Pa Massage Board Information!!!
Please Note!!!
It seems some therapists believe that I am a board member. This is NOT the case. I do NOT sit on the board. I merely attend the meetings as my schedule allows! I inform therapists of information that I feel is important for them to know. I will continue keeping you up to date!
Important!
The minutes below are NOT the official minutes of the board meeting. What you find here on this page is the notes that I take at the board meeting. If you know of any mistakes in my notes, please let me know!
Unofficial Minutes from the board meeting on June 7, 2023
I had arrived minutes after the meeting was called to order. My arrival time was 10:33am
1) The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved unanimously
2) A company called Pennie spoke for approximately 10 minutes. This marketplace company offers health and dental insurance, as well as financial assistance, to entrepreneurs, including massage therapists. The presentation was about the various ways they can help.
3) Amanda Richards, a representative from the Business Finance Office (BFO) of the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs (BPOA), was present online at the meeting. She spoke to the board and the audience regarding the debt that the board has with the PLAA. The PLAA is a combined financial group of all the boards under the BPOA.
In order to startup the massage board, a loan was needed to finance the expenses of our board. Since its inception, the massage board has not had enough revenue coming in to be able to satisfy the loan. Our revenue does meet our expenses but the board hasn’t had enough to pay it back. The board is indebted to the PLAA to the amount of 1.6 Million Dollars. If nothing is done to offset this amount, by 2031 the board is projected to owe 3.1 Million.
As of November 2022, the amount of licensed massage therapists was at 9169. As of June 7, 2023 (todays mtg date) there are 7967 licensed therapists in the state. This is a decrease of 1202 therapists, or 13%.
There was a suggestion that perhaps there’s no obligation for the board to have to pay back this loan. The BFO reminded the board of the writers of the loan and its importance to paying it back.
In calculating the amount of added revenue needed to pay back the loan, the BFO included a 5% decrease in the licensed therapist population in each of the renewal periods. The board had 2 options to choose from in order to repay the loan. One involved periodic increases that culminated in the fee as of January 2031 of $315. The second option involved periodic increases that culminated in the fee as of January 2031 of $422. The board voted unanimously for the first option. The renewal fee for January 2025 will remain at $175.
4) Regulation Report - The previous regulation changes are still in the works.. The board counsel will havea new regulations annex ready by next meeting which will include the increase in fees.
5) HB 1241 - Contact your state representatives regarding this bill
6) CE waivers - regarding the time for applications to be received by the board. The board voted to approve that there is no longer a timeframe to apply for a waiver for ce’s. Prior to this, the timeframe was 60 days prior to the January 31st expiration date of a given renewal period.
7) Andrea, the board’s liaison to the prosecutors office, spoke regarding a case # 22-72-002304
8) Colby, the board’s liaison to the prosecutors office, spoke regarding a case #22-72-018338
9) In executive session these 2 cases were described and consulted on. The board then voted on each case. In the first case the board approved the consent agreement with Keith P Palmer who was charged with 2 criminal acts with Keith voluntarily surrendering his license. In the second case, the board voted to approve the consent agreement with Jacob Robbins who was convicted of sexual offenses with a minor. He received a sentence of 48-100 months in prison by the criminal prosecutors.
10) Adjudications and orders - #9 and #11 on the agenda - the board voted to accept to approve as final the adjudications and orders in these cases. In #10 and #12 of the agenda - the board voted to accept the draft of the adjudications in these cases.
11) #13 on the agenda - Christopher Strain case # 22-72-003254 - the respondent defaulted on the previous order and charges will stand against him.
12) #16-19 on the agenda - All applications were approved
13) #20 on the agenda - waiver denied
14) #21 on the agenda - Pacific medical training is approved
15) 322 on the agenda - Nancy was approved to represent the board at the next FSMTB Annual Meeting on september 28-30, 2023 in San Diego Ca
16) # 25 on the agenda (added this morning) - Vote for vice chair. Jennifer Keth was voted in as Vice Chair
Meeting adjourned at 12:34pm