Keiser Chiro Medicine Dean Michael Wiles Misleads Florida Legislature in Testimony

On March 19, 2019 the Florida House Health Quality Subcommittee heard testimony from several interested parties regarding House Bill 873 which would remove language from the Florida Statute that restricts licensure only to graduates from schools that are accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE).

The CCE has come under serious scrutiny over the past several years especially from members of the United States Department of Education's committee that oversees accreditor recognition - The National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI).

NACIQI members have publicly accused the CCE of running a "Cartel" and of enjoying a "virtual monopoly" on the educational and licensing aspects of the entire chiropractic profession.

So powerful is the CCE's control over the profession that attorney Anne Neal, who was on the NACIQI Committee during the 2013 Hearing for consideration to renew the CCE, compared the CCE to Tony Soprano and the mafia stating:

"Now it may get to the broader issue which was raised earlier that in a monopoly situation, the climate of fear that we've been hearing about, that probably happens because frankly when you're accepting these standards in a monopoly situation, that's about as voluntary as accepting an offer from Tony Soprano, so I think that's the issue we really are dealing with here. But I'm very concerned that we've got to play fair with everyone, and I'm not sure we're playing fair or the Department is playing fair."

It was during that very same hearing that several members of NACIQI encouraged the chiropractic profession to bring forth another accrediting agency that they could consider for recognition.

After the CCE gained recognition from the Department of Education in 1974 the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB) began a decades long process of getting chiropractic state regulatory boards to add "CCE Only" language into the laws so that the only way anyone could ever get licensed would be to graduate from a school that was accredited by the CCE.

While they have been largely successful in gaining this monopoly some states thankfully resisted this requirement.

This is one of the areas where Michael Wiles DC, the Dean of the Chiropractic Medicine Program at Keiser University in Florida provided misleading testimony during the House hearing.

Wiles stated:

"All states recognize CCE as their accrediting body for chiropractic education and practice."

Despite Wiles contentions, the facts are that:

• There are at least 7 states that do not recognize nor require graduation from a CCE accredited school and simply require that they graduate from a school recognized by the USDE.
• Another 9 states say accreditation can be from the CCE or another agency recognized by the USDE.
• Another 7 states say accreditation can be from CCE or its successor.

Another misleading statement by Wiles involves his assertion that the CCE "specifies specific coursework that must be taken" by graduates of chiropractic programs.

While the CCE mandates that certain metacompetencies be addressed, they do not require specific courses.

The other area where Wiles provided misleading testimony was in his assertion that removing "CCE Only" language would " . . . eliminate the specific evolved guidelines for chiropractic education that have been working very well since 1974."

Removing "CCE Only" language does not in any way restrict an institution's adoption of the CCE Standards (the CCE does not have "Guidelines" as Wiles states). In fact, as anyone who can read would see - removing "CCE Only" language does not stop any institution from seeking the CCE's accreditation.

It only removes the monopoly.

In fact, in his opening remarks Representative Santiago, the Sponsor of the Bill, called HB 873 the "Monopoly Busting" bill.

Wiles and Keiser were not the only ones providing misleading testimony during the hearing - the Palmer Colleges represented by Peter Martin DC were also there to muddy the waters.

CLICK HERE for that story

Wiles went further in his testimony by using unfounded fear mongering that removing "CCE Only" language would "endanger public safety" and "threaten the safety of the citizens of the State of Florida".

The language in HB 873 simply allows for acceptance by other accrediting agencies recognized by the USDE. So any agency would still have to have USDE approval.

Just no monopoly.

Plus, all schools would still have accreditation through regional accreditors.

Besides all of that no one can get licensed unless they pass all parts of National Board exams. So unless Wiles is concerned that the NBCE is worthless, that regional accreditors are worthless and that the USDE is worthless - the concern is unfounded and reveals the true motive: CONTROL.

According to the NBCE for example, their exams:

". . . offer assurance to the general public that, regardless of where a chiropractor went to school or was licensed, he or she has demonstrated a baseline of knowledge as well as ability in diagnosis, diagnostic imaging, principles of chiropractic, associated clinical sciences and chiropractic practice."

So in order to get licensed to practice chiropractic one must take and pass all parts of the NBCE Exams, graduate from a regionally accredited institution and in some cases one with a chiropractic accreditor recognized by the USDE.

But BEFORE they do all that . . .  Every quarter a new cohort of students walk across the graduation stage. Just prior to that walk to be handed their diploma by the President of the school and the turning of the tassles, the Dean of the chiropractic program presents the graduation candidates to the President and Board of Trustees and announces that the faculty are presenting them for graduation because they have demonstrated all of the necessary competencies to practice chiropractic.

Are the CCE, Wiles and the rest of the CCE loyalists really concerned about competency - or is it something else?

Control? Making sure everyone gets their vig?

Tony Soprano would be proud.

The time has come: Urge your state board, your Governor and your elected representatives to remove all CCE mandates in all statutes, rules and regulations.

CLICK HERE for a video of Dr. Wiles Testimony

CLICK HERE for a written transcript of Dr. Wiles testimony