AUGUST 2018
During the August Board of Directors meeting, Dr. George Hruza, Public Policy Director, reported on two public policy initiatives.
In April, six organizations including ASLMS sent a letter to the Board of Cosmetologist Examiners in the state of Minnesota regarding the revisions to the proposed permanent rules on advanced practice esthetician (APE) licensing. The letter requests clarification of certain parts in the rules to ensure that the scope of practice is clearly defined and does not include the practice of medicine. Read more
Dr. Hruza reported that the ASLMS is a member of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering’s (AIMBE) Council of Societies. In June, the Council of Societies encouraged AIMBE to continue its aggressive efforts to oppose new rules on immigrant visa restrictions, since U.S. innovation greatly depends on international collaboration and international students have made valuable contributions to the US research enterprise. Read copy of AIMBE’s correspondence to the U.S. Department of State.
April 2018
At the April 12 Board of Directors meeting, in Dr. Hruza’s absence, Dr. Avram reported that the ASLMS joined the PULSE Coalition to submit a letter to the Rhode Island General Assembly to express concerns about amendments to H7236 which removed on-site supervision by physicians. Dr. Kachiu Lee, Government Education and Communications Director, who is based out of Rhode Island and active in Rhode Island advocacy efforts, requested an opportunity to provide an update.
Dr. Lee reported that the Rhode Island Dermatology Society is opposing the current version of a bill which was modified by some medi spas, and the version they are trying to put through would allow for no physician supervision. Mid-level providers would be able to act as medical directors and delegate non-ablative, but more importantly, ablative procedures. The Rhode Island Medical Society also supports the medi spa’s version of the bill, allowing APRN’s to serve as medical directors.
The Rhode Island Dermatology Society is fighting the bill, and Dr. Lee would appreciate any resources the Society members can provide, especially patient testimonials about adverse outcomes.
February 2018
During the February Board meeting, Dr. Hruza reported on public policy activity in the States of Rhode Island and Ohio. The PULSE Coalition is again supporting legislation that is being reintroduced in Rhode Island regarding the delegation of non-ablative treatments and direct on-site supervision.
The second initiative is supporting proposed language in the State of Ohio addressing the delegation of light-based procedures to non-physician providers. Additional language requires a physician to see and personally evaluate the patient to determine whether the application is appropriate, and to perform an evaluation after the initial treatment to ensure the patient responded positively.
The proposed legislation in Rhode Island and Ohio basically matches the Society’s position statement; therefore, the ASLMS signed on with the PULSE Coalition to support the regulations.
Dr. Gerald Goldberg reported that a bill was proposed in the State of Arizona in January by the Cosmetology Board to decrease supervision and to increase the scope of practice by estheticians. The PULSE Coalition offered support; however, the grassroots effort by Dr. Goldberg and several other physicians was successful in blocking the legislation.