CMS-Deemed Accreditation
DMEPOS Certification

Board of Certification/Accreditation

CMS-Deemed Accreditation
DMEPOS Certification

BOC Elects Seven Board Members

FOR RELEASE: Immediately
CONTACT: Carli Cohen, Marketing Coordinator, 410.581.6222

BOC Elects Seven Board Members
The certificants of The Board of Certification/Accreditation, International (BOC) have elected seven members to the Board of Directors, each to serve a four-year term. The newly elected Board members are:

• Scott Baranek, BOCP
• Kimberly Hertz, BOCO, CMF
• John Kenney, BOCO
• Joseph Lawson, BOCO
• Tammi Lillard, CMF
• Shane Ryley, BOCOP and
• Shawna Smith, CMF, COF

Baranek joined the field 15 years ago, after losing his left leg in a motorcycle accident. “Without losing my limb, I would not have entered into this profession,” he acknowledges, adding, “I have found my professional and personal life more fulfilling than I could have ever imagined before my accident.” He served as a member of the Item-Writing Committee before being elected to the Board for the first time in 2006. Recently, Baranek moved to Georgia, where he has taken on the challenge of being part-owner of a prosthetic business. An accomplished athlete and coach, he takes particular interest in athletic programs that focus on strength, gait training and quality of life after the loss of a limb. He cites BOC’s work on state licensure issues as one of the Board’s recent accomplishments and notes, “There are really good people working on tough issues who share the same passion for the industry and for BOC that I have, and I am proud to serve with them.”

Hertz also has been a member of BOC’s Board of Directors since 2006. For seven years prior to her election, she served on many of BOC’s committees. Her committee service has continued and she currently chairs the Legislation and Education Committees and the Orthotist Clinical Simulation Test Development Committee. She also has served on the Executive Committee, holding the office of Secretary. The Board of Directors recently elected Hertz as Vice Chairwoman of the Board. Hertz, who began her career in a DME setting, first earned certification as a mastectomy fitter in 2001. Later, she earned certification in orthotics, and she has become a respected teacher in both arenas. Currently she works for Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics in Spring Valley, NY as both Orthotist and Practice Manager.

Kenney has been a member of the Board for the past three years, including two years on the Executive Committee and one year as Vice Chairman of the Board. His experience includes more than 20 years as a healthcare executive and he also has sales, marketing and clinical experience. He sees the next few years as critical ones, as BOC transitions to new educational requirements. He believes that BOC “must provide value-added benefits to our certificants, our accreditation customers and other potential customers” and notes that state licensure and career advancement opportunities are challenges that BOC must address. He notes, “I would not be a practicing clinician if it were not for BOC. I am committed to giving back in any way possible to ensure BOC’s success.”

Similarly, Lawson says that his career “would not have been possible without BOC, so I have been proud to serve in various positions to support the future success and growth of the organization.” He earned certification in 2001 and has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2008. Before joining the Board, he served as a member of the Test Development Committees for orthotic fitting and for orthotics, and he now chairs the Orthotist Multiple Choice Test Development Committee. His fellow BOC officers recently elected him to a third term as Treasurer on BOC’s Executive Committee.

Lillard has 13 years of experience as a mastectomy fitter. For 12 years she has been a DME business owner at Palmer Medical Supplies, Inc. in Panama City, Florida. In addition to patient care, her responsibilities include all aspects of human resources; employee training; billing; marketing; and otherwise maintaining a respectable and respectful working environment for staff and clients. Lillard began her career as the receptionist at a family member’s medical supply company, where she realized there was a growing need for mastectomy products and services. “Becoming a BOC-certified fitter was a unique opportunity for me to learn a specialized skill, as well as help others,” she recalls. “BOC has provided me with invaluable education and resources. It’s an honor to be elected to serve on its Board of Directors.”

Ryley, who grew up in a military family, studied at Cambridge, receiving a diploma in international fitness and sport therapy. Next, he earned his degree in prosthetics and orthotics at the University of Salford in Manchester, England. He returned to the United States after a four-year stint working for, and then managing orthopaedic services at, Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge. Currently, he resides in California, where he is Area Practice Manager to Torrance and Los Angeles at Hanger Orthopaedic Inc. A member of the British Association of P&O and the International Society of P&O, he earned BOC certification in 2006. “I enjoy a multi-disciplinary approach to clinical situations and working in a team,” he says, “so I am particularly honored to be joining BOC’s Board, where everyone believes in teamwork.”

Smith has been in the O&P field for nearly 13 years, working in several areas. After beginning in administration and focusing on coding, billing and insurance, she realized that her passion was for patient care, so she earned certification in both orthotic and mastectomy fitting. Like Hertz and Ryley, she works at a Hanger, and recently joined their management team. “Working in different areas has allowed me to open my mind to a whole world of new opportunities, and I want to continue opening new doors to my future,” she says. “This gives me the chance to give the best patient care – and each day means making a difference to our patients and our community. Serving on BOC’s Board will allow me to give back to an organization that has had such a big impact on my career.”

“It is a pleasure to welcome back Kimberly, John, Joe, and Scott to extended terms on the Board,” says Sharon Nichelson, CMF, COF, and Chairwoman of the Board of Directors. “I know their work ethic and their commitment to BOC, and I look forward to their continued contributions. It’s also a pleasure to welcome Tammi, Shane and Shawna to the Board. As new members, they each bring valuable insights and perspectives that will broaden our deliberations and benefit our certificants and BOC-accredited facilities.”

Claudia Zacharias, MBA, CAE, president and CEO of BOC, echoed Nichelson’s welcome, noting that all seven of the newly elected Board members are eager to contribute to BOC’s work. “Each of these seven members of the Board of Directors talks freely about the joy of giving back,” Zacharias adds. “When service is a component in a personal set of values, it means that your colleagues can depend on you to do what is right for the group overall. That trust is a real compliment from the certificants who elected this group. I look forward to working with the Board on behalf of all our certificants and accredited facilities, and the patients they serve.”

Since 1984, the Board of Certification/Accreditation, International (BOC) has provided credentials demonstrating the competence and proficiency of O&P professionals. BOC offers NCCA-accredited certification programs in five disciplines: orthotics, prosthetics, pedorthics, orthotic fitting, and mastectomy fitting. BOC’s facility accreditation program partners with Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics and Orthotics Supplies (DMEPOS) suppliers to meet standards set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and improve business practices. BOC credentials celebrate and recognize the competence, professionalism and safe practice environments of BOC-certified practitioners and BOC-accredited facilities.

Have Questions? We Have Answers!