Noma members response, you won't believe

Noma members response, you won't believe

Saunders, Jan CPO

Mr. Saunders,
The members of NOMA are no different than the members of any other business
organization. They, too, are just trying to sell their products/service and
survive (provide for a living). Since I'm not practicing in Florida I can't
support you by calling my state representative and crying foul. I don't know
what all is going on in the Sunshine State but there must be a demand for the
sales rep's services or this couldn't be happening.

Hey, let's get real here. A majority of the problems in the O and P industry
are the ramifications of self-inflicting wounds; years of abusive billing
practices, slandering the competition, and the forming of monopolies.

I often hear the cry for unification of practitioners (and I'm all for it).
However, just as the poor will always among us, unfortunately, so will the
greedy. In some of our organizations there is more of a focus on monthly numbers
 and bonus plans than there is on the quality of product/service. This
cancerous attitude can only be only disguised for so long before eats away at the
heart of what we are supposed to all be about and that is professionals
providing a necessary and noble service (for reasonable profit).

You can hide behind a smoke screen or blow smoke up someone's #@#, but the
truth will be exposed.

Regards,
Bradford Baker, CO, C.Ped., RT(O)
Jan,

With all due respect, orthotic manufacturers aren't stealing anything! Do
you not see that the manufacturers are merely doing the exact same thing
that your organization does, protecting its own business interests? If the
O&P community had it's way, every orthotic product could only be legally
provided by an orthotist, and not the physicians themselves, physical
therapists, occupational therapists, athletic trainers, pharmacists, DME
suppliers, etc. That may make perfect sense to you, but look at it this
way: if orthopedic surgeons had their way, all patients with back pain
could only legally be treated by them, and not chiropractors, neurosurgeons,
massage therapists, yoga instructors, etc. If podiatrists had their way,
they would see all the feet, etc, etc, etc.

I am a distributor for one of the manufacturers that is a member of NOMA.
Currently, less than 10% of the sales in my territory are to O&P facilities.
Do I think a licensure law like they passed in Florida would hurt my
business? You better believe it! In the manufacturer's eyes, your proposed
qualified provider restrictions, if passed exactly the way the O&P community
wanted them without differentiating viewpoints from NOMA, physician's
groups, PT's, OT's, etc., would seem just as criminal to me as NOMA's
practices seem to you.

Every medical community must look out for themselves to make sure they don't
get shafted by the other medical communities who are looking out for
themselves. The government is trying to come up with a reasonable line of
delineation of which products should REQUIRE the expertise of an orthotist.
I personally feel that they are just about on the money with the limit being
custom bracing that requires the use of a cast mold and not a measuring
instrument. Does that leave the possibility out there for a patient to be
fitted with an inappropriate product, or have the product be fitted
incorrectly? Absolutely! But guess what? If that practitioner does that
too many times, they will soon lose the business. That is how a free market
economy weeds out any sub-standard vendor!

The O&P community has been trying too hard for too long to legislate
loyalty. Hopefully someday they will wake up and realize that you have to
earn loyalty! Why do you think so many doctors refer their patients to the
brace reps to get their product and not to the O&P shop? Do you not think
the doctor realizes that you (collectively) are more qualified? Certainly
he or she does. They send their patients to the places that make their (the
doctor's) lives easier.

Any provider that causes patients to come in and complain, for whatever
reason, will soon find themselves out of the loop. Those complaints could
range from the brace being poor quality, poorly fit, inappropriate, etc. to
having to wait too long for an appointment, how much they were charged, etc.
to the practitioner wearing too much cologne! It doesn't matter what the
problem is, most doctors can't stand hearing their patients complain about
things that are out of their control.

In the vast majority of cases, that brace rep has solved a complaint that
the doctor has received from patients about the O&P practitioner or
facility. And yes, that also includes being called in due to inappropriate
or ill-fitting products received in the O&P shop!

Anyway, my point is that those physicians out there are your referral base.
They should be treated as your customers just as much if not more so than
the actual patients. In my 10 years in this field, I have seen that
attitude to be sorely lacking among your colleagues.

Just thought you might appreciate another perspective.....

Todd Griffin