The FCLB, unlike Portland's two founders who flipped a coin to decide what to name the city, isn't leaving chiropractic's future to chance. Newly elected president Robert Vaughn, DC, stated that developing CIN-BAD (the Chiropractic Information Network/Board Action Databank) is the primary goal of the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards. CIN-BAD is maintained by the FCLB as an international database of doctors who have received public sanctions against their licenses.
"We will be devoting serious effort toward gaining 100 percent participation by our member licensing boards," Vaughn asserted. "Also, we are implementing feasibility studies and cost assessment analyses to add new databases. Initially targeted will be laws and rules, and a comprehensive list of every licensed doctor, and chiropractic graduation lists."
Vaughn said the program as currently operating, and with the planned expansions, will assist the work of the chiropractic regulatory agencies in protecting the public. "Ensuring the patient's health, safety and welfare is our primary, underlying purpose," he explained.
To this end, the Federation's board of directors has voted unanimously to open access to CIN-BAD on a broader scale. The FCLB, which already provides free access to the member regulatory boards in the US, Mexico, and Canada, will be providing fee-based access to insurance providers, credential verification services, law enforcement agencies, chiropractic colleges, and the general public.
"No other regulatory system has our immediacy of information availability, browsing capability, and can host name variations," Dr. Vaughn attested. "It tightens the net to catch the small number of doctors who may wish to evade their history of disregard for the regulations enacted to keep the public safe."
The 41 FCLB member boards represented at the annual meeting responded favorably to the CIN-BAD program by adopting without dissent a resolution urging boards to adopt standards for reporting public disciplinary actions within 30 days, and for accessing the information regularly.
Other resolutions passed included:
Resolution #2: Urged boards to pass appropriate laws to make it a felony to practice chiropractic without a license (*Georgia has just passed this law recently).
Resolution #3: Mandated the Federation's appointee to the U.S. Department of Defense advisory committee for the Chiropractic Health Care Demonstration Project to stand firm for a model which allows chiropractors to exercise the full range of their education and training in caring for patients.
Resolution #4: Directed the FCLB board to follow the recommendation of the official spokesperson for the CCE's Commission on Accreditation to file a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Education and the Council on Chiropractic Education regarding unresolved concerns about recent accrediting decisions by the COA.
The annual business meeting included the election of FCLB officers and executive board of directors (district directors). Two vacancies were also filled by board appointment.
The board of directors for 1995-96:
Robert Vaughn, DC (North Carolina) -- President Lawrence Gerstein, DC (Missouri) -- Vice President Carroll Winkler, DC (North Dakota) -- Immediate Past President David Brown, DC (Virginia) -- Treasurer Tony Lammers, DC (South Dakota) -- District I Director Peter Ferguson, DC (Ohio) -- District II Director and Executive Board Chair
Vernon Temple, DC (Vermont) -- District III Director Kenneth Cherry, DC (Oklahoma) -- District IV Director Jan Harbour, DC (West Virginia) -- District V Director
Retiring directors are D. Brent Owens, DC (Florida), and John Tierney, DC (North Carolina).
The conference's general educational program focused on sexual boundaries; the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners' "Special Purposes and Practical" examinations; dealing with impaired practitioners; an overview of the CCE and its accrediting responsibilities; managed care implications and utilization review; and the Federation's new model disciplinary code (scheduled to be adopted in 1996).
Several special awards were presented:
- George Arvidson award -- The Federation's highest individual honor went to D. Brent Owens, DC, FCLB past president. Presenting the award was Dr. Peter Ferguson, chair of the Federation's executive board. "It is especially appropriate to honor the vision and commitment represented in the Arvidson award by selecting Dr. Owens," Ferguson said. "Brent's creativity, integrity and energy have brought the Federation to this point. He and George sat down together in 1989 and recreated the FCLB to the strong and honorable organization it is today. George would have been proud to give his name to the young man he loved like a son. And Brent has brought to life the dream he and George envisioned."
Past recipients of the Arvidson award are Donald M. Petersen Jr., editor/publisher of Dynamic Chiropractic, and Rex Wright, DC, FCLB past president from Kansas.
- Outstanding Member Licensing Board award went to the Missouri board for their work in pioneering the new NBCE Part IV Practical Examination. Retiring FCLB President Dr. Carroll Winkler commended them for exceptional achievement in recruiting volunteer examiners and logistical preparations. "Their effort helped bring this test from the feasibility phase to the reality phase."
Closing the conference was an address by Randolph Reaves of the Federation and Associations of Regulatory Boards, who gave an overview of the concerns common to regulatory agencies in all regulated professions.
The 1996 FCLB conference will be held in Chicago, Illinois.
Dynamic Chiropractic editorial staff members research, investigate and write articles for the publication on an ongoing basis. To contact the Editorial Department or submit an article of your own for consideration, email
.