Fw: [OANDP-L] Where are your professional and credentialing Associations ????

Fw: [OANDP-L] Where are your professional and credentialing Associations ????

Tony Barr

1/11/2001

As a past and an effective President of the Academy, the wisdom of your below words will be well received.
Thank you for allowing me to share them with members of the Listserve.

However, can not your suggestion for ACA to also advocate for patients rights in securing CAAHEP standards to providers, be influenced by the $20,000 to $30,000 they receive in bimonthly advertising revenue from AOPA members?

As a lifetime member, I am not aware of a ACA's position statement or a active advocacy role they have taken regarding other related issues i.e. competitive bidding proposal, the past consolidation effort, or state or federal regulation efforts of the profession.

Perhaps under the new ACA's leadership of president John Miller and their new Strategic Plan, we will see some true advocacy for supporting CAAHEP educational standards to providers of this honorable profession.They certainly have the resources of the CDC and National Limb Loss Information Center to effectively rally the consumer to support.

Both ACA and AAOP claim advocacy for persons with disabilities. Profession and consumer together could most certainly overturn this legislation.Where are they when federal legislation is being passed to permit the entrance of providers of O& P services with substandard educational qualifications??
 
Tony Barr
 


----- Original Message -----
From: <Email Address Redacted>
To: <Email Address Redacted>
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2001 11:21 AM
Subject: Re: [OANDP-L] Where are your professional and credentialing Associations ????


Tony:

You can use what ever you think is relevant to your request on the list.
First, however, l let me say, I think the Academy would be honored to have
you and others (who are otherwise not eligible) as members of the Academy.
And I have recommended the same when I was an active AAOP board member.

I am opposed to any watering down of the protections (of O&P patient)
inherent in CAAHEP standards. However, the Academy has long struggled with
its role as an advocator, because its members provide O&P services for which
they receive remuneration. The strength in advocacy comes from the
recipient. And while the Academy can find ways to support, fund, organize &
implement methods of advocacy the light must shine brightest on the patient
(recipient) and the requests for change, qualified providers, preservation of
CAAHEP standards, etc., must also come from those patients.

The fight was fought, to secure CAAHEP standards, by the professional
organizations - NOW the fight to keep those standards is up to the consumer
(again the Academy and others can help). ACA and similar organizations can
establish tremendous credibility and viability by leading the way in such a
fight.

I am sure you recognize that I am no longer serving in a leadership position
but I thank you for including me in such a distinguished group of current and
past leaders.

Thanks,

Bob Brown, Sr., CPO, FAAOP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 In a message dated 1/9/01 5:16:54 PM Eastern Standard Time,
<Email Address Redacted> writes:



  Why does the board members of AAOP and ABC remain silent of thier support in
  legislation passed which permit OTs and PTs, without CAAHEP educational
  quidelines, to provide O&P services??

  What possible motive could the national professional organization
  credentialed by ABC have in supporting AOPA's initiative for the entrance
  of non CAAHEP providers??

  Tony Barr