Credentialing does not guarantee quality, ethics, morals or a consience.
Any credential, whether it be MD, CPA or CPO or BOC only provides assurance
that the individual has passed an established MINIMUM standard.
It is up to the licensure boards in some states, payors in others and
individuals in most to determine what they will accept as the MINIMUM
standard of qualification for the providers of their services.
This O&P field is TOO small to have the alphabet soup of credentials
bickering amongst each other for bragging rights. Because of the small
numbers of practitioners in O&P we have been divided and conquered. Look at
the benefit cuts occuring for Medicaid beneficiaries in Massachusetts. What
state is next?
Get over the bickering, lets start to provide a united front to the benefit
of our patients?clients?(another discussion). This united fornt will
ultimately benefit all of us. We have a strong interesting story to tell. It
is getting lost to the listeners in a sea of alphabet soup.
Ralph W Nobbe CPO
