American Chiropractic Association member Troy Brainard DC was recently appointed President of the board of directors of the Nebraska Chiropractic Physicians Association’s (NCPA). The entire Board of the chiropractic trade association is made up of dues paying members of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA).
Outgoing President Jeff Johnson DC, who is also an ACA member stated: “I am excited that Dr. Brainard has assumed the role of board president and am confident he will do an outstanding job in assisting with the development of the association,” Brainard graduated from Palmer Chiropractic College in Davenport, Iowa, before opening his own practice in Fremont in 1997.
Brainard was quoted as saying: “It is an honor to be elected and lead a great association such as the NCPA. We will continue to work together to grow chiropractic in Nebraska and be a beacon of leadership for the rest of the country.”
The following is a list of the NCPA Board of Directors - all of them are dues paying members of the ACA:
- Dr. Jeff Johnson - President
- Dr. Troy Brainard - President Elect
- Dr. David Timmerman - Past President
- Dr. Christopher Murray - Vice President
- Dr. Brad Stauffer - Secretary
- Dr. MaryLou Camenzind - Treasurer
Throughout the country the ACA and its members have infiltrated chiropractic state associations, regulatory boards and the Boards of Chiropractic Colleges (including Palmer) and have been pushing ACA Policies.
This is despite the fact that those sitting on the regulatory licensing boards are active market players making decisions that may inure to their own benefit or the benefits of those organizations they represent. Clear ethical conflicts exist that cannot be resolved by simply abstaining from a vote when the entire board represent one trade group.
The American Chiropractic Association has recently rebranded itself and adopted standards of care that are inconsistent with the management of vertebral subluxation and present a threat to public health.
The ACA requires its members to sign a pledge agreeing to the standards of practice promulgated by the organization.
For example, the ACA standards include a list of five tests it states are commonly ordered but not always necessary in chiropractic care. The recommendation includes the admonition to not take spinal x-rays in acute low back pain patients unless there are so called "Red Flags" and to never take repeat x-rays to monitor progress. Teaming up with ABIM Foundation and Consumer Reports, the ACA’s President referred to these as “unneeded or overused services” and that following these recommendations would yield the “best possible care”.
The recommendations by the ACA, which has been pushing hard to remove subluxation language from Medicare and to expand the scope of practice of chiropractic nationwide including drugs, are at odds with what is considered to be a standard of care within chiropractic.
According to their website the Nebraska Chiropractic Physicians Association is a professional association of chiropractic physicians founded in 1915, whose mission is to promote and advance the chiropractic profession in the state of Nebraska.