A meeting of the Massage, Bodywork and Somatic Therapy Examining Committee was held on June 18, 2008 in the Division of Law Conference Room on the 2nd Floor, 124 Halsey Street, Newark, New Jersey. Alan G. Vonderahe, Committee Chair called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.

ROLL CALL

COMMITTEE MEMBER(S) PRESENT:

Alan G. Vonderahe
Deborah Overholt
Donda Kraus-Sternberg

ALSO PRESENT:

George J. Hebert, Executive Director
Margaret Howard, Field Representative
Ginger Provost, Deputy Attorney General
Mary Peterson, RN
Alba R. Jaramillo, Support Staff
Michelle Ditzhazy, Legal Intern from Division of Law

QUORUM WAS DECLARED PRESENT:

In accordance with Chapter 231 of P.L. 1975, more commonly referred to as the Sunshine Law, adequate notice of this meeting was provided by mailing on November 30, 2007. A schedule of all 2008 Regular Open Committee Meetings of the Massage, Bodywork and Somatic Therapy Examining Committee to be held during 2008 was provided to the Office of the Secretary of State, Star Ledger, Trenton-Times, The New York Times, Camden Courier Post, The Press of Atlantic City and The Philadelphia Inquirer. The schedule has also been posted on the bulletin board at the New Jersey State Board of Nursing Office.

A reading and approval of the Open Session Agenda of July 30, 2008 Committee Meeting with the following addition:

To add an agenda item under New Business:

Correspondence from the Office of the Inspector General.

After discussion, the Committee upon a motion made by Deborah Overholt and duly seconded by Donda Kraus-Sternberg, voted to approve the Open Agenda of July 30, 2008 Committee Meeting as amended. The motion carried.

Open Session Minutes of June 18, 2008, Committee Meeting

After discussion, the Committee upon a motion made by Deborah Overholt and duly seconded by Donda Kraus-Sternberg, voted to approve the June 18, 2008 Open Minutes Committee Meeting. The motion carried.

NEW BUSINESS:

2008 Certification Renewal

The Executive Director reported the following:

During the second week of September 2008 renewal notices will be mailed out to certificants, providing the certificants with instructions on how to renewal their certification. Certificants will be encouraged to renew their certification online to expedite the process. Paper renewal forms will be available upon request only.

Certificants are required to renew by November 30, 2008 or they will be subject to late fees during the month of December 2008. The reinstatement process will begin in the month of January 2009; certificants will be required to pay all fees associated with the reinstatement process. Additionally, the criminal history background check data will also need to be updated for individuals requiring reinstatement.

Applicants who are applying for certification during the first year of the biennial period are required to pay the full biennial period fee of $195.00 Applicants who apply for certification during the second year of the biennial are required to pay $135.00 and must renew the certification at the end of the current year.

The Committee discussed the fact that there is no way to pro-rate the certification fee and therefore, those applications that are completed and approved by the Committee prior to July 30, 2008 would be charged a full year fee. While, those who met the criteria after July 30, 2008 were given the option to pay the adjusted 2nd year fee or wait until September to pay the full 2nd year fee, which would certify them through November 2010. Those individuals requiring immediate certification prior to the September renewal period will be charged the fee for the second year of the biennial period (2008) and will be required to renew by the end of November 2008.

After discussion, the Committee upon a motion made by Deborah Overholt and duly seconded by Donda Kraus-Sternberg, voted to approve that any application approved by the Committee from July 30, 2008 to September 1, 2008 will be issued a certification after September 1, 2008, in order to avoid applicants having to pay the full year’s fee for certification as well as avoid having to renew their certification by November 30, 2008 and pay the full renewal fee also. The motion carried.

2. The Committee discussed the following applications:

Lisa Lime

Juana Rivera

Irina Priev

Catherine Brower

Johana White

Joan Grayland

Janet Adam – applicant needs to submit an updated CPR card.

Elizabeth Mascharka – applicants needs to submit an updated CPR card.

Sang Choe – applicant needs to submit an updated CPR card.

After discussion, the Committee upon a motion made by Deborah Overholt and duly seconded by Donda Kraus-Sternberg, voted to approve the above applications for certification upon receipt of additional information requested by the Committee. The motion carried.

CORRESPONDENCE:

1. Letter from the Office of the Inspector General regarding Patrice O’Neill, an individual using the credentials of CMT, without being certified by the Committee.

DAG Provost will draft a response to the Office of Inspector General regarding the anonymous complaint. Further consideration of the matter took place in Executive Session.

APPEARANCE/INVESTIGATIVE INQUIRY:

The following inquiry took place and was recorded by a court reporter from Global Court Reporting Services, Inc. of Ramsey, New Jersey.

1. Rose Bloom appeared and was sworn in by the court reporter.

Ms. Bloom was asked to appear before the Committee to discuss her application for massage certification and to provide information on the four incidents in her criminal history.

Ms. Bloom has been practicing nursing for over 26 years and has provided the Committee with letters of recommendations from colleagues and employers. She discussed each of her arrests and provided the Committee with an explanation as to each. She stated that she was going to “family counseling” in Bound Brook whenever she needs someone to talk to. She participates in AA and has done so for 11 years but currently has no sponsor because she anticipates leaving the state. She also runs a meeting at the Burlington County Jail.

Ms. Bloom was advised by the Committee that if her application is approved now, she would have to pay the full renewal fee in November; however, if her application was held until September, her initial application fee that she already paid would suffice. She asked the Committee to hold her application to September.

The Committee thanked Ms. Bloom for providing it with such comprehensive information and advised her that a decision on her application would be forthcoming. Whereupon, the inquiry was concluded.

OPEN FORUM:

There was no member of the public present at this time.

The Committee upon a motion made by Deborah Overholt and duly seconded by Donda Kraus-Sternberg, voted to into closed session to review applications with criminal history and other confidential information and also to obtain advice of counsel regarding the applicant investigative inquiry. The motion carried.

ADJOURNMENT:

A motion was made by Deborah Overholt and duly seconded by Donda Kraus-Sternberg to adjourn the Massage, Bodywork and Somatic Therapy Examining Committee Meeting. Whereupon the meeting was adjourned at 3:00 p.m. The next Massage, Bodywork and Somatic Therapy Examining Committee Meeting will be held on September 24, 2008, 9:00 a.m., in the Sussex Conference Room, 6th Floor.

Respectfully Submitted,

_______________
Alan G. Vonderahe
Committee Chair

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