Calling All Chiropractors to Help

Our Fellow DCs in Texas Need It

by: DrTirpak posted: August 28, 2017

After seeing the devastation in Houston CE Cruncher wants to help. We are calling on all chiropractors to come together and help one another. Everyone can help and we want to make it easier to do just that.

Many Chiropractors in SE Texas need a space to see their patients, a place to refer patients, replacement equipment and probably an adjustment or two while cleaning up. Many Chiropractors lost their office, home and vehicles. If they are not able to see patients and don’t get back up quickly they face financial ruin. 

What you can do to help -Chiropractors Helping In Relief Operations (C.H.I.R.O) Hurricane Harvey Assistance
The Texas Chiropractic Association has stepped up to the plate to orchestrate the much needed relief. They are looking for donations of Chiropractic equipment, office furniture, computers, and Chiropractic supplies. Use this as an excuse to donate items in your office that are gathering dust and help a fellow DC. They are planning the logistics of transporting the items to all Chiropractors in Texas that are in need. Every financial donation will go directly to the relief effort and will be greatly appreciated. For more information please go to CHIRO Chiropractors Helping In Relief Operations 

In this time of disaster, we all have to work together.

Texas Chiropractors Attacked Again

by: DrTirpak posted: September 02, 2014

Texas Chiropractors are under attack again, this time over sport physicals. The most recent assault at the chiropractic scope of practice came from the Texas legislature’s Sunset Commission. A recent vote of by commission regarding Middle, High School and College sports physicals was close after a brisk call to action from the Texas Chiropractic Association, but failed.

The Texas Sunset Commission, the state legislative agency that reviews state agencies on a periodic basis conducted a hearing on Aug 13, 2014 recommendation to prohibit Doctors of Chiropractic from doing University and Middle & High School Interscholastic League (UIL) pre-participation physicals.

The 12-member committee adopted the new language to Section 33.203 of the Texas Education Code that eliminated Doctors of Chiropractic from the statute by a vote of 7 in favor and 5 against, the chair, vice-chair and the 3 medical doctors on the committee voted in favor. The chair of the committee, Four Price, during the last elections touted endorsements for the Texas Medical Association and The Texas Hospital Association.

The Texas Chiropractic Association is trying to rally support and releases this statement following the vote: “While this only pertains to UIL physicals, this cannot stand. It is an erosion of a Doctor of Chiropractic's scope of practice and if they succeed here, then the next step will be to limit that scope of practice even further. This not only limits a Doctor of Chiropractic's ability to practice, it limits Texan's ability to choose their healthcare provider.“

Almost 5,000 licensed Chiropractors in the State of Texas practice under one on the most narrow scopes of practice in the country and the climate is not improving. A war has been waged in the last few years in Texas against Chiropractors, mainly from the Texas Medical Association’s predatory lawsuits.

The Texas Medical Association and Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners case over Diagnosis, MUA and needle EMG has been battling in the courts for years. Currently Chiropractors can diagnosis, but MUA and Needle EMG have been eliminated. Another lawsuit is ongoing from the Texas Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (TAAOM) against the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners over Chiropractors performing Acupuncture.

Recent discussions around the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners contemplated deleting its specialty program, as it is out of the parameters of the State’s Practice Act. The future of Chiropractic in Texas will be tumultuous; fortunately the Texas Chiropractic Association and their PAC are poised to continue to defend the Chiropractors of Texas.

Check back to find the latest updates on Chiropractic in Texas and other professional news at CE Cruncher.

Another Interim President for Texas Chiropractic College

Dr. Brad McKechnie, D.C., DACAN Named TCC’s Second Interim President

by: DrTirpak posted: April 30, 2014

Another interim president for Texas Chiropractic College, Dr. Brad McKechnie, D.C., DACAN was just announced as the TCCs second interim president.

TCC reported the current interim president Dr. R. Fred Zuker, Ph.D. would be resigning the position he has held for the past seven months for health reasons. Dr. Zuker moved from the position of Vice President of Enrollment Management to his current job title at Texas Chiropractic College after the retirement last year of Dr. Richard G. Brassard, DC, FICC, FACC. Dr. Brassard led Texas Chiropractic College for 10 years, holding a position at the college for more than 28 years.

The new interim President of Texas Chiropractic College, Dr. McKechnie, resigned his post on the TCC Board of Regents to accept his new position. The Texas Chiropractic College Board of Regents is currently conducting a search for the 14th President of the Chiropractic College.

After graduating from TCC in 1985 Dr. McKechnie served as a faculty member from 1986 to 1996 including various administrative roles as the Dean of Postgraduate Studies and Dean of External Affairs.

Dr. McKechnie practiced for close to 30 years, serving on medical advisory committees, served as a witness in the recent lawsuit between the Texas Medical Association and the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners, wrote a neurology column for Dynamic Chiropractic, served on the Exam Test committee for the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners and has taught chiropractic postgraduate seminars.

Texas Chiropractic College, founded in 1908, is a non-profit, professional college offering a Doctor of Chiropractic and Bachelor of Science in Human Biology degrees Located in Pasadena Texas, TCC has 250 students currently enrolled.

Chiropractors in Texas Can Diagnosis … Almost

by: DrTirpak posted: June 18, 2013

The legal battle waged by the Texas Medical Association against Doctors of Chiropractic in Texas was stopped by the Texas Supreme Court. On June 14th 2013 the Texas Supreme Court denied the petition of the Texas Medical Association for additional review of their lawsuit against the Texas Chiropractic Association and the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners over Chiropractors' legal ability to diagnosis.

This latest court decision allows the previous Austin Court of Appeals ruling to stand, keeping the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners rule in place that allows Chiropractors to: uses objective or subjective means to analyze, examine, or evaluate the biomechanical condition of the spine and musculoskeletal system of the human body (Sec.201.002.B(1)).

The Texas Medical Association has attacked Chiropractors in Texas before. The TMA eliminated Needle EMG and Manipulation under Anesthesia from the Chiropractic scope of practice with the same lawsuit 2 years ago. The TMA’s recent comments should leave the almost 5,000 Chiropractors in Texas preparing for another fight.  

Texas Chiropractor is Taking a Stand

by: DrTirpak posted: October 11, 2012

Chiropractor Loren Mathes opened his office in Wichita Falls Texas in 1994. So after a few years in practice when a patient asked if he could do a pre-participation sports physical for her son to compete in junior high football because a visit to her pediatrician would take 6 weeks, he obliged for $25. Parents talk and last summer he helped hundreds of young athletes by preforming an in inexpensive pre-sport physical.

You can imagine his shock when without any public comments or notification the Wichita Falls Independent School District passed a rule during the

August 27^th meeting removing Chiropractors from the list of approved healthcare providers tthat could preform sport physicals in the Wichita School District. The request came from the WFISD athletic director Kenny Catney, with the misguided notion that Chiropractors ‘are not studied in the cardiovascular area’.  Remarks were also heard from Brian Hull DO from United Regional on why the exams should be limited to physicians, nurse practitioners and physicians assistants. A call to Dr. Brian Hull’s office revealed that they do not offer sports physicals.

In Texas junior and senior high athletics are governed by the University Interscholastic League. The UIL created by The University of Texas at Austin over 100 years ago to provide educational extracurricular academic, athletic, and music contests in Texas schools. One of their missions is to safeguard the health and welfare of students by requiring physical examinations for participation in athletics. According to the UIL preparticipation physical evaluation form may be completed by a Physician, a Physician Assistant, Advanced Practice Nurse or a Doctor of Chiropractic.

According to UIL guidelines  local school districts have the authority to approve which medical professionals are allowed to provide exams. However it took a lawsuit filed in by the Texas Chiropractic Association in 2002 to have Chiropractors returned to the list of providers after a vote by the UIL to remove them.

Dr. Mathes organized other local chiropractor and spoke with influential local community members including athletic director Catney after hearing about the board vote. On Tuesday in a closed school board work session Mr Catney stated including chiropractors as providers would give parents more options.

School board member Allyson Flack requested at the meeting on Monday that a representative from chiropractors and physicians be present to answer the board’s questions. She is the wife of former board president and pathologist David Flack MD

Kevin Goldstein WFISD Board president suggested to other board members to reconsider the policy banning chiropractors. He said, “We need to align ourselves with UIL and provide options."

Dr. Loren Mathes with the help of Parker University assembled information for the board to review prior to the Monday School board meeting. He is working on coordinating 10 speakers for the Monday October 15th WFISD Board meeting to speak for 3 minutes on why Doctors of Chiropractors should be returned to the list of approved providers for pre participation sports physicals.

Interested in attending the meeting and showing your support for Chiropractic?

Contact Dr. Loren Mathes  994-691-3200

October 15 6:00pm 
WFISD Education Center
1104 Broad Street
Wichita Falls, TX 76301