Quality
Care: Certification is Vital
Every profession
has some type of review board to make certain its members
are following appropriate standards.
Rehabilitation
professionals recognize the American Board for Certification
in Orthotics & Prosthetics (ABC) as the top standards
setting and administering body in our field.
To obtain ABC
certification, applicants must have:
- a baccalaureate
degree
- post-graduate
education in orthotics/prosthetics
- a one-year
residency under a certified practitioner
- pass a three-day
exam including formal and practical testing.
Certified prosthetists
use "CP" following their names, while certified
orthotists use "CO." Tom Watson's practitioners
are accredited in both specialties and may use the initials
"CPO;" our facilities are also ABC accredited.
Once certified,
practitioners must continue professional education and training,
plus undergo reaccreditation review every five years.
Why is this important?
For the same reason
that people insist on licensed doctors, lawyers, dentists,
and surgeons. Meeting standards is proof of competency; someone
who is poorly trained could do further harm to patients, or
at the least, not help them. Professional certification assures
patients that they will receive the best rehabilitative care
possible.
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