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General Session Minutes

February 18, 2011

February 18, 2011
The Maryland Board of Occupational Therapy (OT) Practice (Board)
Spring Grove Hospital Center
55 Wade Avenue-Bland Bryant Building – 4th Floor (Room 409)
Conference Room
Chairperson: Joyce Ford, COTA/L
8:30 a.m.

GENERAL SESSION MINUTES

BOARD MEMBERS PRESENTNON-BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT

Joyce Ford, COTA/L, ChairpersonDonna Ashman, Executive Director

Christine Moghimi, MS, OTR/L, Vice ChairpersonMarilyn Pinkney, Licensing Coordinator

Iyna Adams, OTR/L, CPAMGrant Gerber, Board Counsel

Kamala Stevenson, MS, OTR/L

Mr. Kshepakaran, M.Ed., OTR/L

Meenakshi Gupta, Consumer Member

Jocelind Julien, Consumer Member

GUESTS

There were no guests present.

  1. Ms. Ford called the General Session to order at 9:10 a.m.

Ms. Ford read the following summary: Except in instances when the Board of Occupational Therapy expressly invites public testimony, questions, comments, or other forms of public transportation, or when public participation is otherwise authorized by law, no member of the public attending an open session may participate in the session.

  1. Ms. Moghimi moved to accept the modified agenda – February 18, 2011. Ms. Adams seconded the motion. The Board voted unanimously in favor.
  1. Ms. Gupta motioned to approve the General Session Minutes – January 14, 2011. Ms. Julien seconded the motion. The Board voted unanimously in favor.

REPORTS

  1. Mr. Gerber reported on an update for the sanctioning guidelines and the committee of the Board will provide a report during the upcoming Board workshop in May.

2. Ms. Adams and Mr. Kshepakaran reported that the continuing education reviews are

up-to-date and business as usual.

3a. Ms. Ashman reported that she has been forwarding emails to the Board members

regarding 2011 legislation and opportunities for Board comment. She indicated that

the session is ongoing until April 2011, and that she would continue to keep the

Board up-to-date via emails. Ms. Ashman encouraged the Board members to reply to

her if they saw any legislation requiring Board comment.

3b. Ms. Ashman reported that the Board approved revised Chapter 10.46.04, Continuing

Competency Requirements, has been published as final in the Maryland Register.

The Board office soon will publish the final document on the OT Board website.

3c. Ms. Ashman summarized the Federation of Associations of Regulatory Boards

(FARB) Conference that she attended in New Orleans. One of the highlights of the

conference was a presentation by a news reporter and her efforts to obtain

information from a licensing board for use in investigating a practitioner.

4b. Ms. Ashman reported that the legislative audit for the period of 2/1/2008 – 8/2/2010

had been completed.

4c. Ms. Ashman reported that she is cooperating with a DHMH initiative entitled “One

Stop Shopping.” The purpose of the initiative is to determine whether or not

centralization of certain Board operations would be cost effective.

4d. Ms. Ashman reported on HB 114 - Task Force on Discipline of Health Care

Professionals and Improved Patient Care. Ms. Ashman summarized the email

responses she provided to Kristen Neville, Legislative Coordinator, in which she

reported that the OT Board has implemented most of the recommendations specified

in the bill. The Board had discussion. Ms. Ashman proposed that the OT Board could

begin publishing its “State Stat” report on its website. The Board indicated that they

would like to see the report and consider the options.

4e. Ms. Ashman provided a document detailing information on Board member liability.

4f. Ms. Ashman reported to the Board members that Ms. Moghimi had followed up on

all inquiries pending from the prior Board meeting and that written responses had

been distributed.

4g. The Board had discussion on an inquiry relative to OT sessions with autistic children.

Ms. Ashman will prepare a response to the inquiry.

4h. The Board had discussion on an inquiry relative to renewal fees. Ms. Ashman will

draft a response for Board review and then forward the approved final to the inquirer.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

  1. Ms. Ashman indicated that financial disclosure reports are due by the end of April 2011. She recommended that the Board members who have questions should contact the Ethics Commission directly. Ms. Ashman will forward the email address to the Board members. The deadline for completion is April 2011.

NEW BUSINESS

1. Ms. Ashman provided the Board with a tentative agenda of items for the upcoming

Board workshop:

  • A Board-conducted meeting for invite licensees – this meeting will offer contact hours; an opportunity to take the jurisprudence exam; an information about cultural competency.
  • Dry Needling;
  • Sanctioning Guidelines;
  • Anonymous complaints;
  • NBCOT continuing education reciprocity compatibility.
  1. Ms. Ashman proposed not having a Board meeting in March 2011 due to a light agenda. The next scheduled Board meeting will be held April 15, 2011.
  1. Ms. Stevenson recommended ratification of 13 occupational therapists’ applications and 9 occupational therapy assistants’ applications for a total of 22 applicants. Ms. Adams motioned to approve the 22 applicants for licensure. Ms. Julien seconded the motion. The Board voted unanimously in favor.

Occupational TherapistsOccupational Therapy Assistants

Elizabeth MeyerCarly Chronister

Angela FreelandEmily Sterner

Reba Palumbo-ReinstatementStacy McCleaf

Kayla ClarkAlison Hefner

Ashlea CyrJanelle Ford

Melissa MillerHeather Carey

Lauren BotterbuschJaime Fazzalore –Reinstatement

Rachel MondrowAdrienne Gorretta

Bryanne BartonJennifer Scavo

Brandy Bush

Kathlea Carrasco

Kristen Pennington

Jyotsna Supnekar

  1. Ms. Ashman announced that the Board office had received a packet of material containing AOTA’s Representative Assembly adopted new official documents. She summarized the documents and stated that the packet is available for Board member review.
  2. Ms. Ashman announced that the Board office has a new domain name for its website due to changes required by DHMH. The Board’s web address is:
  1. Ms. Ashman announced that MOTA has a new website. The Board requested that she follow- up by forwarding the current website address to the Board members.

ADJOURNMENT

Pursuant to the Maryland Government Article, Section 10-508 (a)(13), Annotated Code of Maryland, Ms. Ford adjourned the General Session meeting at 10:23 a.m.

Submitted by:

Marilyn Pinkney

Marilyn Pinkney

Licensing Coordinator