New York Chiropractors March on State Capitol
On March 7, 2006, chiropractors from across New York united in Albany for the future of their practices and their patients.
Two areas of legislation that concern the task force and chiropractors across New York are the Insurance Equality Law of 1998 and the Workers' Compensation Equality Bill. The Insurance Equality Law originally entitled chiropractors to a minimum of 15 visits with a given patient before needing to provide documentation of medical necessity to insurance carriers. However, insurance carriers have found loopholes that allow them to skirt the intent of this law. A bill intended to remove any such loopholes is currently being reviewed by the insurance committee.
The Workers' Compensation Equality Bill is an attempt to address the lack of fee parity among providers. Currently, chiropractors are paid one global fee (approximately $30) for E&M service 99213. The care rendered may include chiropractic adjustment, rehabilitation procedures and activity-of-daily-living counseling. Other providers in the workers' compensation system are reimbursed based on the type of service they perform and also at a higher fee schedule.
NBCE Announces Computerized E&B Exam
In February 2006, the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) began administering its optional Ethics and Boundaries Examination (E&B) via computer. The exam will be offered six times annually at more than 300 Pearson Professional Centers throughout the United States. Formerly, the exam, which evaluates practitioners' knowledge of ethics and boundaries issues potentially encountered in chiropractic practice, was only available on paper, twice per year, and at only 14 college test sites.
This is the second exam made available in electronic format for post-licensure purposes; the Special Purposes Examination for Chiropractic (SPEC), which assesses clinical competency, was computerized in 2002.
NUHS Receives Accreditation for Four New Degrees
Marking the school's centennial year, the National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) will be offering four new degree programs following regional accreditation approval by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. New programs include: Associate of Applied Sciences in Massage Therapy; Master of Science in Acupuncture; Master of Science in Oriental Medicine; and Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine.
The Higher Learning Commission also reaffirmed full accreditation for the university's established degree programs: Bachelor of Science in Bio-medical Sciences, Master of Science, in Diagnostic Imaging, Master of Science in Advanced Clinical Practice, and Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine.
The first class of students enrolled in the new programs will begin in fall 2006, with the exception of the massage therapy program; that degree program will accept students once approval is received from the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA). Currently, the university offers a one-year certificate program in massage.
Dr. Gary Schultz Named Executive Vice President at SCUHS
Reed B. Phillips, DC, PhD, president of Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCUHS), announced recently that Gary Schultz, DC, former vice president of academic affairs/chief academic officer, has been named the executive vice president of the university. The position was created as a component of a restructuring plan for SCUHS.
"Gary has proven his dedication to this university and its future," said Dr. Phillips. "He is committed to our students, faculty and staff. His passion for the learning process, his support of creative instruction and his desire for preeminence in the marketplace are qualities that have made us proud for two decades."
After graduating in 1985 from the National College of Chiropractic, Dr. Schultz joined Los Angeles College of Chiropractic as a radiology resident. He has held a number of positions with SCUHS, including assistant department chair of radiology, director of the diagnostic imaging residency program, clinical sciences division chair and associate dean of preclinical education. The promotion to executive vice president coincides with Dr. Schultz's 20th year on campus.
"New" President of Federation of Straight Chiropractors and Organizations
Judy Nutz Campanale, DC, FCSC, has been re-elected president of the Federation of Straight Chiropractors and Organizations (FSCO), having served as president from 1999-2001. Most recently, she served the Federation as vice chairperson of its Board of Directors.
Dr. Campanale was the first female president of any international chiropractic organization. She also was the first woman to be named FSCO Chiropractor of the Year (1999) or Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic Chiropractor of the Year (2000). She was named an honorary Fellow in the College of Straight Chiropractic in 2001.
"FSCO has come a long way in their modest 30 years of existence," commented Dr. Campanale. "They remain the only organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of subluxation-only practices. It is an honor to serve the organization and the profession in this manner."
Northwestern's Wolfe-Harris Center Submits $275,000 Grant Proposal
In collaboration with the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine's biomechanics laboratory in Rochester, Minn., the Wolfe-Harris Center for Clinical Studies at Northwestern Health Sciences University recently submitted a grant proposal to the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). The proposal requests funding in the amount of $275,000 for a two-year pilot project with three goals: to develop automated software for tracking and quantification of segmental motion in the lumbar spine; to establish the accuracy and limitations of automated motion analysis within a spine model; and assess the reliability of the process in humans.
It will take the NCCAM approximately six months to review the proposal, which was submitted on Feb. 1, 2006.
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