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AMTA
Oregon Chapter
Presidential Notes |
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Legislative Presidential
Thoughts
June 2009
Leslie Giese OBMT #5975
Here it is, the end of this legislative session in Oregon,
and our work has just begun. It is our job as your chapter
representatives to help keep you informed on what is going
on.
That is our goal for this issue; to let you know what
happened and find out what you want us to do to keep
Massage Therapy in Oregon as we want it- Professional,
Safe and Profitable.
One of the benefits American Massage Therapy Association
Oregon chapter offers is a lobbyist. We have a resourceful
lobbyist in Cindy Robert from Rainmakers. Each legislative
session there are so many bills that affect us
specifically as Massage Therapists and some issues that
get tacked on the ends of other bills that it is very hard
to keep track of it all. Cindy is there to keep up with
it. She worked particularly hard for us this session.
It is time for all of us to pay attention. Please read all
the articles to find out what is happening. Once you are
more informed we really do need to have your input on
where you want your resources to go.
In my opinion, the most important issue that came up is
the possibility that the Oregon Board of Massage
Therapists will be disbanded or moved under another group
of regulatory boards. I don’t want to scare you too badly;
I don’t think our licensing will go away, but what might
change is who is in charge of it, who gets our money and
how they use it, and most importantly what our scope of
practice will be.
We take for granted having licensure and a highly
functioning regulatory board for so very long. It is not
perfect, but most of us don’t have to worry about
practicing our profession on a day to day basis from a
regulatory point of view.
Many states are just now getting their own legitimacy.
They have been fighting for it for years (Pennsylvania,
Montana). They are Massage Therapists that want to be
recognized as educated and trained professionals. They
want to bill insurance companies and be recognized as an
important step in the recovery process for
clients/patients. They want to have what we already have
had for many years. We forget that we really do have one
of the best scopes of practice. Other Massage Therapists
in other states are not so lucky. There are actually still
rules out there that restrict women from working on men,
and men working on women.
I am only one massage therapist. I am passionate in my
beliefs about my profession, so it is sometimes
challenging to represent all our AMTA LMTs.
I want to share with you what I believe, just so you know
where I stand.
I believe in having our own regulatory board. I do not
want to be under another governmental board. I do not want
to be in with tattoo artists, hair stylists or
estheticians – no offense intended, but we have different
needs than those professionals. I also do not want to be
under the Physical Therapy or Nursing boards either.
Massage Therapy may share the goal of wellness, but many
of us look at how to get there very differently. Massage
Therapy has been growing steadily as a choice for pain and
stress management. Under our current scope of practice we
can serve the public better than if we were under any
Allopathic medical type boards.
That being said, your 1st VP Leah Bowder, and Membership
Chair John Combe, reminded me that we serve all our
members. Not just our own personal views, but to do that,
we need to know what you want. If you don’t tell us, we
can’t move forward effectively.
You can email us through this website, call or email any
of us listed on the website or in our newsletter, or call
and leave a message on the chapter phone mail,
503.306.0932. We will also send out email blasts for your
input.
I urge you to be part of the discussion and action now.
Too often people wait until a change is made and then
decide to have an opinion. Your opinion really counts now.
Leslie |
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Another
Great Convention
by Leslie Giese, LMT#5975
As I have shared with you in previous years, I have really
loved being at convention. Since 2000, I have been to
seven out of the eight conventions offered. This year, it
felt like I had come full circle. My first convention in
2000, the one that started my increased involvement in
AMTA, was in Phoenix, and this year we were in Phoenix
again.
Phoenix 2000 I went as a member, with no obligations other
than to enjoy all that was being offered, and I did. This
year, Phoenix 2008, I was there representing my chapter as
its President, a very different experience, but very
fulfilling. I joined other dedicated volunteer leaders to
meet and learn all that the national organization
envisions for its chapter members. It always confirms my
belief that the AMTA really works hard to represent our
chosen massage profession and is there to help us keep
growing.
This year I got to watch how the decisions are made at the
national board level. It helped me understand the process
involved that shapes how AMTA serves the members. One of
the decisions that is made at convention is where the next
convention is chosen. This year they were deciding which
West Coast location would get to have the 2011 Convention.
Guess what? Portland Oregon was the winner! We will be
hosting the 2011 National AMTA Convention. We hosted in
2002, and we did a great job, but the conventions since
then have grown and have become so much more. We will need
everyone's help, so sign up to be a part of making it one
of the best conventions ever.
I just wanted you to know that I take my representing you
very seriously. Every day this position teaches me how to
serve you better. I have so much to learn and can always
improve, and I am helped by the other members of your
chapter board who really do work very hard to serve the
members of our chapter. Thank you all.
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