Comments about NOMA question

Comments about NOMA question

Randall McFarland, CPO

In compiling the list of non NOMA members I received the following
comments and and I am reposting them for your interest, without names.
Remember, I DID NOT even suggest or hint that any boycott take place. One
post suggested this as a motive and suggested that we not punish vendors.
I do not feel that exposing the facts/realities surrounding our industry
should be discouraged. I think we should be aware of the politics and
question the motives of those who discourage such comminication. Thanks to
those who responded!
Randy McFarland, CPO

Here are the responses, each separated by a blank line:
 
    FYI, NOMA opposed Licensure in Ohio, and when unsuccessful, attempted to
stack the board.

     My information is that confirmed members of NOMA are: Breg, DeRoyal,
Donjoy,
Generation II, EBI. There are a few others as well.

     Why the all fired hurry to punish vendors for O&P's failure to be
proactive?
At any rate, I know nothing about NOMA but I am a provider of O&P  related
items, POSITIVELY!  You may not, however, use my name on your list while I'm
one of the guys being keep out of the O&P club.  Any actions taken against
these unknown vendors will most likely result in shooting yet another hole
in the foot of O&P.  Its a new year indeed and one that requires a lot of
temperance and soul searching for O&P to survive.  Personally, I have too
much invested to see prosthetists and orthotists stay out there on that long
thin shaky limb.  I'm all for licensure if it promotes the education
necessary for true O&P professional status.  If its being used to protect
your turf, forget it.  A scapegoat is not what is needed now.  A long hard
look at the way O&P does business is.  I don't think the vendors will be
suffering from a boycott, O&P will.  Even if you could convince all 3500
members of this august body to boycott these vendors (impossible) there are
PT's, OT's, and people like myself who will continue to support the vendors
with the best products while the rest make sweet little deals with OWW and
continue to buy shoddy products like Alpha liner.  Let's not forget the O&P
folks in the rest of the world either.  It would be a real shame if US
clients had to go overseas to get good quality components and prosthetic
limbs.  What difference does it make who is a member of NOMA?  If they make
the best products for you to use for your clients I guess the best course
would be to go ahead and use them.
     I'm afraid I can not shed any more light on NOMA but I suspect they are
not
working against CP's as much as they are looking out for their own
businesses.  Isn't this what you are doing?  It seems the height of folly to
compile a list of those who claim no affiliation to NOMA in order to punish
those who don't make your list.  I'm afraid that the O&P leadership has
tossed out a red herring in order to quell the growing suspicion that they
have not done a very good job protecting the interests of their members.
This latest legislation, which was designed to keep guys like me out of the
exclusive club, has only served to shoot it's membership in the foot.  I'm
afraid that O&P must now become a lot more proactive if they want to
maintain their exclusivity and continue with their dubious practice of
promoting uneducated technicians to the level of CP's instead of expanding
the knowledge base.
     To often practitioners have taken the credit for the Vendors efforts in
providing all the high tech marvels used to help amputees regain their
independence.  While the R&D work continues, practitioners need to educate
themselves in the new methodologies and to learn how to correctly assemble
the various components.  The vendors are seeing that they provide all the
training and the new products while the old school practitioners are still
messing about with plaster casting methodologies invented hundreds of years
ago.  O&P facilities have overstaffed their shops with technicians and CP's
who have never had the education and experience to use computers, software,
or to understand the structural, chemical, and mechanical considerations
inherent in modern prosthetic methods. The vendors are seeing that O&P has
become a handicap to the US industry. Instead of becoming world leaders and
sharing this knowledge with others, O&P leaders have sought sweet deals that
helps them personally and very little has been done to promote O&P for the
patients sake.  Too much time has been spent fighting encroachment and too
little effort has been expended increasing the knowledge base of its
practitioners.
     O&P is seriously inbred and this inbreeding has led to it's decline and
dumbing down as they say.  It has not kept up with the vendors that feed it.
When the food supply is moved well ahead of the troops, the troops had
better get a move on.  Don't look to blame the vendors, look within your own
organization for the lack of foresight and the promotion of selfish
interests.
     I enclose a link to 2 diametrically opposed articles which describe the
future of O&P.  You decide for yourself which one rings the truest.
      <URL Redacted>
      <URL Redacted>

   Can't wait to see the results of this survey! I think you will find that
NOMA is AOPA or at least many of thier members?Keep up the good
work!Unfortunastely, I believe your profession has been sold out by the
industry leaders in ramrodding PT and OT inclusion to the medicare provider
list of qualified practitioners!

   Bremer brace has been giving training courses to PTs and PTAs
to put their vertilign tlso braces on patients out of Dr offices
..supposedly paying 200 for the brace and getting 1800 billed out...of course
when it comes to follow up for trouble with the brace they call the Orthotist

Got a private message from a pretty reliable source . . . NOMA members are
ALL knee brace manufacturers.  Soooo. . one can probably start with Breg. . .
. . .   Kind of a surprise to me. Figured they would be soft goods people,
Camp, Truform, Freeman, etc.  Guess not.    I would still bet most NOMA
members are also AOPA members.  The reliable source seemed very sure.