Protect Osteopathy in Massachusetts


Posted December 03, 2018

Dear Colleagues:

I write on behalf of the Massachusetts Osteopathic Society (MOS), and as a fellow physician on an important issue that affects all of us, whether or not we are members of the MOS or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).

The MOS, in partnership with the AOA, recently investigated and brought to the attention of the Massachusetts Attorney General and the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Allied Health an individual who was misrepresenting himself as a DO when, in fact, he was only a physical therapist assistant. As you know, our profession is under this type of “attack” by individuals who are not physicians, but think they are competent to prescribe and conduct osteopathic manipulative treatment when they have no education, training, or credentials to do so. By doing so, under Massachusetts law, they are engaged in the unauthorized practice of medicine. The AOA brought this matter to conclusion, and the physical therapist assistant was ordered by the Board of Registration in Allied Health to cease and desist in his conduct.

This is just one example. We need your support to alert the Massachusetts Legislature to take action. We DOs are 1700+ strong in Massachusetts; we are part of the 135,000+ member profession of DOs and medical students in the United States. Through our voice we can affect change to protect our profession from individuals who misrepresent their credentials and usurp our credentials.

The MOS is working with the AOA and its legal and public policy groups to have legislation sponsored in both houses of the Massachusetts legislature. To do this, we need to mobilize our profession to contact the legislators to let them know that this is an issue that is important to us.

The MOS proposes to convene a meeting of all DOs in Massachusetts on January 20, 2019, where we can present our strategy. The meeting will be attended by an AOA representative who handled the non-licensed DO case above, and can provide us with more information and direction on our strategy. Details to follow.

*Please RSVP to show your support for our legislative initiative and for our profession. Email us at massachusetts@osteopathic.org.*

We need to protect osteopathy. Without the demonstration of support from the profession, the MOS and AOA can’t achieve much. We really need your help.

Sincerely,


William M. Foley, DO, MSc
MOS Immediate Past President
MOS Board of Trustees