HEALTH OCCUPATIONS PROGRAM
P.O. Box 64882, St. Paul, MN 55164-0882
Telephone: 651-201-3731
Email: [email protected]
Advisory Council Meeting Minutes
Occupational Therapy Practitioners
January 14, 2016
The Wellstone Center, Ecolab Fireside Room #107
179 Robie Street East, St. Paul, MN 55107
IN ATTENDANCE:
Present Members:
Lynnette Buckley
Donna Coughlin
Chris Harbaugh
Dr. Stephen Jobe
Laura McGrath
Rhoda Erhardt
MDH Staff Members:
Mailinda Kue
Anne Kukowski
Kim Ruberg
Grace Rauchwarter
Absent Members:
Dr. Lisa Dutton
Guests:
Peggy Brandenburg
Karen Sames
AGENDA:
1. Convene and introductions. Introductions were made.
2. Announcements - New Member. Welcomed new member Rhoda Erhardt.
3. Announcements - Health Regulation Division Management Changes. Stella French is the new
assistant director for the Health Regulation Division. Stella will be in charge of Health Occupations
Program and the Occupational Therapy Program will be reporting to her.
4. Announcements - Volunteer to Help Run Meetings. Council member Jobe volunteered to help run
future advisory meetings.
5. Review and Approval of Minutes. Meeting minutes from October 15, 2015 were approved.
6. Additions/Adoptions of Agenda. There were no additions or adoptions to the agenda.
7. Staff Updates – Credentialing Report. Ruberg presented OTP stats. Members were interested in the
age range of licensees in the program. Ruberg stated that she will bring statistics for the next
meeting.
OT:
Full: 3,604
Temporary: 11
OTA:
Full: 1,086
Temporary: 7
Total:
OT: 4,690
OTA: 18
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OTP ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
8. Staff Updates – Investigation and Enforcement Report. Kukowski presented Investigation and
Enforcement Reports through the 2nd quarter of FY 2016.
OT Intake:
12
Investigations:
Opened: 3
Closed: 9
Enforcements:
Opened: 2
Closed: 4
Pending:
Investigations: 11
Enforcements: 6
OTA Intake:
20
Investigations:
Opened: 0
Closed: 3
Enforcements:
Opened: 1
Closed: 1
Pending:
Investigations: 4
Enforcements: 7
9. Staff Updates – Budget Report. Kukowski presented the FY16 budget for Occupational Therapy.
10. Old Business - Legislative Proposals – Technical Amendments. Kukowski discussed amendments to
the OTP statutes that MDH had hoped to bring forward during the 2016 legislative session. These
included repeal of definitions related to PAMs; clarification that OTAs may only use PAMs under
direct supervision; clarification that individuals practicing under temporary license cannot be
supervisors; elimination of the signature requirement for licensees renewing online; and removal of
a statutory reference to a provision that has been repealed. The proposals will not move forward for
2016 and will be brought back in 2017.
11. Old Business - Legislative Proposals – Background Checks. A proposal to eliminate a requirement
that OTPs submit to background checks prior to licensure will not move forward. Lloyd presented
information about criminal background checks. An amendment to Minnesota Statute section
214.075, passed in 2013, mandates that by January 1, 2018, each health-related licensing board
require applicants for initial licensure, licensure by endorsement, or reinstatement or other
relicensure after a lapse in licensure to submit to a criminal history records check. The check is to
include state data from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and national data from the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Language relating to MDH practitioners, including OTPs was
not modified into statute. Also, by January 1, 2017, the Health Licensing Boards and MDH must
report to the Minnesota Legislature on how they plan to conduct criminal background checks for
renewing licensees. Department staff are involved in a workgroup led by the Health Licensing
Boards (HLBs) and the newly created HLB Criminal Background Check office. The HLB CBC office is in
the process of streamlining their operation of conducting fingerprint-based criminal history checks
for applicants to certain HLBs.
12. Old Business - Legislative Proposals – Fee Increases. Kukowski reported that due to the short
session, fee increases will not be moving forward.
13. Old Business - Legislative Proposals – Retention Schedule. Kukowski discussed a request made to
the state’s legal department to increase the retention schedule so that records are kept more than
five years after a lapse of credential.
14. Old Business – OT Initial Licensing Application. Ruberg presented changes to the general licensing
section of the initial OT applications regarding requesting transcripts.
OTP ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
15. New Business – Telehealth. Kukowski discussed the impacts of telehealth in the State of Minnesota.
Some concerns associated with telehealth are: the financial impact of fees; how it will affect
licensure for licensees who hold a Minnesota license and practice in another state or vice versa; and
the enforcement of investigations and complaints on licensees who practice in another state or
practice in the state of Minnesota.
16. New Business – ICD 10 Codes. ICD-10-CM codes must be put on claims. OTs consider these codes to
be used for treatment and not for diagnosis. MDH does not consider their use on claims to be
outside the scope of OT practice.
17. Adjourn – Meeting Adjourned.
Next Meeting:
Thursday, April 14, 2016