Dear Board of Medicine, 

I have held a license in the state of Virginia since 1997. I feel fortunate to have been able to take a break in my practice to stay home with my young children, it was important to me personally and also enhanced my appreciation of human develoment, which is a cornerstone of OT practice.

I am writing to express my concerns about the proposal to amend the occupational therapy regulations related to Inactive licensure (18 VAC 85-80-72) and Reinstatement (18 VAC 85-80-80). I encourage the Board to engage in a dialog with the American Occupational Therapy Association and the Virginia Occupational Therapy Association to put in place regulations that are not too onerous for occupational therapy practitioners, but that also protect the public. Requiring someone seeking to rejoin the profession whose license has been lapsed for only 2 years to show a current NBCOT certification or retake the exam is a lot to ask of someone who might be switching jobs after working in another state or recovering from an illness or family emergency. Thank you for your consideration.