The BOC board has elected its 2017 executive committee and announced two additions to the board.

The executive committee is made up of the officers of the board. These recently elected 2017 officers are:

• Chair: L. Bradley “Brad” Watson, BOCO, BOCP, LPO, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, president of Clarksville Limb + Brace + Rehab
• Vice-Chair: Rod Borkowski, CDME, president of Health Essentials, a durable medical equipment and medical supply provider specializing in hospice care in California
• Secretary: Wayne R. Rosen, BOCP, BOCO, FAAOP, owner of W.R. Rosen, Inc., a multi-site orthotic and prosthetic practice in South Florida
• Treasurer: Shane Ryley, BOCP, BOCO, area clinic manager at Hanger Orthopedic Group in Torrance, California
• Member-at-large: R. Jeffrey “Jeff” Hedges, CDME, president of R.J. Hedges & Associates in New Florence, Pennsylvania, which provides turnkey compliance programs for pharmacies and other health care facilities

The sixth executive committee member is James L. Hewlett, BOCO, of Redding, California, who will continue to serve as immediate past chair. Hewlett has owned, operated and served as a consultant for both durable medical equipment and orthotics and prosthetics (O&P) facilities.

Von M. Homer, M.Sc., BOCPD, and John “Sion” Owen, Jr., M.A., BOCPD, CDME, are new additions to the BOC board.

Homer (left) and Owen (right), the new additions to the BOC board

Homer is co-director of the Motion Analysis Center at the Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine, where he also serves as full time clinical faculty assistant professor. Homer also holds secondary research faculty appointments at the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) and Delaware State University. Homer has previously held adjunct appointments at St. Petersburg College of Orthotics and Prosthetics. His work has been published in “Current Pedorthics,” a peer-reviewed journal, and he is a frequent speaker at O&P conferences and seminars. Homer is pursuing a doctorate in neuroscience and research and evaluation.

Owen is owner of Foot Solutions stores in Columbia, South Carolina and in Nashville, Tennessee. Foot Solutions stores specialize in footwear and accessories that help individuals live pain-free and comfortably. Prior to his work at Foot Solutions, Owen held key roles at home medical supply businesses in Arkansas and South Carolina.

BOC Board Chair L. Bradley “Brad” Watson, BOCO, BOCP, LPO, noted, “We are extremely fortunate that Von and Sion are joining the BOC board of directors. The new executive committee and the entire board will benefit from their strategic perspectives as we work together to chart the course for the future success of BOC, our credential-holders and the community of patients we serve.”

About BOC

The Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC), founded in 1984, offers highly valued credentials in the fields of orthotics and prosthetics (O&P) and durable medical equipment (DME). BOC offers accreditation for O&P practices, pharmacies and DME suppliers and certifications for orthotic fitters, mastectomy fitters and DME specialists. Although no longer accepting new applications for its orthotist, prosthetist and pedorthist certifications, BOC continues to certify and support more than 2,000 professionals in these fields. BOC practitioners are included as qualified providers in the Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 (BIPA).

BOC has been acclaimed for award-winning innovation and customer service, earning five internationally recognized Stevie Awards. Both the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Veterans Affairs accept BOC credentials as meeting their standards. Learn more atwww.bocusa.org.