By Pete Whitridge
Hi all! I hope you’re having a busy and productive winter season and that you’re enjoying your massage practice. As we approach the final quarter of our licensing period, I’ve begun teaching the three required classes (Ethics, Florida Law, and Prevention of Medical Errors) more frequently. There are a couple of topics that keep popping up regularly during class that I want to remind you about.
Many of you have begun to receive notices that you need to RETAIN your fingerprints and authorize a current background check. When you get this email reminder, please act promptly and pay the fee (less than $50) to have your fingerprints retained in the system and your background screening processed. This is mandatory and it’s a disciplinary violation if you fail to meet this requirement for all Department of Health licensees.
This is becoming a frequent issue at the Board meetings and will result in a fine ($250 or more) as well as the extra expense of being fingerprinted again (more costly than the retention fee) since your prints were not retained. The Board notifies all licensees by email prior to their expiration date with instructions on how to renew. Make sure you keep your postal and email addresses current with the Board office so you receive any pertinent information they send. (Keeping addresses current is a license requirement as well, and another infraction if you fail to do so.)
Additionally, there have been numerous cases brought before the Probable Cause Panel that demonstrate that the DEM (Designated Establishment Manager) program is being enforced. This means that you could receive disciplinary action against your license if you are the DEM and your work location has been found to have a rules violation. We have had DEMs charged for not making sure the location was kept in a “safe and sanitary” condition and for failing to be sure that all licensees working at a location had their licenses posted with the correct size photo.
The bottom line here is that DEMs are held responsible for actions that occur at the massage establishment. DO NOT agree to be the DEM if you are not willing or able to supervise the entire operation of the location. It is customary for therapists who own their establishments to serve as their own DEM; they would obviously be the party who is responsible and “in charge”. On the other hand, If you are not the owner, please realize the level of responsibility you are assuming when you agree to become the establishment’s DEM.
I’ll be talking about these issues and much more during the Big 3 classes that I’ll be teaching this summer. All three required classes will be taught in one day at House of Waking Life (HOWL) in downtown Gainesville. You can choose either date: June 5th or August 7th. I love teaching at HOWL – they have a wonderful space, delicious coffee, and it’s close to downtown restaurants for our lunch time break.
Come and enjoy taking the Big 3 in-person and complete all three required classes in one day with no tests, quizzes, or reading required. Meet and enjoy your fellow massage therapists and get answers to your personal questions regarding the Law, Professional Ethics, and Prevention of Medical Errors. I will also be teaching an 18-hour workshop on the weekends prior to these Monday classes so you could complete your entire CE requirement in one long weekend in either June or August.
We hope to see you there! P>
Register for June Big 3 https://www.whitridgewellness.com/store/p33/Big3Live/Gainesville.html
Register for August Big 3 https://www.whitridgewellness.com/store/p34/Big3Live/Gainesville.html
