The Board of Certification/Accreditation, International (BOC) has accepted a recent invitation to participate in conference calls and meetings with the four organizations of the O&P Alliance. According to a statement issued by the O&P Alliance, the invitation was offered “… in order to better coordinate the public policy priorities of the O&P profession and the patients we serve.”
“BOC will participate in O&P Alliance meetings and conference calls to discuss policy development, implementation, and the Alliance’s ongoing work in the area of government affairs,” Peter W. Thomas, counsel to the O&P Alliance and General Counsel of NAAOP, stated in a press release. “We believe this is another important milestone for the O&P profession that ultimately will lead to improvements in patient care, particularly in the areas of education, clinical training, and competency assessment requirements.”
The O&P Alliance is comprised of four national O&P organizations including the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics, and Pedorthics, the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists, the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association and the National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics. (NAAOP). BOC has been participating in O&P Alliance meetings since Nov. 8.
“We fully support the Alliance’s mission of ‘advocating for state and federal policy that improve the practice of O&P and quality of services provided to patients who require these health care services.’ Including BOC will further the Alliance’s efforts to present a unified voice, facilitate improved communication, and reduce confusion among important stakeholders,” Sharon Nichelson, CMF, COF, chairwoman of BOC’s board of directors, stated.
“This is a major step forward for everyone involved,” Claudia Zacharias, MBA, CAE, president and chief executive officer of BOC added in the release. “We believe that the O&P profession is at a tipping point where we must move beyond any past differences and focus instead on what makes the most sense – today and tomorrow – to the profession and those we serve.”
