The Truth about Licensure

Licensure: is it progress or elitism? Profession growth, or unfair restriction? However you see it, licensure is here to stay - at least in Florida. If it successfully regulates the profession in this very politically visible state, no doubt licensure will follow in other states besides the eight which currently have it. What is the truth about licensure? Is it a friend or foe? The answer to this depends on the practitioners view of the profession. If licensure is based on the highest credentials achievable, lesser credentialed practitioners will be excluded. In the short term, this seems unfair. However, the generous grandfather provision in Florida's law provided a remedy for those who felt the American Board for Certification in Orthotics & Prosthetics' (ABCs) formula for professional credentialing was more than they were willing to pursue. Recent journal articles addressing encroachment suggest education and professionalism are the best means of preserving our turf. Those who decry licensure because they have not upgraded with rising professional standards play into the hands of non-O&P practitioners who feel they are better educated to promote good O&P outcomes. In the end, the value of licensure may be best addressed by our growing competition: medical doctors and physical and occupational therapists. So long as education and credentials remain a rationale for encroachment, it is in our professional best interest to upgrade. In Florida, licensure has produced a more educated and professional (licensed) orthotic and prosthetic community than we had a decade ago. Don't Lose Out "Unfair playing field! Unnecessary exclusions! No one ever told me about licensure!" It is best to examine such accusations more carefully. I remember a CPO with a distinguished career who achieved her certification when ABC only required an AA degree. She allowed the grandfathering phase to expire before she applied for a Florida license. Her options were limited by her tardiness, to say the least. She could sell her house, close her 20-year practice, and move to a state without licensure, or stop working and go back to school. She could no longer practice in Florida. It was a tough thing to watch. Some people complained when ABC credentialing evolved from an AA degree to a BS/BA. It is called "growth" and our profession needs it badly to compete with other hungry members of the clinical team. This practitioner was as skilled, if not more so, than most. However, if she was not "professional" enough to pay attention to the law and the availability of the grandfathering window, maybe she would be as prone to miss something else as important to her career that might ultimately harm a patient? The Florida licensure credentialing process is based upon, but separate from, ABC or BOC [Board for Orthotist/Prosthetist Certification]. All the information about the law is available online. ABC or BOC certification is not equivalent to Florida licensure standards. For those who practice in other states contemplating licensure, please pay attention! Read the law! Apply immediately and take advantage of grandfathering clauses if you do not meet the projected standards. Is Licensure Fair? Fair? Licensure couldn't be more so to all of us who expect medical/rehabilitation practitioners who provide services for our families to have the highest credentials. Licensure is fair to our patients and every practitioner who meets the standards and wants to maintain our fair share of the rehabilitation market. Licensure promotes practitioner growth that will guarantee the health of our profession for years to come. Sure, it would be easy to leave the standards where they are. No one would be happier about this than all those other professionals who would like to take over our role in the rehabilitation market. Like it or not, the playing field is changing. To stay in business, we must change with it - good advice for those among our own who decry licensure, because they are unwilling to accept higher standards of orthotics and prosthetics as their own. Jeff Fredrick, MS, CPO, is director of Hanger's Rehabilitation for Development (Hanger RFD) and branch manager at Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics, Tallahassee, Florida.

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Certified Prosthetist / Prosthetist-Orthotist (CP/CPO) Gates Prosthetics + Mobility Clinic — Mountain Home, AR

Clinic Manager – Certified Prosthetist Orthotist (CPO) – Rogers, AR

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Related posts:

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Certified Prosthetist / Prosthetist-Orthotist (CP/CPO) Gates Prosthetics + Mobility Clinic — Mountain Home, AR

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