Replies (part 2) "honest question about our o and p organizations"
Aaron Laster
Description
Collection
Title:
Replies (part 2) "honest question about our o and p organizations"
Creator:
Aaron Laster
Date:
3/18/2022
Text:
Here is part 2 of the responses:
----I agree with your observations and personally believe that our
associations no longer are run by and run for the benefit of the
profession. They are now a business and we are their sole customers to
which they make as much money as they can. Look what they charged for a
video convention last year, which was a joke. Look at the agendas for the
meetings/conventions, again nothing relevant to the problems and conditions
of our profession. Rising costs, plummeting fee's, other professions
intruding into our domain, and last but not least the lowering of the
standards to become certified has led to an overall lowering of the quality
of new practitioners. It is bad for the profession and bad for the new
practitioners who cannot take care of the patients they see on a daily
basis. Do not miss understand there are some good new practitioners out
there, but more and more practitioners are being certified who do not know
how to fabricate anything but the most basic AFO's or Trans-tibial
prostheses. It is a shame for them and our profession and our associations
do not seem to care because this way produces more practitioners who pay
dues.
I am sorry to say these things, but more and more it appears to be true.
----Well done Aaron,
As Contracting Manager for medium sized practice covering a number of
states, I have been very involved in a number of state associations and
AOPA. I have only been in O & P for a few years and share your confusion
about the Academy, AOPA, the Alliance and everything else.
For a very small specialty, we are very divided. Throw in the fact that
one provider, Hanger, sees 1 in 4 patients in the US but doesn't really do
much legislatively or policy wise and you have something of a mess.
I gave up trying to figure this our on the national scale. My suggestion
is be involved with your state association. If you don't have one, start
one. It's very easy. State associations are far more cost effective and
useful than national organizations anyway.
Let me know your thoughts.
----Last AOPA conference was more like a political propaganda group and may
have turned me away from going yearly. I have not missed for probably 20
years except for one the cx. If this is the way they will be, I’m afraid we
will look at other options.
----Great question to raise. I am past president of the Academy and past
president of ABC, as well as a former Chairman of the National Office, when
all three organizations were under the same roof.
My office manager and staff were asking the same questions this year as all
of the organizational fees increased at a time when all of us are
struggling to make ends meet, as our operating costs have increased and
reimbursement has not kept up.
ABC has turned into a fat cash cow and needs to put their money into
promoting realistic reimbursements for our time, service and product.
I find it difficult to make contact with anyone in the National office
organizations as they are working from home. Sometimes they will get back
to you or not. I'm not a strong proponent of the stay at home services,
while the dogs barking and the children are screaming for attention, while
your trying to discuss an issue.
It is a fact that as fees keep increasing, audits to deal with, detailed
documentation for justification and now outcome measures, have all
increased the cost of providing professional services, while reimbursement
has not changed to offset the increased costs.
ABC is all about standards and increasing standards, that's great for the
people we serve and helps us create a professional environment for
providing those services. However there is a cost associated with these
standards, to implement and sustain, while there isn't any recognition of
the additional expenses or how ABC is working for us to address
reimbursement.
I would like to go on, it is 8:30PM and I'm still in my office on a
Saturday night. I personally have found it to be extremely difficult and
challenging to offer a residency program, manage a practice and actually
treat patients. Your questions do need to be discussed as it is time for
change. Change can happen if you become involved and work within the
organizations. You will have a better understanding and could implement
change.
---To be honest from my view, we need a complete overhaul of these many
organizations. I feel all of our money going to one organization, probably
ABC, with organizations of each under one roof would be better for us
all. It seems that with the lack of practitioners in our field, we should
look at possibly changing our educational and certification processes
change also.
PT and many other go to their schools and do education and clinical
rotations and are eligible for taking their exams right out of school
instead of a two year residency before they are eligible to be CPO’s. NCOPE
collects money from the residency sites and from the students. I am not
against any of these organizations, but we have to make changes and evolve.
The price of the education is already very high and reimbursements are
getting lower and lower. We need practitioners. I feel we must change.
Most of the other professions teach what is needed to pass the exams and do
no harm and they learn on the job. Why do we not change? If the
universities can’t change the educational programs to be more like other
allied health programs and allow students to take their exams and become
practitioners more quickly, Why?
ABC allowed $75 dollars to allow BOC Practitioners to get the ABC
credential, why are we not correcting and changing with the times? I know
all will not agree, but I am a physical therapist that passed my exam out
of school and became licensed to practice and yes, I was green at the time,
but I knew the principles and I knew to do no harm and developed into a
good PT over time. I see no reasons for all of us to pay all of the
organizations and spread our money so thin and all of our money not go to
helping preserve our profession.
Is it bc we all can’t agree or is it bc it has always been done this way?
We have to evolve and adapt to the changing challenges in our profession
and the longer we stay the same, the weaker we become and the less prepared
we are for serving our clients. Students need clinical education and
coding education, adde to their curriculum and I am sure there are more
areas, but the schools should be teaching them enough to become certified
and gain their skills through on the job training as a CPO. Also most
other allied health fields have assistant programs that help handle the
need for managing patients needs. We have to get more out in the field more
quickly to handle the increasing needs of our patients more quickly.
Much has to change and we need to start making changes much quicker! I
agree there is a need for all aspects of each organization we have, but we
must combine each organization to have a much larger voice for the
profession I love!
——Minority female here, and I myself am even confused and exhausted about
the topic in our magazines, organizations, work, general US news, etc.
Let’s help each other up and be the best practitioners treating patients.
We are united as people, practitioners, Americans, etc…. so many ways we
are united yet we focus on the ways we could be segmented. I worked hard
to be where I am and I think of myself as a great practitioner and
that’s it, simple.
——Can we just talk biomechanics, gait, pathology, and being good
practitioners. Young people are coming out of school with higher and
higher debts and seem less knowledgable and more aggressively worried about
these topics versus treating patients correctly. It’s made me stop taking
residents, and I am not the only one. It’s exhausting even though many of
us want to help those younger practitioners. I think we need an honest
conversation about it or else you will have people coming out of school and
not finding jobs and just having debt and frustration and business owners
are equally frustrated on the other side trying to find good workers.
This day and age, I have not known or heard of a practitioner with
issues not treating patients due to race or gender or something, maybe it
happens but I am completely unaware. Most practitioners are in this
profession to help people of all types so maybe I am naive and dont see
this inclusivity issue unless you are discussing who is getting into the
profession, but if that’s the case that is only for schools to figure out
since we can only hire from the pool of practitioners that come out of
school. Maybe since we are not a well-known profession, that is part of the
issue. Please keep this conversation going!
----I agree with your observations and personally believe that our
associations no longer are run by and run for the benefit of the
profession. They are now a business and we are their sole customers to
which they make as much money as they can. Look what they charged for a
video convention last year, which was a joke. Look at the agendas for the
meetings/conventions, again nothing relevant to the problems and conditions
of our profession. Rising costs, plummeting fee's, other professions
intruding into our domain, and last but not least the lowering of the
standards to become certified has led to an overall lowering of the quality
of new practitioners. It is bad for the profession and bad for the new
practitioners who cannot take care of the patients they see on a daily
basis. Do not miss understand there are some good new practitioners out
there, but more and more practitioners are being certified who do not know
how to fabricate anything but the most basic AFO's or Trans-tibial
prostheses. It is a shame for them and our profession and our associations
do not seem to care because this way produces more practitioners who pay
dues.
I am sorry to say these things, but more and more it appears to be true.
----Well done Aaron,
As Contracting Manager for medium sized practice covering a number of
states, I have been very involved in a number of state associations and
AOPA. I have only been in O & P for a few years and share your confusion
about the Academy, AOPA, the Alliance and everything else.
For a very small specialty, we are very divided. Throw in the fact that
one provider, Hanger, sees 1 in 4 patients in the US but doesn't really do
much legislatively or policy wise and you have something of a mess.
I gave up trying to figure this our on the national scale. My suggestion
is be involved with your state association. If you don't have one, start
one. It's very easy. State associations are far more cost effective and
useful than national organizations anyway.
Let me know your thoughts.
----Last AOPA conference was more like a political propaganda group and may
have turned me away from going yearly. I have not missed for probably 20
years except for one the cx. If this is the way they will be, I’m afraid we
will look at other options.
----Great question to raise. I am past president of the Academy and past
president of ABC, as well as a former Chairman of the National Office, when
all three organizations were under the same roof.
My office manager and staff were asking the same questions this year as all
of the organizational fees increased at a time when all of us are
struggling to make ends meet, as our operating costs have increased and
reimbursement has not kept up.
ABC has turned into a fat cash cow and needs to put their money into
promoting realistic reimbursements for our time, service and product.
I find it difficult to make contact with anyone in the National office
organizations as they are working from home. Sometimes they will get back
to you or not. I'm not a strong proponent of the stay at home services,
while the dogs barking and the children are screaming for attention, while
your trying to discuss an issue.
It is a fact that as fees keep increasing, audits to deal with, detailed
documentation for justification and now outcome measures, have all
increased the cost of providing professional services, while reimbursement
has not changed to offset the increased costs.
ABC is all about standards and increasing standards, that's great for the
people we serve and helps us create a professional environment for
providing those services. However there is a cost associated with these
standards, to implement and sustain, while there isn't any recognition of
the additional expenses or how ABC is working for us to address
reimbursement.
I would like to go on, it is 8:30PM and I'm still in my office on a
Saturday night. I personally have found it to be extremely difficult and
challenging to offer a residency program, manage a practice and actually
treat patients. Your questions do need to be discussed as it is time for
change. Change can happen if you become involved and work within the
organizations. You will have a better understanding and could implement
change.
---To be honest from my view, we need a complete overhaul of these many
organizations. I feel all of our money going to one organization, probably
ABC, with organizations of each under one roof would be better for us
all. It seems that with the lack of practitioners in our field, we should
look at possibly changing our educational and certification processes
change also.
PT and many other go to their schools and do education and clinical
rotations and are eligible for taking their exams right out of school
instead of a two year residency before they are eligible to be CPO’s. NCOPE
collects money from the residency sites and from the students. I am not
against any of these organizations, but we have to make changes and evolve.
The price of the education is already very high and reimbursements are
getting lower and lower. We need practitioners. I feel we must change.
Most of the other professions teach what is needed to pass the exams and do
no harm and they learn on the job. Why do we not change? If the
universities can’t change the educational programs to be more like other
allied health programs and allow students to take their exams and become
practitioners more quickly, Why?
ABC allowed $75 dollars to allow BOC Practitioners to get the ABC
credential, why are we not correcting and changing with the times? I know
all will not agree, but I am a physical therapist that passed my exam out
of school and became licensed to practice and yes, I was green at the time,
but I knew the principles and I knew to do no harm and developed into a
good PT over time. I see no reasons for all of us to pay all of the
organizations and spread our money so thin and all of our money not go to
helping preserve our profession.
Is it bc we all can’t agree or is it bc it has always been done this way?
We have to evolve and adapt to the changing challenges in our profession
and the longer we stay the same, the weaker we become and the less prepared
we are for serving our clients. Students need clinical education and
coding education, adde to their curriculum and I am sure there are more
areas, but the schools should be teaching them enough to become certified
and gain their skills through on the job training as a CPO. Also most
other allied health fields have assistant programs that help handle the
need for managing patients needs. We have to get more out in the field more
quickly to handle the increasing needs of our patients more quickly.
Much has to change and we need to start making changes much quicker! I
agree there is a need for all aspects of each organization we have, but we
must combine each organization to have a much larger voice for the
profession I love!
——Minority female here, and I myself am even confused and exhausted about
the topic in our magazines, organizations, work, general US news, etc.
Let’s help each other up and be the best practitioners treating patients.
We are united as people, practitioners, Americans, etc…. so many ways we
are united yet we focus on the ways we could be segmented. I worked hard
to be where I am and I think of myself as a great practitioner and
that’s it, simple.
——Can we just talk biomechanics, gait, pathology, and being good
practitioners. Young people are coming out of school with higher and
higher debts and seem less knowledgable and more aggressively worried about
these topics versus treating patients correctly. It’s made me stop taking
residents, and I am not the only one. It’s exhausting even though many of
us want to help those younger practitioners. I think we need an honest
conversation about it or else you will have people coming out of school and
not finding jobs and just having debt and frustration and business owners
are equally frustrated on the other side trying to find good workers.
This day and age, I have not known or heard of a practitioner with
issues not treating patients due to race or gender or something, maybe it
happens but I am completely unaware. Most practitioners are in this
profession to help people of all types so maybe I am naive and dont see
this inclusivity issue unless you are discussing who is getting into the
profession, but if that’s the case that is only for schools to figure out
since we can only hire from the pool of practitioners that come out of
school. Maybe since we are not a well-known profession, that is part of the
issue. Please keep this conversation going!
Citation
Aaron Laster, “Replies (part 2) "honest question about our o and p organizations",” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 1, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/255838.
