AMTA Oregon Chapter
Presidential Notes

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

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.