US Politics - Licensing Responses

US Politics - Licensing Responses

Here is the question I posted a few days ago and the responses I
received. I only responses to the first two of my three questions, so I
will re-post the third question separately:

I recently became licensed in O&P in Florida. I have three questions. The
first applies equally to Florida, Texas, or any other state. The next two
apply only to Florida.

1) What letters should I use after my name? I am a CPO.
    I've seen practitioners who only use LPO, which is OK, but there are
licensed people were grandfathered in who don't have ABC credentials. I
earned those credentials and hate to abandon them.
    I've seen practitioners who use CPO, LPO or LPO, CPO. This seems a
little lengthy and repetitive.
    I think I'd like to use CLPO, but I haven't seen anyone else doing so.
    Comments?

2) The actual license says DISPLAY AS REQUIRED BY LAW. What is the law?
Like the occupational license, must it be displayed where you practice?
    If so, what if a practitioner practices in more than one location? Does
he or she need to obtain duplicates?

3) I attended an excellent and very informative lecture by Morris Gallo in
Captiva last year in which he said that it is the obligation, not merely the
right, of a licensed practitioner to blow the whistle on unlicensed people
who are practicing, and further, that if a licensed practitioner allows other
people in his or her employ to practice without a license, the licensed
practitioner can lost his or her license.
    Is this true? (I may have gotten it wrong.) If it is true, what about a
licensed non-owner who works with unlicensed people who treat patients. Do
they have an obligation (with the potential penalty of losing their license)
of turning in their co-workers? This, in some cases, could cost them their
job!
    I have to say, I'm not a big fan of the idea of forced whistle blowing.
Is this really part of the Florida licensure law?

Thanks, in advance, for your responses.

David Hendricks, CPO


RESPONSES:

David: I have seen PTs use LPT - according to that, our designation might
be LCPO,
LCP, etc. Putting the L in parentheses might be too confusing, since
that is usually
reserved for country designations - CPO(c) for Canada, etc.

IL just passed a licensing law - I'm interested in hearing what the consensus
is on your
question.

John T. Brinkmann, CPO


I use LCPO

Wade Bader, CPO


David, as a non O&P professional, I like LCPO which would indicate licensed
and certified-perhaps one day, LPO , LP and LO could be the identifying
credentials so that we may move away from the battle of alphabet soup
designations. Seems the national office maybe initiating that i.e., Harkin
legislation! The L could be interrupted as Legal or legitimate!!!! Perhaps
Morris could provide you with the correct designation as defined by Florida
law and your license number. I would be interested too!!

Tony Barr


David,

While I do not have an idea on the L issue...and don't want to add more
letters after the name...
maybe someone else can help here. Maybe L-CPO?

It is my understanding that a copy of your license must be displayed in the
offices you practice. I am not clear if you must purchase copies from the
state or if photocopies will be fine.

As far as reporting the actions of unlicensed practitioners, the Florida
Administrative code requires every licensed practitioner to report anyone
practicing without a license. There is a $250.00 fine for not doing so. But,
I am with you, I do not like being forced to do this and feel it may put some
people at risk of loosing their jobs if they follow the law.

Take Care,

Brett R. Saunders, CPO, BOC-O, FAAOP (add the L somewhere in there)


Hi, we in WA state also have state licensing. I am a CPO, but only a LP. I
sign off CPO, LP. I have a co worker, who doesn't think licensing is a great
idea, who signs off LOCO. Our licensing is 600.00 per discipline for the
initial year and 575.00 per discipline thereafter. Now you know
why I am only a LP. I also work for the state and they do not subsidies
payment on licensing or national dues. Fees for me just to practice are
outrageous. Then the academy wants so cash too. I wish I could afford
them. Sorry about getting off tract a bit... I do not believe that we
are required to be a whistle-blower by our law. We in this state also have a
portable small license to carry with us. Usually the facilities we service
require copies of certification or licenses to be on file. It would be
interesting for you to obtain a copy of your law and read it fully then call
the person in charge of the state licensure and ask her these questions. I
have on occasion called. They don't really like it when we point out there
pitfalls. WE here in the state of WA have found a few... It is a difficult
thing to do, and is time consuming. For states wanting to pass licensure it
is really important that they take into fact every detail... The states that
have passed laws should openly meet with those who are attempting to pass
licensure laws. It will save them a lot of heartache. I previously was not
involved, but now I realize what a grave mistake that
was. To those that are rushing threw just to have licensure it is a time bomb
waiting to explode. Take the time to examine exactly how it will impact
everyone the good people along with those we think are bad.

Stephanie Yoshino, CPO


Dave;

This alphabet soup is real headache all around I wish that an agreement could
end this all and we could all just be recognized as the standard for O&P care
providers.

Paut T. Webber CO FAAOP, ABDA, BOC Orthotist/ Prosthetist


Dear Mr. Hendricks:

I am using your email to respond to the general population of certifees who
subscribe to the OANDP LIST serve concerning use of ABC's certification
credential.

As you may know, the ABC owns exclusive rights to the terms certified
orthotist, certified prosthetist, certified prosthetist/orthotist and their
corresponding initials: CO, CP, CPO. Such exclusivity has been
established through our common law usage under federal trade mark laws/rules.
 This ownership has also been supported by a federal court-approved
settlement (1986/87) between the ABC and BOC that prohibits the BOC from
using these terms or confusingly similar terms in their certification
program.

In order to protect our exclusivity rights, the ABC has developed policies
and procedures governing use of the credential (terms and their corresponding
initials). You will appreciate our need to do this since trademark matters
related to the use of the terms kleenex, and xerox worked to the
detriment of those companies when common usage of those terms established
their generic intent.

Thus, the ABC permits usage of its terms and related initials only
accordingly (please note that periods may or may not be used):

CO - Certified Orthotist
CP - Certified Prosthetist
CPO - Certified Prosthetist/Orthotist

Certain delimiters are also permitted with these initials (including the use
of the parentheses):

(E) - Designating Emeritus status
(L) - Designating an approved Leave of Absence from Active Certification
(r) - Designating Retired Status
(c) - Designating Canadian Certification

No other initials, terms, or delimiters are permitted by the ABC. For
example, a licensed practitioner may not combine his/her licensure status
with his/her certification status in any undivided combination of initials.
Therefore, initials such as LCO, LCP, LCPO, COL, CPL, CPOL, or other
combinations are not permitted. If an ABC practitioner wishes to identify
his/her licensure status, then he/she must use terms/initials which are
separated from the ABC's terms and initials (eg. LP, LO, LPO). In the case
of both certification and licensure, then the initials should be separated by
a comma (,.) For example, a licensed ABC prosthetist/orthotist would use
the initials: CPO, LPO; or LPO, CPO.

With respect to your questions concerning reporting of unlicensed
practitioners and displays of your licensure status, you will need to abide
by the regulations administered by your state. However, I would point out
that if an ABC-certifee is in violation of a state law, he/she may be subject
to ABC professional discipline sanctions as stipulated in the ABC Canons of
Ethical Conduct.

I hope this has been helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to
contact me by email or telephone (703/836-7114).

Sincerely,

Lance Hoxie
Executive Director
American Board for Certification In Orthotics and Prosthetics, Inc.


David:

With respect to L-CPO, we, at the moment would not permit its use. We can
always consult with our attorneys (which costs) about it but I would rather
stay by our current requirements. As far as practitioners inappropriately
using the terms/initials, we will be glad to correspond with them privately
inform them of our policy/limits. Just let me know and I'll follow up with
them.

Lance


09/23/99

Mr. Lance Hoxie
Executive Director
American Board for Certification
in Orthotics and Prosthetics, Inc.

Re: Certification Credentials - your public e-mail on the list in response to
David Hendricks' questions

Dear Mr. Hoxie:

I read your letter with serious interest and have now some difficult
questions for you in the end of this letter.

You are probably aware of harmonization (this is the official political
term) in economy, education, industrial standards and a lot of other things
in Europe in the process of European unification.

This process made it necessary about 7-8 years ago to underline the
differences in O&P education on various levels in Europe and to make a
statement in favor of those who are taught, educated and examined at a high
level of O&P education (as for example in Germany).

The Federal School for Orthopedic Technology in Dortmund (one of two high
level O&P schools in Europe - the other one is the NCTEPO @ University of
Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland) for this reason introduced a certificate
for their candidates having passed the exams. These candidates have gone
through a. 3 1/2 years of structured dual education (the German model for O&P
education), b. 4 years of supervised O&P technical and clinical practice, c.
the German Meister exam plus d. an additional year of high level training and
final CPO examination at the Federal School for Orthopedic Technology (>2000
hours). The School introduced the new title and certificate to make a
statement about the difference in qualification - just as ABC did at their
time.

This certificate is offered and printed in three important European languages
(German, English and French) and is called in German Zertifikat für
Prothetik und Orthetik - ZPO (D) ; in English: Certificate for Prosthetics
and Orthotics - CPO (D) and in French: Certificat pour la Prothétique et
l'Orthétique - CPO (D).

It is based on definitions of the Joint Education Committee of ISPO and
INTERBOR (Paris 1988), is compatible with the German regulations of
professional education § 51 HWO, and goes in accordance with the COUNCIL
DIRECTIVE 92/51/EEC of June 18, 1992.

With other words: It is not North American but it is official.

Having earned the title as a CPO (D) by studying and working hard for many
years, just as every US-CPO or CPO ( C) has earned his/her's, I have also
used it in this country since I moved to the US five years ago. I was not
aware that I might have hurt the trade mark law while doing this.

Now my question for you:
In your letter you have not mentioned the delimiters (D) for Deutschland =
Germany.

This is probably why neither AOPA nor AAOP have accepted my official title
CPO (D) when presenting at their conferences in recent years. They did not,
however, discuss this question with me and neither with European or German
officials as far as I know. I didn't care too much so far - but now I want to
know:

Am I really hurting the US trade mark law?
Am I hurting ABC?
What am I supposed to do - in order not to overstep the limitations of the
law - but use my officially and rightfully earned German professional title?

Yours sincerely,

Wieland Kaphingst, B.Sc. Eng. (BMT), OMM, CPO (D)

cc: To the list
cc: Bundesinnungsverband fuer Orthopaedie Technik, Dortmund, Germany
cc: Bundesfachschule fuer Orthopaedie Technik, Dortmund, Germany

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