Having problems with Texas Opt Board approving ODWire courses

Diane Simmons

Active Member
Jan 26, 2004
167
92
28
School/Org
UHCO
City
Pampa
State
TX
We mailed in the COPE certificates over 4 weeks ago and none of the courses had been posted. We called to see if the problem was clerical or something else and was told that consideration of the courses would be made at the NOVEMBER 2015 meeting. She was reminded that all courses were COPE approved and said she would "double check"

Texas doc would you please check to see if your ODWire classes have been posted.

Thanks, Diane Simmons, OD
 
Disturbing news.

We went to enormous effort to make certain every course offered was not only world class in quality but received double COPE approval for both live presentation and on line C/E.

Sad if the Texas State Board of Optometry changes rules after the fact.

Any Texas State board members reading this? Please feel free to join the conversation.
 
It looks like they are having trouble overall, not just these courses. It doesn't look like they have any of the remaining UHCO or TOA live courses listed that I know will be approved.

Here is a link to the list: http://www.tob.state.tx.us/approvedce2002.htm
Our UHCO Professional Responsibility has been posted. The UHCO certificate of attendance was mailed along with the ARBO certificates that included the COPE #'s for the ODWire courses. I feel like it will be resolved but I just thought I would let y'all know what happened when we checked on ours.
 
All courses at CEwire are COPE-approved, and as you pass we submit it to COPE so it will appear in your tracker -- though there may be a delay.

Texas should have zero problems with our courses if they allow internet credits, as they are all COPE-approved, all have tests, all have attendance requirements, and in fact all use the same highly sought-after speakers from other events.

I am anticipating no problems, as we haven't had any with other states.

But if there are any, expect a vigorous and public defense by myself and Paul.
 
Our UHCO Professional Responsibility has been posted. The UHCO certificate of attendance was mailed along with the ARBO certificates that included the COPE #'s for the ODWire courses. I feel like it will be resolved but I just thought I would let y'all know what happened when we checked on ours.
Here is comment from our CE expert from Bits on Wire that should close this issue...

Here’s the link to ARBO that shows that it was approved as well as the courses attached to the event. https://www.arbo.org/event_det.php?id=109272.


We do not really have a mechanism to notify the states. My guess they will approve the event/courses once they see the backup….


Thanks,


Chris Phillips
 
I went to a review of optometry free course a couple of years ago. TOB had to approve it at their next quarterly meeting even though those classes were also COPE approved. It posted shortly afterwards. I can't say this will be the same, but I would hope so.
 
TOB only meets 4 times per year to consider CE. They just met August 6th. It takes 3-4 weeks for it to show up on the TOB website. COPE approved courses never have problems as far as I know. Relax and wait for your hours to pop up on the TOB website.
 
I spoke to Chris a few weeks ago and he said that they would be approved at the August meeting being mentioned above.
Just wait..it will be fine.

Indeed. I feel some degree of sympathy for the state boards, as they have to look over a whole bunch of CE and providers.

Though the entire idea behind ARBO and COPE's rules is to have a vetting agency that can give a rubber-stamp to CE ("COPE-Approved CE") so that they don't have to do so much leg-work.

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I spoke to Chris a few weeks ago and he said that they would be approved at the August meeting being mentioned above.
Just wait..it will be fine.
Our ODWire CE has been posted by Tex Opt Board. The concern was not IF but WHEN and to inform others of the administrative issues of the TOB.
 
Our ODWire CE has been posted by Tex Opt Board. The concern was not IF but WHEN and to inform others of the administrative issues of the TOB.
What are the "administrative issues" of the TOB? The TOB has met 4 times per year for as long as I can remember and I have practiced in Texas since 1984. They review CE at these 4 meetings.

For 2015 the meeting dates are
February 17-18
May 7-8
August 6-7
November 5-6
These dates are posted on the TOB website.

Nothing has changed.