Re: $3000 O&P Board fine for Florida Orthopedic Technologist
Brett Saunders
Description
Collection
Title:
Re: $3000 O&P Board fine for Florida Orthopedic Technologist
Creator:
Brett Saunders
Date:
3/2/2002
Text:
Mr. Nudelman..if that is your real name...
You have made a report of an incident to this list with some very
far-fetched claims.
First..you refer to an OT's practice...OT is the professional designation
for an Occupational Therapist. It is widely recognized as such in all 50
states of the United States and its use as described in the practice act
under which Occupational Therapists are licensed and by law (in Florida at
least)it's use is limited to those professionals.
Other than in your posts, I have never seen a reference to an Orthopedic
Technologist. Is this your title? Is it recognized as such by any
licensing board in any of the United States?
The OT was given the address of the nearest MacDonalds for re-training.
Are we to really believe that the Florida O&P Board gave someone the address
of the nearest McDonald's? Do they actually have a list of the closest one
to each meeting place?
The Board responded that they will eventually root out all Orthopedic
Technologists in the state of Florida and
export them to Georgia, Alabama & Canada
Are they really going to export orthopedic technologists to other states?
Now, seriously, if the person was practicing in a field of health care that
is regulated by the state, then that person should be licensed. The same is
true for doctors, nurses, therapists (Speech, PT, & OT), orthotists,
prosthetists, and pedorthotists. No one is getting the better than anyone
else here. State law is State law and we all have to follow it.
I am a licensed prosthetist/orthotist in Florida who has reported unlicensed
people practicing as the law required (yes, I can be disciplined for not
reporting this information and would then place my license at risk). I will
tell you it is almost impossible to get the state to stop someone violating
the practice act. I can and have provided patient names, dates, locations,
witnesses, and people involved and still the investigators drop the cases
saying there is insufficient evidence. The amount of evidence needed to get
state action is huge.
Do you think the Orlando Orthotist will ever get any more
patients from this Orthopedic Practice? Or for that matter, any of the
ortho practices that employ Orthopedic Technologists.
If the 'orthopedic technologist' was employed by the physician, he would
have been working in the physician's office and under his/her
supervision...as defined under the physician's scope of practice and the
medical board's definition of supervision and there would not be an issue
here.
So, whatever this person was doing, it was not under the supervision of a
physician (beyond a physician writing a prescription) or anyone else
licensed to perform the tasks performed. It rose to such a level that the
preponderance of evidence could not be ignored or discounted by the
investigators or the Florida O&P Board. They did not victimize the person
you describe. He/She broke the law. If all that person receives is a
$3,000 fine, they should be thankful they are not looking at jail time for
the felony charges that are possible.
Your plumber, builder, electrician, & hair stylist all have to be licensed
and are regulated. Things they deal with can be fixed, replaced, or will
grow out with time, if they make a mistake. Why is it so hard for people to
understand that health care workers also need to be licensed and regulated.
The things they do can cause life long problems which may never be fixed.
They can cause prolonged pain and suffering needlessly if the 'wrong' person
attempts to do something they should not. To protect the public from the
untrained, uneducated, and unscrupulous, we have laws that say who is
allowed to do specific things with penalties for those that violate these
laws. Without them, you would never know if the person treating your
illness is qualified.
Brett Saunders, CPO, FAAOP
You have made a report of an incident to this list with some very
far-fetched claims.
First..you refer to an OT's practice...OT is the professional designation
for an Occupational Therapist. It is widely recognized as such in all 50
states of the United States and its use as described in the practice act
under which Occupational Therapists are licensed and by law (in Florida at
least)it's use is limited to those professionals.
Other than in your posts, I have never seen a reference to an Orthopedic
Technologist. Is this your title? Is it recognized as such by any
licensing board in any of the United States?
The OT was given the address of the nearest MacDonalds for re-training.
Are we to really believe that the Florida O&P Board gave someone the address
of the nearest McDonald's? Do they actually have a list of the closest one
to each meeting place?
The Board responded that they will eventually root out all Orthopedic
Technologists in the state of Florida and
export them to Georgia, Alabama & Canada
Are they really going to export orthopedic technologists to other states?
Now, seriously, if the person was practicing in a field of health care that
is regulated by the state, then that person should be licensed. The same is
true for doctors, nurses, therapists (Speech, PT, & OT), orthotists,
prosthetists, and pedorthotists. No one is getting the better than anyone
else here. State law is State law and we all have to follow it.
I am a licensed prosthetist/orthotist in Florida who has reported unlicensed
people practicing as the law required (yes, I can be disciplined for not
reporting this information and would then place my license at risk). I will
tell you it is almost impossible to get the state to stop someone violating
the practice act. I can and have provided patient names, dates, locations,
witnesses, and people involved and still the investigators drop the cases
saying there is insufficient evidence. The amount of evidence needed to get
state action is huge.
Do you think the Orlando Orthotist will ever get any more
patients from this Orthopedic Practice? Or for that matter, any of the
ortho practices that employ Orthopedic Technologists.
If the 'orthopedic technologist' was employed by the physician, he would
have been working in the physician's office and under his/her
supervision...as defined under the physician's scope of practice and the
medical board's definition of supervision and there would not be an issue
here.
So, whatever this person was doing, it was not under the supervision of a
physician (beyond a physician writing a prescription) or anyone else
licensed to perform the tasks performed. It rose to such a level that the
preponderance of evidence could not be ignored or discounted by the
investigators or the Florida O&P Board. They did not victimize the person
you describe. He/She broke the law. If all that person receives is a
$3,000 fine, they should be thankful they are not looking at jail time for
the felony charges that are possible.
Your plumber, builder, electrician, & hair stylist all have to be licensed
and are regulated. Things they deal with can be fixed, replaced, or will
grow out with time, if they make a mistake. Why is it so hard for people to
understand that health care workers also need to be licensed and regulated.
The things they do can cause life long problems which may never be fixed.
They can cause prolonged pain and suffering needlessly if the 'wrong' person
attempts to do something they should not. To protect the public from the
untrained, uneducated, and unscrupulous, we have laws that say who is
allowed to do specific things with penalties for those that violate these
laws. Without them, you would never know if the person treating your
illness is qualified.
Brett Saunders, CPO, FAAOP
Citation
Brett Saunders, “Re: $3000 O&P Board fine for Florida Orthopedic Technologist,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 1, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/218465.
