Re: ABC/BOC /a possible solution !?

Re: ABC/BOC /a possible solution !?

tony barr

3/16/2004

Well stated James.

Perhaps a mere patient of your services whom is not a practitioner nor
credentialed, but somewhat familiar with the ongoing strife and controversy
in your profession, can make better make suggestions without prejudice.

The fact that neither BOC nor ABC practitioners have absolutely no say in
the decisions made by their credentialing board, here maybe a possible
solution and worth giving some thought.

Professional unity via professional unification of both credentials thru the
Academy not BOC and ABC.

Ask the Academy ,thru a membership by-law change, not via a board of
directors or management committee decision, to consider allowing BOC
practitioners eligibility to Academy membership.

ABC and BOC can't complain they have already endorsed the concept. If they
do, who cares!

As Joan Cestraro C.P. recently and appropriately pointed out the bigger
picture here is the fact that ABC Practitioners have absolutely no say in
the decisions of the ABC Board- a board that represents US?
The same holds true for BOC practitioners.

The NEW Academy can further provide the much needed unity of both
certification credential providers under one professional umbrella and the
leadership(?) of ABC and BOC can sit on the sidelines and see what happened
as the result of their on going feuding and bickering !

A united front of ABC/BOC practitioners membership in the Academy'scan lead
to support and sponsorship of a National Licensure Conference, which can
help all indivisual states become licensed and the requirement of a
certification is less meaningful.

Plus and perhaps more importantly, the NEW Academy as a professional
organization of approx 3,000, can show more strength in numbers, can better
unite on defending encroachment of other O&P providers and stop all of this
nonsense...NOW.

Now before all you ABC diehards start sending in your posts of disagreement,
keep in mind that many of you were mailed your certificates in the early
years of ABC and all licensure acts in 10 states were passed because 3-5
year grandfather criteria for ABC,BOC and non certified practitioners was
established in every regulated state.

Once licensure acts are enacted in all 50 states,you can better assure
preventing encroachment of your profession and decide where to put
optional certification insignias next to perhaps more meaninful credentials,
LP,LO and LPO.

Don't you think the the time has come for your field to be recognized as
professional providers of O&P services and to make the transition from
certified practitioner to licensed health care provider?

The point being my friends, as Gary Lamb LPO ,past president of the Academy
and Chairman of the Legislative Advocacy Committee of AAOP, correctly
pointed out in the February 15, O&P Business News.

any state without licensure of O&P has no standing. This means that
physical therapists (and other licensed health care providers) can simply
change their practice act in that state to provide O&P care...Then it
becomes illegal for orthotists and prosthetists(credentialed or non
credentialed) to deliver the care they have traditionally provided.

Just as important, once united under one professional umbrella you can
separate your services from DME and get on
with many projects described by the NEW Academy's aggressive plans for
Project Quantum Leap :

1) the task of educating third party payers and legislators that you provide
a legitimate health care service and patient care along with a product, not
just retail services.

2) Presenting O&P as a career option so we can ensure the viability of the
field in the profession Don Katz ,CO, President of the Academy.

3) Developing a pathway of expansion for O&P Masters and doctoral degrees.

4) resolve the serious dilemma of the deficit in advanced educational
opportunities in O&P.

5)Develop a master agenda for priority topics (like conducting a National
Licensure Conference) and method for planning and conducting consensus
conferences.

At the very least, this suggestion may make BOC and ABC come back to the
table!!
But do you really want them do when you have no input or say in the matter ?

No charge, but tax deductible donations are always graciously accepted!:)

Tony Barr
Barr Foundation
www.oandp.com/barr
www.ertlreconstruction.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Orthotics and Prosthetics List [mailto:<Email Address Redacted>] On
Behalf Of James Cobb
Sent: Friday, March 12, 2004 12:25 AM
To: <Email Address Redacted>
Subject: Re: [OANDP-L] ABC/BOC

I attended the meeting in the Reno about the ABC-BOC merger talks and have
also been reading most of the posts on this forum as well. I definitely see
both sides of the coin. Here is my side. Every organization has good
points and bad points. I have never been apart any organization nor heard
of one that has satisfied 100 percent of it members. As a community of
professionals we are all facing a grim future of insurance cut backs and
reduction of benefits. We all need to be united in our fight to be allowed
provide patient care. The million dollar question is how can we become
united? We have two major certifying organizations with different avenues
both being allowed to practice the same medicine. Unfortunately both have
been pitted against each other and now our fight is against each other
instead of against legislation. There are a lot of proud practitioners both
ABC and BOC. Each feel stepped on. It has now become personal.

I agree with Mr. Barr that every organization needs a good shaking up.
This shaking up gets every ones opinions out on the table. Communication
is our best tool, the lack of communication is our worst enemy. Every one
in our profession at one time or another has thought or at least heard
someone say that ABC certification is better than BOC. I have personally
read many classifieds that asked for at least BOC certification. This
implies that ABC practitioners utilize a higher standard of care than BOC.
This again starts another thousand arguments and hurt feelings. Point
being, we do need one set standard of practicing medicine, one credentialing
body, and one huge voice shouting together in Washington D.C. I have a lot
of friends ABC and BOC. I have a lot of friends who are doctors, nurses and
therapists. We honestly look weak as a whole in the medical community. We
need to strengthen and unite together. We also need to weed out the weak on
both sides of the ABC-BOC street. Maybe we should think of these points
before merger talks begin again. First, at a minimum all practitioners
must of have completed a residency or a minimum hour trade course to ensure
formal education. The problem with straight OJT is someone can't teach it
if they don't know it. A professors job is to know it, all of it.
Secondly, make everyone immediately retake an examination of their
respective field/s. This will weed out some people; which is a good thing.
Lastly, mandate tests or boards every 4-5 years along with CEU's. If we
are going to unite we must all prove to be equal and then must set high
standards for people to maintain. I really am not trying to anger anyone.
I am trying to get us to think together as a whole for a resolution to the
problem. The government and insurance companies will not wait for us to
sort out our problems. I read a post earlier talking about animals and
getting attacked when we are the weakest. Well friends, our community is
very shaky right now. We need to be looking out for each other not hurting
each other.

Sincerely to all who provide orthotic and prosthetic patient care,

James Cobb