of the start of classes.

For Blended Learning Courses: note that Workshops for each Module are currently presented only once per year. To maximize time for practicing clinical skills during Workshops, JOF requires students to complete all online assignments before attending Workshops. Plan carefully to ensure that you'll be able to complete all assignments in time to attend the corresponding Workshops as scheduled. If circumstances keep you from attending a Workshop as planned, you're welcome to attend the next available Workshop for that Module at no cost.

For Orthopalooza Workshops: Orthopalooza Workshops associated with each Module are presented only once per year.  If circumstances keep you from attending an Orthopalooza Workshop as planned, you're welcome to attend the next available Workshop for that Module at no cost. No reimbursements will be given for missed Orthopalooza Workshops.

If you think it will be difficult to plan for the Workshops, you may want to take our online-only OPC courses.

How do I enroll in OPC? 
Buy your courses easily today via our online shop. Just choose which course or combination of courses you'd like and proceed to Checkout. After you've paid, you'll receive an email purchase confirmation and be invited by separate email within 48 hours to join our online learning platform (Canvas LMS).
  • Online Mini Courses: $65 per course (10 CE hours, online self study).
  • Orthopalooza 2-day Workshops: $250 (15 CE hours)
  • Online Courses:  $300 per course, or the entire OPC online-only program (four courses) available in a discounted bundle for $1,000.00 (65 CE hours each / 260 CE hours for the full program)
  • Full, blended learning courses (online self-study + weekend Workshops*):  $500 per course, or the entire OPC program (four courses)  available in a discounted bundle for $1,750.00. (80 CE hours each / 320 for the full program)
​*Blended Learning Courses include in-person Workshops in Lafayette, California. 

​A prerequisite for participation in the Orthopedic Primary Care Courses is possession of a license to practice as an RN, NP, or other licensed healthcare provider.