Florida Board / micellaneous postings
Steven L. Fries, L.C.P.O.
Description
Collection
Title:
Florida Board / micellaneous postings
Creator:
Steven L. Fries, L.C.P.O.
Text:
Dear Friends:
I have occasionally responded directly to questions, comments or
inquiries posted on this site and have enjoyed offering ideas and suggestions
to colleagues from the United States as well from abroad. Like most, I have
never presented any opinions on specific issues that would be read by all
subscribers until today.
The O & P List is a forum for the discussion of topics related to
Orthotics and Prosthetics and should not be limited to clinical issues only.
There are far too many topics that require our mutual attention and thought.
The dialogue among practitioners and consumers generated by various postings
is invaluable. If an issue arises that is not of particular interest to
someone, they may exercise their option of deleting it and proceed to
something of greater significance. I vote to maintain this site as it is.
As an example of an important non-clinical issue which warrants our
attention are the very legitimate concerns of a gentleman who recently wrote
to advise us of a nomination made by Florida Governor Jeb Bush to the State
Licensure Board. Florida now awards licenses only to those practitioners who
have demonstrated their competence through minimum levels of education,
training, experience and examination. The nominee is an executive of a large
orthotics and prosthetics corporation whose appointment may, in my opinion,
present a conflict of interest which would ultimately fail to protect our
patients from the malpractice of unqualified practitioners and would most
likely lead to efforts to dilute the high standards established by the state
of Florida and its Licensure Board. This is an issue which should concern
all practitioners who might question whether the value of their credentials
could be determined by a board member whose loyalties may not lie with the
integrity of the profession or the qualifications of its practitioners or the
will of the people ( if I may borrow an overused Gore-ism) or the level of
care provided to patients referred to us for care, but instead are committed
to quarterly profits, annual earnings and to the employment of underqualified
personnel that can be hired at the lowest wage possible. What will happen to
patients with complex neuromuscular disorders? How will the new amputee be
managed postoperatively? What of the trauma cases requiring acute care?
What will become of the criteria used to define professionalism in orthotics
and prosthetics? While I respect this individual's business acumen, I
personally feel that his appointment to the Licensure Board would be grossly
inappropriate and detrimental to our profession as well as to the level of
care afforded to our patients. Given this, I would encourage everyone to
voice their opinions on this particular appointment.
Today, this is a Florida issue. Many of you in other states may face
similar situations in the future. We need to move forward. Our obligations
to our patients and our profession must be honored above politics,
bureaucracy and a corporations bottom line. For those of you in Florida, you
have the opportunity of communicating your concerns to the Governor and to
Mr. Joe Baker, the Executive Director of the Board of Orthotists and
Prosthetists. Let your voices be heard!
Steven L. Fries, CPO, (L)
Fort Myers, FL
I have occasionally responded directly to questions, comments or
inquiries posted on this site and have enjoyed offering ideas and suggestions
to colleagues from the United States as well from abroad. Like most, I have
never presented any opinions on specific issues that would be read by all
subscribers until today.
The O & P List is a forum for the discussion of topics related to
Orthotics and Prosthetics and should not be limited to clinical issues only.
There are far too many topics that require our mutual attention and thought.
The dialogue among practitioners and consumers generated by various postings
is invaluable. If an issue arises that is not of particular interest to
someone, they may exercise their option of deleting it and proceed to
something of greater significance. I vote to maintain this site as it is.
As an example of an important non-clinical issue which warrants our
attention are the very legitimate concerns of a gentleman who recently wrote
to advise us of a nomination made by Florida Governor Jeb Bush to the State
Licensure Board. Florida now awards licenses only to those practitioners who
have demonstrated their competence through minimum levels of education,
training, experience and examination. The nominee is an executive of a large
orthotics and prosthetics corporation whose appointment may, in my opinion,
present a conflict of interest which would ultimately fail to protect our
patients from the malpractice of unqualified practitioners and would most
likely lead to efforts to dilute the high standards established by the state
of Florida and its Licensure Board. This is an issue which should concern
all practitioners who might question whether the value of their credentials
could be determined by a board member whose loyalties may not lie with the
integrity of the profession or the qualifications of its practitioners or the
will of the people ( if I may borrow an overused Gore-ism) or the level of
care provided to patients referred to us for care, but instead are committed
to quarterly profits, annual earnings and to the employment of underqualified
personnel that can be hired at the lowest wage possible. What will happen to
patients with complex neuromuscular disorders? How will the new amputee be
managed postoperatively? What of the trauma cases requiring acute care?
What will become of the criteria used to define professionalism in orthotics
and prosthetics? While I respect this individual's business acumen, I
personally feel that his appointment to the Licensure Board would be grossly
inappropriate and detrimental to our profession as well as to the level of
care afforded to our patients. Given this, I would encourage everyone to
voice their opinions on this particular appointment.
Today, this is a Florida issue. Many of you in other states may face
similar situations in the future. We need to move forward. Our obligations
to our patients and our profession must be honored above politics,
bureaucracy and a corporations bottom line. For those of you in Florida, you
have the opportunity of communicating your concerns to the Governor and to
Mr. Joe Baker, the Executive Director of the Board of Orthotists and
Prosthetists. Let your voices be heard!
Steven L. Fries, CPO, (L)
Fort Myers, FL
Citation
Steven L. Fries, L.C.P.O., “Florida Board / micellaneous postings,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 5, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/215296.
