APMA News - July/August 2021 - 6

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© 2021, APMA
6 APMA News July/August 2021
Jeffrey R. DeSantis, DPM, FACFAS, President
The State of Scope-ofPractice
Laws
I am a firm believer that our state practice acts should reflect the highest level of
our training as podiatric physicians and surgeons. APMA believes that scope of
practice should operate as a ceiling, not a floor. We cannot and will not accept any
states not having ankle surgery in their practice acts!
In June, APMA held a virtual scope-of-practice summit for the very few states
whose statutes do not include ankle privileges. This event provided an opportunity
for those states to share their experiences, and to discuss what is working and what
their legislatures have found persuasive and how they have engaged with other
physicians in their states to advance their cause.
With support from APMA, these states are doing incredible work to advance our
specialty. Over the past five years, Alabama, for example, has witnessed a slow and
deliberate build-up of its governmental affairs efforts. Leaders in Alabama have
engaged the membership and passed a bill through the Health Committee of the
House of Representatives. They have offered testimony in both the house and the
senate, and we believe that in 2022, we will continue to see progress for their modernized
bill. Our Center for Professional Advocacy (CPA) is in regular communication
with Alabama's lobbyist.
In Mississippi, our members are also organizing themselves for action. They have
introduced a modernized bill in the state senate. I had the privilege of joining
members in Mississippi in May at the state meeting, where I spoke along with
Mississippi Senator Hillman Frazier, the lead sponsor for the bill. The APMA CPA
continues to provide guidance to Mississippi as these efforts advance.
Massachusetts fought an outstanding fight in 2019 and continues to work toward
modernizing its scope law. APMA has been very engaged in that effort as well,
with our Director of Clinical Affairs Dyane Tower, DPM, MPH, MS, offering testimony
on their behalf and the CPA providing ongoing support. The CPA has connected
leaders in Puerto Rico with their colleagues in South Carolina, where, as we
all know, podiatric physicians and surgeons were recently victorious in modernizing
their practice act to include the ankle.
I'm thrilled with the progress our colleagues in these states have made and urge
members to support them in any way you can. I'm looking forward to being part
of the State Advocacy Forum in August in Atlanta, where I'll be part of a panel with
Jon Hultman, DPM (CA); Jondelle Jenkins, DPM (IL); Laura Pickard, DPM (IL);
and APMA CEO James Christina, DPM, to discuss plenary licenses and the future
of scope-of-practice laws. This issue is a critical component of our vision for this
specialty, and it continues to be a priority at APMA.
During a recent South Carolina Podiatric Medical Association meeting I attended,
we noted the famous quote from basketball star Jim Valvano: " Don't give up ...
don't ever give up. " South Carolina didn't give up, and your APMA won't either as
we continue to support the scope of practice podiatric physicians and surgeons
deserve nationwide.

APMA News - July/August 2021

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