Re: Clarifying the Academy's Position

Re: Clarifying the Academy's Position

bob brown

3/23/2005

Ron:

I appreciate your comments as I am sure the Academy leadership does.
However, I am an Academy Fellow member, AOPA member and a manufacturer and I
am the one who moved to Table the attempted motion to force the Academy
Board to act in a manner inconsistent with the facts.

Tabling the motion will allow the Academy leadership the time it needs to
work with AOPA and the APTA to resolve the issues we are all so concerned
about. The next formal business meeting will have to address the Tabled
motion and if the progress is not in the best interest of Academy members
the Academy leadership is obligated to report as much. Tabling a motion does
not just make it go away.

We (manufacturers) are not the enemy - we are YOU. None of us survive if
qualified practitioners don't survive.

I think using a broad brush to paint one segment of OUR profession only adds
to a negative atmosphere like gasoline on a burning fire.

This is what I got out of the Town Hall meeting! I hope most of those in
attendance feel the same way.

Thank you: Dave, (Target) Wendy and (Vice Target) Scott and the rest of our
Academy Board and thanks the Keith (attending on behalf of AOPA). Great job
at the Town Hall Meeting! I have every confidence that you will keep us
informed (as we need to be) on your progress.

Bob Brown, Sr., CPO, FAAOP
Go Red Sox 2005!
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-----Original Message-----
From: Orthotics and Prosthetics List [mailto:<Email Address Redacted>] On
Behalf Of Gingras, Ron
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 12:00 PM
To: <Email Address Redacted>
Subject: Re: [OANDP-L] Clarifying the Academy's Position

Dear President Moretto

I would first like to thank you and the board of directors of the Academy
for taking a leadership position regarding this issue. It was a prudent ,
sensitive and politically estute position to take regarding this issue at
this particular time .
 I was sickened by AOPA's outburst in the town hall meeting, it was an
obvious desperation effort to get the crowd upset and to undermine Academy
leadership with misinformation . They want thier lobbist with their agenda
to represent the profession. With licensure on the move AOPA is panicing!
There message is not the only message any longer.
AOPA's agenda is not one that supports a professional agenda, they have a
product based agenda .They are a trade assoication not a professional
association and they have two concerns, the least resistance to the flow of
o and p products to consumers and the highest reinbursement they can get for
the items. This is evidenced by many of their actions including the writing
of a bill produced by AOPA a couple years back to identify qualified
providers for Medicare payment. They passed a qualified provider bill though
congress without idenitying the qualifing educational standards, leaving up
to the government to figure it out. Now theres leadership for you, i suggest
they knew that the government would not be able to decide who was qualified
before they began and therefore every group that showed up was qualified.How
could the government decide when they equally recognize certifications with
4 days manufacturing course equal to 4 years + of specific college training?
And AOPA could'nt anticipate that ? To add to the further breakdown of
qualified educational standards ABC (the non membership organization)
decides to negotiate away educational standards by allowing people with 4
days of manufacturter training to recieve ABC certification for $75. There
was no gain to the profession here except for ABC membership and an
undermining of educational standards.
With policies and behaviors like these how can the Academy align their core
values to work in conjuction with these other so called sisters
organizations when they are undermining professional standards for their own
purposes. AOPA has had its way regarding the legislative platforms since its
inception yet where has it led us? We are in the worst condition we have
ever been in. Educational standards dropping to an all time in 30 years and
schools closing since why would you need them if a 4 day course is all you
need. The hand writting is so on the wall.............. It is time for true
leadership but that begins with patient advocacy through mandatory
educational standards our only hope now is the Academy.
I too would like to see cooperation between organizations however it is
obvious that AOPA has a conflicting agenda with the Academy's . Therefore, I
would like to encourage the Academy board to hire its own legislative
representative to represent its members before congress. To work together
with AOPA on common issues but to oppose AOPA on those issues that further
water down standards for the sake desemination of product without regard to
specific training. We the professionals need to be the advocates for high
standards of care for patients first and that is a much different agenda
then that of AOPA .

Thank you, and please thank the board

Ron Gingras LPO






 From: The Academy [mailto:<Email Address Redacted>]
Sent: Monday, March 14, 2005 12:28 PM
To: Ronald Gingras
Subject: Clarifying the Academy's Position



 < <URL Redacted>>

Dear Ron:

You may have received an electronic letter from AOPA on Friday afternoon
regarding the Academy's decision not to oppose the American Physical Therapy
Association's (APTA) Medicare Direct Access Initiative. I would like to
clearly state the position of the Academy Board as it currently exists,
based upon our understanding of the legislation and our meetings with the
APTA.

In 2003 we joined in formal opposition against the Direct Access Initiative.
In late 2004 Academy leadership met with the APTA, and we determined this
legislative proposal would not impact orthotic and prosthetic services, as
the provision of such care will continue to require a physician's
prescription to be covered. We indicated to the APTA that we would not
oppose this legislation at this time.

The Academy will not, and does not support any legislation that compromises
the quality of orthotic and prosthetic services and we believe that these
services must be provided by appropriately educated orthotists and
prosthetists.

We disagree with the APTA over many issues, however we believe the best
approach is to underscore our points of agreement, rather than to
continuously emphasize our differences.

AOPA's letter to their membership misrepresented the Academy's position and
intent, but we would agree with them that communication between our
organizations on such issues should improve. Disagreements in how best to
achieve our shared goals are inevitable, but they need not be a reason to
divide two organizations that share a common concern. We will increase our
efforts and continue our commitment to working with all the other national
organizations to improve communication.

We will continue to keep our membership informed of these dynamic and
complex issues as progress is made.

Sincerely,

David Moretto, CP, FAAOP
President
American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists
<Email Address Redacted>

 < <URL Redacted>>
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