US POlitics-ABC, BOC, VA
Description
Collection
Title:
US POlitics-ABC, BOC, VA
Date:
4/20/1999
Text:
Lately questions have been raised about the decision by the
VA to recognize BOC credentials and ABC's response. I would like to
take the opportunity to outline what ABC is doing about the situation.
ABC first learned of the matter at the AOPA Policy Forum, held
in Washington DC in February. At that venue Fred Downs announced the
change of policy and attributed it to a decision made by the VA's
General Counsel, Ms. Lee Leigh Bradley. Public notice of the VA's
consideration of this critical change of policy was not made and ABC
and others did not have a chance to comment.
As an aside it should perhaps be mentioned that for several
years Fred Downs was functioning in another capacity in the VA, and
his replacement apparently was not interested in maintaining a dialog
with AOPA, ABC, or AAOP. Fred Downs took the opportunity of the Policy
Forum to express his willingness to reestablish such a dialog now that
he is back in his former position. Perhaps it should also be mentioned
that it does Washington bureaucrats in general no harm to see that an
organization like AOPA can muster and organize its constituents to go
to congress and express their concerns to the bureaucrats' political
masters, our representatives. Just a plug for attending and
participating in the Policy Forum...
In any event ABC has written wrote a letter on February 11,
1999 to the VA General Counsel protesting the decision, the manner in
which it was made, and asking for a chance to review the public
documents considered in making the decision.
ABC and AOPA also met conversation was held with Ms. Marsha
Sayer, a member of the majority staff of the House Governmental
Affairs and Reform Committee about the lack of public involvement in
the decision making process. She expressed her concern and promised to
look into the matter.
At the occasion of the DAV's Winter Sports Clinic held in
Crested Butte ABC's Lance Hoxie and Bill Teague, of the AOPA board,
held conversations with members of the leadership of DAV and a
assistant (or deputy) secretary of VA about this and other issues
affecting the delivery of prosthetic and orthotic care to the American
veteran.
It is obviously ABC's position that the veteran is entitled to
the highest standard of care possible, and ABC is disappointed that
the VA would be willing to accept what ABC believes to be a lesser
standards of care for practitioner qualifications.
As of yet these various efforts have not yielded results.
Finally, Bill Bieswenger, Garvin Marty, and Lance Hoxie have
a meeting scheduled with Fred Downs to talk about the decision and the
possibilities of establishing standards for credentialing those
providing P&O care for veterans. This is part of the effort to
reestablish the dialog with Fred Downs.
AOPA, AAOP, and ABC have a long and complex relationship with
Mr. Downs. He is scrupulous about his integrity and by all accounts
does not respond well to threats. Because of the long track record and
the complex nature of the relationship, ABC is working carefully (with
Garvin Marty's past experience as a guide) to avoid unnecessary
complications. I hesitate to say there are larger issues at stake for
clearly there can be no larger issue for ABC than recognition of its
standards, but ABC, AOPA, and AAOP have a multifaceted set of issues
to pursue with the VA and it behooves ABC to be respectful of that
fact. It profits the field little to wage a battle over a decision
that has been made and in the process sacrifice our opportunity to
affect future decisions.
Charles H. Pritham, CPO, FAAOP
Immediate Past President, ABC
VA to recognize BOC credentials and ABC's response. I would like to
take the opportunity to outline what ABC is doing about the situation.
ABC first learned of the matter at the AOPA Policy Forum, held
in Washington DC in February. At that venue Fred Downs announced the
change of policy and attributed it to a decision made by the VA's
General Counsel, Ms. Lee Leigh Bradley. Public notice of the VA's
consideration of this critical change of policy was not made and ABC
and others did not have a chance to comment.
As an aside it should perhaps be mentioned that for several
years Fred Downs was functioning in another capacity in the VA, and
his replacement apparently was not interested in maintaining a dialog
with AOPA, ABC, or AAOP. Fred Downs took the opportunity of the Policy
Forum to express his willingness to reestablish such a dialog now that
he is back in his former position. Perhaps it should also be mentioned
that it does Washington bureaucrats in general no harm to see that an
organization like AOPA can muster and organize its constituents to go
to congress and express their concerns to the bureaucrats' political
masters, our representatives. Just a plug for attending and
participating in the Policy Forum...
In any event ABC has written wrote a letter on February 11,
1999 to the VA General Counsel protesting the decision, the manner in
which it was made, and asking for a chance to review the public
documents considered in making the decision.
ABC and AOPA also met conversation was held with Ms. Marsha
Sayer, a member of the majority staff of the House Governmental
Affairs and Reform Committee about the lack of public involvement in
the decision making process. She expressed her concern and promised to
look into the matter.
At the occasion of the DAV's Winter Sports Clinic held in
Crested Butte ABC's Lance Hoxie and Bill Teague, of the AOPA board,
held conversations with members of the leadership of DAV and a
assistant (or deputy) secretary of VA about this and other issues
affecting the delivery of prosthetic and orthotic care to the American
veteran.
It is obviously ABC's position that the veteran is entitled to
the highest standard of care possible, and ABC is disappointed that
the VA would be willing to accept what ABC believes to be a lesser
standards of care for practitioner qualifications.
As of yet these various efforts have not yielded results.
Finally, Bill Bieswenger, Garvin Marty, and Lance Hoxie have
a meeting scheduled with Fred Downs to talk about the decision and the
possibilities of establishing standards for credentialing those
providing P&O care for veterans. This is part of the effort to
reestablish the dialog with Fred Downs.
AOPA, AAOP, and ABC have a long and complex relationship with
Mr. Downs. He is scrupulous about his integrity and by all accounts
does not respond well to threats. Because of the long track record and
the complex nature of the relationship, ABC is working carefully (with
Garvin Marty's past experience as a guide) to avoid unnecessary
complications. I hesitate to say there are larger issues at stake for
clearly there can be no larger issue for ABC than recognition of its
standards, but ABC, AOPA, and AAOP have a multifaceted set of issues
to pursue with the VA and it behooves ABC to be respectful of that
fact. It profits the field little to wage a battle over a decision
that has been made and in the process sacrifice our opportunity to
affect future decisions.
Charles H. Pritham, CPO, FAAOP
Immediate Past President, ABC
Citation
“US POlitics-ABC, BOC, VA,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 5, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/211564.
