HUGH PANTON

HUGH PANTON

ARMS_N_LEGS

1/28/2001

This post is directed to Jerry Levitt and all of the others who feel that they have to rail against Hugh Panton. For someone who, in an earlier, post denies direct involvement with our field, you have more than a casual opinion of the inner workings of Florida O & P politics. Especially the terrible bill that the Florida Group was successful in overcoming and it's successor bill which the Florida group HELPED to have made into law.

You challange Hugh's description of the differences between the two with the statement that there is no exclusion, Just basic Qualifications I believe is your term. Anyone meeting those qualification is another quote. No restriction preventing out-of-state practitioners.

I, too, have a major and serious grievance with Hugh Panton. One which I have addressed face to face with him. However, allow me to digress for a while. I feel a need to allow other's, who might be interested, to better understand the events as they actually happened.

At the summer meeting of the Fla. Assn. of Orthotists and Prosthetists (FAOP) was held in Jupiter Beach ( I believe it was in 1996) a motion was made to remove the current officers from their offices. There was a fairly heated discussion, after which, the motion passed. Immediately afterward, an illegal election of officers took place. It was illegal, because the By-laws required that thirty days notice be given before an election of officers and that election of officers take place at the meeting held in March of any year.

Now this illegal group of people took the FAOP treasury money which was in excess of $30,000.00 and went to work on the bill that they wanted passed. The billed was designed to allow those who had a baccalaurate in O & P and who had practised in the State of Florida for the past five years to be licensed. It allowed those who did not have a baccalaurate, but who were certified by ABC and had practised in the State of Florida for the past five years and who applied before a set deadline to be licensed. It allowed certain others to take an exam given by ABC to extend their credentials provided taht they had practised in Florida for the past five years. After the deadline, those ABC practitioners who did not have a degree were persona non grata. YOU BET YOUR ASS IT IS! WHERE IS IT WRITTEN THAT THE EXPERIENCE IN FLORIDA IS SO MUCH SUPERIOR TO THAT IN ANY OTHER STATE? If any of you think that the Florida O & P law is not exclusionary, read the law. I have practised in Florida for forty-three years; I am a three time past president of the legal FAOP, a past president of ABC and had I not met the deadline when I did, today, I am not eligible to be licensed in Florida to practise a profession that I have devoted my life to! Exclusionary?

Now, about the Florida Group having helped to get the law passed. Yes, they helped. Trouble is, no one else did. Sure, there were a couple of patients who testified. But, where did the cash for the lobbists come from? Every dime of it came from the FAOP treasury. When that ran out, they asked for contributions; from the practitioners. When you spend something in excess of $40,000.00 to protect your patients from you and others like you, whose best interest do you really have at heart? When you keep people with substantially the same credentials as you have from being licensed in your state, whose best interest do you rally have at heart? Why weren't the abused patients screaming at the Florida Legislature before we showed up? This bill was passed for O&P! It is, was and always will be about TURF!

Now, Hugh Panton wants to bring a different opinion to the Florida Board, God Forbid! Can anyone of you actually believe that there could be a differing opinion? This guy works for Hanger, they want to use scabs. Not on our turf! Does anyone have direct knowledge that Hanger is using unlicensed practitioners? Are they staffing large offices with one licensed practitioner and allowing several unlicensed practitioners work under his direct supervision? That is legal under the law. In South Florida they seem to have a bunch of licensed practitioners.

I believe that those who are afraid to have Hugh Panton on the Board are the same people who can't stand to hear the voice of dissent. We've got things the way the way we want them and we're not going to let go. You are afraid that he'll give away the farm! Now, you've come to my problem with Hugh. When the illegal election of officers was completed, I told Hugh not to give them the money (he was the treasurer before the coup). I told him to make these guys go to court to get the money. He didn't do it. He felt that they should have the opportunity to get it done. So, is he friend or foe? By the way, Jerry, it's so sophomoric to hide behind a psuedonome

  

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