The board of directors of the Board for Orthotist/Prosthetist Certification (BOC) met in Baltimore from Jan. 12-14. The meeting featured Bill Hogan, vice president of marketing and business products of Applied Measurement Professionals, who directed the board in a strategic planning session, including new marketing concepts. Peter V. Berns, executive director of Maryland Nonprofits, presented an afternoon session on board excellence. The board met in subcommittees for various discussions and decisions about maintain the BOC exam process.
Future goals discussed included marketing the new programs and deemed status by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The board also discussed establishing the BOCped exam by May and partnering with accrediting facilities to make the task more efficient, less expensive and finished by CMS deadline for competitive bidding for facilities in the CMS metropolitan statistical areas.
The board elected new officers, welcomed the newly elected board of directors, and bid said goodbye to dedicated volunteers. A moment of silent was observed for board member, Rex Bowman BOCO, CPed, who died in December 2006.
The new board officers are: Teresa Alpert-Leibman BOCO, CPed (chair), Preston Madler, BOCO (vice chair), Kim Hertz, BOCO, CMF (secretary), Polly-Jo Hightower, BOCO, CMF (treasurer) and Mark Collins, BOCPO, CPed (member-at-large). Newly elected board members are: Scott R. Baranek, BOCP from Bay City, Mich., Kimberly Hertz, BOCO, CMF from Hawthorne, N.J. and Preston Madler, BOCO from San Antonio.
Leaving the board after years of service include: Melinda Janowitz, COF, CMF, who served as an officer and committee volunteer from 2003-2006; Paul Webber, BOCPO, who served as an officer and committee volunteer from 1997-2005, in addition to coming back to fill officer positions in 2006; and Donna Flippin who served as public member in 2006. Additionally, Harry “J.R.” Brandt, BOCO, who served as an officer, chair and committee volunteer from 1996-2006. He will stay on the board holding an ex-officio advisory position in 2007.
