About this Nominee
Professional Career Biography for David A. Ritchie
David A. Ritchie has been dedicated to the field of Orthotics and Prosthetics for more than 36 years. His journey began in 1989, where he started by sweeping floors and working as a technician while earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University).Driven by personal motivation, he was accepted into the prestigious Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Prosthetics-Orthotics Center program. He completed his orthotics residency at Certified Orthotics and Prosthetics in Phoenix, Arizona, and his prosthetics residency at Dynamic Orthotics and Prosthetics in Houston, Texas. David also specialized in pediatrics, bringing compassionate, expert care to children with limb differences and mobility needs. In 2010, he fulfilled a lifelong dream by opening Ritchie Limb & Brace, LLC in New Braunfels and Seguin, Texas. This passion was ignited in the 8th grade when his father became a transtibial amputee. “I always wanted to be in the medical field because my mother was a registered nurse and had a big influence on me,” David shares. “I watched my father struggle with his prosthesis and thought that I could help him do better. Unfortunately, my father passed away before I completed my O&P training, but I use that experience with him and apply it to my patients every day. It’s what drives me to be better.” Mechanically inclined from a young age, David found the perfect blend of mechanics and medicine in Orthotics and Prosthetics. “I never knew that God could provide a career blessing through my father’s amputation,” he reflects, “but that’s exactly what happened.” Ritchie Limb & Brace is a truly family-owned and operated business. David’s wife and brother both work in the practice, and his son, Travis Ritchie, who earned his Master’s degree in Orthotics and Prosthetics with a 4.0 GPA, has begun his residency at the clinic. The practice is known for delivering big-city, state-of-the-art technology in a small-town setting while staying firmly rooted in the fundamentals of the field, including traditional hand casting and modifications. Their onsite fabrication facility allows full control over quality and significantly expedites delivery times for patients. David remains deeply committed to patient-centered care, with expertise in transfemoral and transtibial socket design, advanced componentry, vacuum-assisted socket systems, and microprocessor-controlled knees and ankles. He also gives back to the profession by providing continuing education courses for physical therapists and frequently hosting physical therapy students at the clinic for valuable “hands-on training” in O&P.