Re: Florida O&P Law
Todd Griffin
Description
Collection
Title:
Re: Florida O&P Law
Creator:
Todd Griffin
Text:
Mr. Barocas,
I am just writing trying to understand the point of your post. Do you feel
that orthotists and prosthetists should be the only medical professionals
that can legally put on any support or brace? Should orthopedists ship all
fractures out to your facility for casting or fracture bracing? Are foot
orthotics beyond the scope of a physical therapist's training? Are
occupational therapists overstepping their legal liits when they produce
orthoses for the hand? Is an athletic trainer not qualified to fit a
patient with a knee brace? For that matter, what about tape jobs? You
mentioned fiberglass and plaster fracture orthoses with disdain like all
ortho techs should be run out of town. Should athletic trainers bus all
their athletes to your facility for application of daily bandage orthoses?
My point is, every allied health field has its place in the spectrum of
healthcare we work in every day. Each specialty is self-governed. That is
why the rules of the O&P laws in Florida only apply to O&P! However, if
someone from another field is practicing beyond the scope of their laws(i.e.
a PT producing or fitting artificial limbs), they should be turned in by
whomever sees the problem to THEIR governing body so they can be punished by
THEIR governing body, not yours!
I am an ATC, and I do work as a sales representative for an orthopedic
bracing company(not an in-house rep for a stock and bill, a sales rep but
not in Florida). Between my training as an ATC and my in-house training
with my company, am I not qualified to work with the physician to determine
which product is appropriate, measure and fit that patient?
Don't get me wrong, I am not anti-O&P in any way. Most of the O&P shops in
my territory (that can see past my business card without automatically
assuming I am the enemy!) see me as a resource and call me in for difficult
situations involving my products. However, the attitude that is conveyed by
you and an extreme minority of the members of the O&P listserv sounds as if
you think you should be the only professionals allowed to do ANY of the
tasks that you do. Absurd!
The truth is that all allied health fields overlap. Trainers battle with
PT's, PT's battle with OT's, orthopedists battle with neurosurgeons,
podiatrists and chiropractors. The list is endless! If you or any of your
fellow O&P professionals feel that any of the examles listed above are
unfair or that you should be the exception to the overlapping, you are
extremely short-sighted!
Sincerely,
J. Todd Griffin MS, ATC
<Email Address Redacted>
_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at <URL Redacted>.
Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at
<URL Redacted>.
I am just writing trying to understand the point of your post. Do you feel
that orthotists and prosthetists should be the only medical professionals
that can legally put on any support or brace? Should orthopedists ship all
fractures out to your facility for casting or fracture bracing? Are foot
orthotics beyond the scope of a physical therapist's training? Are
occupational therapists overstepping their legal liits when they produce
orthoses for the hand? Is an athletic trainer not qualified to fit a
patient with a knee brace? For that matter, what about tape jobs? You
mentioned fiberglass and plaster fracture orthoses with disdain like all
ortho techs should be run out of town. Should athletic trainers bus all
their athletes to your facility for application of daily bandage orthoses?
My point is, every allied health field has its place in the spectrum of
healthcare we work in every day. Each specialty is self-governed. That is
why the rules of the O&P laws in Florida only apply to O&P! However, if
someone from another field is practicing beyond the scope of their laws(i.e.
a PT producing or fitting artificial limbs), they should be turned in by
whomever sees the problem to THEIR governing body so they can be punished by
THEIR governing body, not yours!
I am an ATC, and I do work as a sales representative for an orthopedic
bracing company(not an in-house rep for a stock and bill, a sales rep but
not in Florida). Between my training as an ATC and my in-house training
with my company, am I not qualified to work with the physician to determine
which product is appropriate, measure and fit that patient?
Don't get me wrong, I am not anti-O&P in any way. Most of the O&P shops in
my territory (that can see past my business card without automatically
assuming I am the enemy!) see me as a resource and call me in for difficult
situations involving my products. However, the attitude that is conveyed by
you and an extreme minority of the members of the O&P listserv sounds as if
you think you should be the only professionals allowed to do ANY of the
tasks that you do. Absurd!
The truth is that all allied health fields overlap. Trainers battle with
PT's, PT's battle with OT's, orthopedists battle with neurosurgeons,
podiatrists and chiropractors. The list is endless! If you or any of your
fellow O&P professionals feel that any of the examles listed above are
unfair or that you should be the exception to the overlapping, you are
extremely short-sighted!
Sincerely,
J. Todd Griffin MS, ATC
<Email Address Redacted>
_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at <URL Redacted>.
Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at
<URL Redacted>.
Citation
Todd Griffin, “Re: Florida O&P Law,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 12, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/214916.
