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In this issue
IOTA Over the Top Award
Dues increase approved
Priorities for 2009
Annual Report
Practice Act
Founding members perform installation
Mental Health Rules update
BOM seeks members to Licensure Board
Meetings
This edition is sponsored by
Membership watch
Forty-six percent (46%) of all licensed OTs and OTAs in Idaho are members of IOTA.
Idaho Occupational
Therapy Association
PO Box 7364
Boise, ID 83707
208.388.4682
www.id-ota.com
info@id-ota.com
Please send items of interest to Linda Jackson, Editor.
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Cherie Strand recognized for going over the top
 IOTA awarded the first every “IOTA Over the Top Award” at the 2008 Annual Meeting and the very deserving recipient was Cherie Strand, OTR/L, CHT.
Jill Satren, OTR/L, CHT made the presentation highlighting Cherie’s accomplishments since moving to Idaho in 1998. It was her unending commitment to have OT recognized by Medicaid that put her "over the top" in generating awareness for OT in Idaho. Congratulations!
Members approve increase
IOTA members approved increasing their membership investment during the Annual Meeting on October 18. Beginning January 1, 2009 OTs will contribute $85.00 and OTAs will contribute $65.00 to the operation and implementation of programs for IOTA. Thank you for making the investment needed to ensure IOTA can continue to work for you.
Help us prioritize your needs
Read the Annual Report for 2007-2008 and you’ll see what keeps us hopping throughout the year. The Executive Board has been following a pretty aggressive strategic plan since 2003. Some of the key goals are increasing advocacy and regulatory awareness, increasing the quality and quantity of educational opportunities, and increasing membership. Steadily, we’ve been doing all that, but we also want to know what one thing can IOTA do for you? We asked this question at the Annual Meeting and got a few responses, but we’d like to hear from a few more of you. Take just a minute and prioritize the one thing that would help you as an OT practitioner and/or a member of IOTA and tell us about it. We’ll report back about the results and actions needed in the first newsletter in 2009.
Practice Act Task Force
John Watts, IOTA Lobbyist presented the changes proposed to the Idaho Occupational Therapy Practice Act during the Annual Meeting on October 18. Questions that remained open for the task force to consider were the number of continuing education hours to require, the amount of supervision necessary for aides and some tweaking to terminology for temporary and limited licenses and initial licensure testing standards. We hope to have a draft that can be mailed to every practitioner for comment in early December.
The task force has continued to discus scope of practice issues and may be asked to help us design a standing committee to promote professional standards.
Founding members brought smiles to the Annual Meeting
Myrna Harrington, OTR/L and Joyce Lindstrom, OT/L delighted the audience with a brief history of the founding of IOTA during the Annual Meeting. They went on to install our officers for 2008-2009 with a bit of humor and sincerity. Click here to see the pictures and read about it online. Thanks Joyce and Myrna for making the day more memorable.
UPDATE: Medicaid revising rules relating to mental health
The Board of Medicine has been contacted by the Medicaid Division of Idaho Health and Welfare regarding changes in the Rules for Mental Health and its impact on OT. IOTA learned about this contact through a third party and is currently in the process of learning more. This underscores the need for OT to be a self regulating board. Input to changes in rules should be considered by OT professionals. As a third party, we are left to once again play catch-up.
BOM looking for representatives to the Occupational Therapy Licensure Board
One professional position will be open on the OTLB after November. The Board of Medicine has requested that IOTA solicit nominees to fill the vacant position. If you are interested in serving, please forward your resume or CV to the IOTA office.
Calling all District Chairs and SIS Coordinators
Help us set up our calendar of events for 2009. Please schedule your first quarter meetings now. Please send us a message to let us know what, where and when so we can help you promote the activity. Thank you!
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