Date:Thursday, April 23, 2009
FOR RELEASE: Immediately
CONTACTS: Greg Safko, President; Kwesi Moss, Certification Manager

BOC Board "Step Up" to Pedorthics Decision
Expires "BOC Footwear Specialist" Certificate

During the April 20-21 annual meeting of the Board of Directors of the Board of Certification/Accreditation, International (BOC), a unanimous vote was made to permanently suspend the BOC Footwear Specialist certificate program. According to BOC president Greg Safko, "the Board weighed several key factors in their decision, ranging from the mission of the BOC as a "certification" body to indications of confusion among footwear personnel themselves regarding scope of practice and billing privileges. In an interest to ensure the highest level of care to "at risk" patients and footwear clientele, the BOC Board encourages all footwear personnel to "Step Up" and pursue the professional path of education, training and certification awarded through the popular BOC Pedorthist program."

BOC's Board, comprised of active OP&P clinicians representing diverse setting and practice types, decided this action was necessary to protect diabetic individuals and others with disease, injury or overuse, and congenital conditions. "While we don't believe that the most 'at risk' population was being served by the 'least qualified' personnel in the footwear profession in most cases, there may have existed that possibility," stated BOC's immediate past-chair, Teresa Alpert-Leibman, BOCO, BOCPD and C.Ped, "and that is one important reason for our decision."

"We feel that footwear personnel will be given an incentive to 'Step Up' to pedorthics and seek certification through our decision," emphasized Preston Madler, BOC Chairman. "Further, as inducement, for those who have already earned their 'BOC Footwear Specialist' certificate, we'll apply their program fees toward the full-application fee for the BOC Pedorthist program. Now that's a solid 'win-win' for all stakeholders - patients/customers, employers and practitioners themselves."

The BOC Board of Directors is an active board that meets regularly to oversee certification and accreditation programs, build alliances with related organizations groups, advance positions on relevant issues and develop valid exams on which certifications are based. BOC offers certification in five practice specialties: orthotics, prosthetics, orthotic fitting, mastectomy fitting, and pedorthics. For more information on BOC International or its programs, visit www.bocinternational.org.