filed on April 18, 2006 on behalf of Stephanie Schmiedecke, O.D., who has a residency in low vision rehabilitation.

 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Board of Optometry

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT The Board of Optometry has received the petition for declaratory statement filed on April 18, 2006 on behalf of Stephanie Schmiedecke, O.D., who has a residency in low vision rehabilitation.The petition seeks the agency's opinion as to the applicability of being employed by the University of Florida Shands Hospital’s Department of Ophtalmology to work at its sister hospital, the non-for-profit Shands Rehabilitation in Gainesville, Florida. The petition includes a request that the Board issue a Declaratory Statement providing guidance as to whether in relation to the Petitioner being able to sell low vision devices to patients such employment mentioned above would be consistent with the provisions of Chapter 463, F.S., and Section 463.014, F.S., or in the alternative, if Petitioner decided to work instead as an independent contractor corporation renting space from the facilities mentioned above, whether there would be a conflict of interest if the patients would see both the Petitioner and the OT employed by the Shands Rehabilitation Hospital mentioned above.

A copy of the Petition for Declaratory Statement may be obtained by writing: Joe Baker, Jr., Executive Director, Board of Optometry, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin C07, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3257.