Arkansas is the latest state to recognize Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC) examinations for licensure of providers in the orthotic, prosthetic, and pedorthic (OPP) professions. The rule change was made by the Arkansas Department of Health in January, 2016, following a recommendation from the Arkansas Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics Advisory Board.
Orthotists, prosthetists, and pedorthists evaluate patients and create and properly fit orthotic devices, modified footwear, and prosthetic devices, including artificial limbs. These services improve and enhance the lives of individuals with disabilities following illness, injury, or trauma, and enable them to resume productive lives.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Department of Veterans Affairs, and many other licensure states have long-recognized BOC credentials as assurance of the requisite knowledge and competence to provide quality care. The Arkansas rule change follows recent decisions in Iowa and Pennsylvania where similar OPP licensure rules recognize BOC credentials.
“The BOC credential behind someone’s name means they have gone through rigorous training and testing to prove their competency to provide quality care,” said BOC President and CEO, Claudia Zacharias, MBA, CAE. “We are pleased to see Arkansas recognize that BOC’s certification examinations meet or exceed their standards.”
Zacharias expressed optimism about the recent inclusive trend, where more licensure states now recognize BOC exams. She noted, “This will help reduce some of the unintended consequences of licensure, and allow well-established OPP professionals to relocate and continue practicing in these licensure states.”