Re: ABC Invitation to BOC Practitioners
Ramona M. Okumura
Description
Collection
Title:
Re: ABC Invitation to BOC Practitioners
Creator:
Ramona M. Okumura
Date:
3/9/2004
Text:
It is a fallacy that ABC and BOC certification are equivalent for
Washington State Licensure.
In Washington State, unlicensed practitioners may NOT legally bill or
treat patients.
The state of Washington does NOT accept BOC licensure and education as
equivalent preparation. BOC certification processes were reviewed by
the Public Health department. To be licensed, a practioner must still
have equivalent training/education, residency hours and written and
written sim exams (similar to previous ABC certification standards)
along with references to be licensed in Washington state. Other state
licenses are acceptable only if they have equivalent standards. If
somone hasn't had one or more of these pieces, they must meet them to
be licensed.
When ABC started down this road, the scarey question we then confront
is whether a PT is more qualified to provide P & O care than ABC
certifees who might have had significantly less education regarding
Physical Medicine and Biomechanics which is the scientific foundation
of our patient care.
Our P & O students take the same basic science courses with the now
DPT and MOT curricula and the P & O faculty lecture in the Kinesiology
and Medical Sciences, and PT P & O courses. I know what they get
taught. It is not sufficient course material for PTs or BOCs to be
licensed in the state of Washington. When PTs have more training than
the vast majority of ABC certifees, we will have no leg to stand on to
be the most knowledgeable providers. ABC will have won the battle, but
as practitioners, we will lose the war.
Ramona M. Okumura, CP, LP
Division of Prosthetics Orthotics
Rehabilitation Medicine
School of Medicine
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington 98195-6490
Washington State Licensure.
In Washington State, unlicensed practitioners may NOT legally bill or
treat patients.
The state of Washington does NOT accept BOC licensure and education as
equivalent preparation. BOC certification processes were reviewed by
the Public Health department. To be licensed, a practioner must still
have equivalent training/education, residency hours and written and
written sim exams (similar to previous ABC certification standards)
along with references to be licensed in Washington state. Other state
licenses are acceptable only if they have equivalent standards. If
somone hasn't had one or more of these pieces, they must meet them to
be licensed.
When ABC started down this road, the scarey question we then confront
is whether a PT is more qualified to provide P & O care than ABC
certifees who might have had significantly less education regarding
Physical Medicine and Biomechanics which is the scientific foundation
of our patient care.
Our P & O students take the same basic science courses with the now
DPT and MOT curricula and the P & O faculty lecture in the Kinesiology
and Medical Sciences, and PT P & O courses. I know what they get
taught. It is not sufficient course material for PTs or BOCs to be
licensed in the state of Washington. When PTs have more training than
the vast majority of ABC certifees, we will have no leg to stand on to
be the most knowledgeable providers. ABC will have won the battle, but
as practitioners, we will lose the war.
Ramona M. Okumura, CP, LP
Division of Prosthetics Orthotics
Rehabilitation Medicine
School of Medicine
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington 98195-6490
Citation
Ramona M. Okumura, “Re: ABC Invitation to BOC Practitioners,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 2, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/222546.
