Janelle CassThe Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has notified Edmonds concern proprietor Janelle Cass it intends to contented a cease-and-desist bid related to allegations that she operates a hyperbaric enclosure – which is utilized to dainty aggregate aesculapian conditions – without a licence to signifier medicine.
Cass, who unsuccessfully ran for the Edmonds City Council and Washington State Senate, owns Ohana Hyberbarics and Massage successful downtown Edmonds. The business website describes hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) as “a relaxing wellness enactment that works by mildly expanding the atmospheric unit astir you. Oxygen saturates the fluids and tissues of your assemblage which efficaciously reduces inflammation, stimulates insubstantial repair, boosts the immune strategy and increases stamina.”
Ohana’s website besides states that the oxygen therapy “has been demonstrated successful respective objective studies to heighten the body’s innate quality to repair and regenerate. It is utilized arsenic an adjunct therapy to complement and heighten the healing process successful some chronic and acute conditions.”
In a DOH quality merchandise issued Dec. 22 regarding disciplinary actions against wellness providers statewide, the section reported the announcement of intent to contented a cease-and-desist bid to Cass done its Unlicensed Practice Program. The announcement states that Cass “doesn’t clasp a credential to signifier arsenic a aesculapian doc but allegedly provided hyperbaric oxygen therapy to patients astatine a concern she owns successful Edmonds.”
The announcement signals the wellness department’s intent to contented a cease-and-desist order, but Cass volition beryllium fixed an accidental to respond anterior to immoderate specified bid being issued. The announcement is not related to her concern license, truthful Cass tin proceed to run the business, DOH spokesperson Katie Pope said.
The bid alleges that Cass “does not presently clasp a credential to signifier arsenic a aesculapian doc successful the authorities of Washington and has ne'er held specified a credential.” Under authorities law, a idiosyncratic is practicing medicine if helium oregon she “offers oregon undertakes to diagnose, cure, advise, oregon prescribe for immoderate quality disease, ailment, injury, infirmity, deformity, symptom oregon different condition, carnal oregon mental, existent oregon imaginary, by immoderate means oregon instrumentality.” State instrumentality besides directs DOH to analyse complaints concerning practice by unlicenses persons of a profeession oregon concern for which a licence is required. (See much here.)
If a last determination is made that a idiosyncratic is engaging successful unlicensed practice, the DOH tin contented the cease-and-desist order, with civilian fines besides possible.
Under authorities law, Cass whitethorn petition a proceeding with DOH to contention the charges, and Cass said she has done that, with a scheduling league acceptable for aboriginal adjacent year.
“There is simply a misunderstanding regarding mild, wellness-level hyperbarics and what is provided successful infirmary settings,” Cass said via email. The proceeding (known arsenic an adjudicative proceeding) “will laic the way for maine to pass the committee astir what we bash astatine Ohana. I americium looking guardant to the accidental to supply accusation and acquisition to the DOH done that process arsenic determination galore businesses conscionable similar excavation passim the state,” Cass added.
The Ohana Hyperbarics website notes that Cass, an Air Force Academy postgraduate who served arsenic a bioenvironmental technologist successful the U.S. Air Force, “has converted her engineering skills, cognition of toxic exposures and wellness physics towards the usage of hyperbaric therapy to beforehand healing. The website says Cass’s grooming is endorsed by the American College of Hyperbaric Medicine, ANDI International (described arsenic an planetary acquisition bureau for hyberbarics), Hyperbaric Medicine International and the International Hyperbaric Association.
— By Teresa Wippel
English (US)