Chiropractic Summit Group Issues Statement in Support of CCE

Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation
Chiropractic Summit Group Issues Statement in Support of CCE

ICA Jumps on Board in Move that Shocks the Profession

On November 14, 2013 the Chiropractic Summit - a group of trade organizations, schools and corporations within the profession issued a press release that addressed, drugs in chiropractic, the Council on Chiropractic Education and marketing. The statement regarding CCE is as follows:

Summit Statement

The Council on Chiropractic Education is also a member of the Chiropractic Summit.

A Little History

In December of 2011 the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) had found the Council on Chiropractic Education to be in violation of 43 Federal Recognition Criteria including a violation of 34 C.F.R. 602.13 dealing with the wide acceptance of the agency’s standards, policies, procedures and decisions and told them to address how the agency’s standards advance quality in chiropractic education.

The CCE had until December of this year (2013) to demonstrate compliance related to these violations. A hearing is currently scheduled for December 12, 2013 in Washington DC.

The historic event whereby CCE was being held accountable for its actions was preceded by a massive letter writing campaign in which the US Department of Education received over 4000 complaints from chiropractors, students and other stakeholders regarding the professions sole accrediting agency.

NACIQI has historically agreed with the concerns facing the chiropractic profession going as far as stating that there is a virtual Cartel operating as a monopoly within chiropractic.

NACIQI Testimony

Despite all of this, the Assistant Secretary of Education succumbed to efforts by the CCE to have the  violation of 34 C.F.R. 602.13 dealing with the wide acceptance of the agency’s standards, policies, procedures and decisions removed from the list of violations.  He also removed the requirement that they address how the agency’s standards advance quality in chiropractic education.

Nevertheless, the Assistant secretary gave a stern warning to the CCE of what will happen if they do not demonstrate compliance in their report stating: “I wish to remind you that if CCE does not, (come into compliance)the Department may be compelled to deny renewal of CCE’s recognition.”

Since the events of the 2011 hearing transpired, the CCE has been working within the Cartel to give the appearance that it has engaged all stakeholders. Critical to these efforts would be the involvement of the International Chiropractors Association which is a member of the Chiropractic Summit - a group of trade organizations, schools and corporations within the profession of which the Council on Chiropractic Education is also a member.

While the ICA has yet to publicly state what led them to throw their support behind the CCE there has been discussion within the profession that the CCE had grown concerned about the upcoming hearing because there is another accrediting agency that is expected to be held accountable by NACIQI. The belief is that should stakeholders within chiropractic not present a united front in support of CCE during the hearing then NACIQI would have a hard time holding one agency accountable and not the other. Sources say the CCE was growing nervous that this would give the subluxation centered faction of the profession ammunition to force deferral or non-recognition.

Since the CCE, ACA and other Summit members had already effectively portrayed the subluxation centered faction of the profession as a “fringe” group with the ICA as its leader, then bringing ICA to their side was an imperative.

Summit Members

The ICA’s decision leaves another large group of organizations – The DaVinci Group – left to pick up the banner of chiropractic educational reform. 

DaVinci is a coalition of more than 70 chiropractic organizations that had come together in an effort to address the concerns regarding CCE since the Summit Group was ostensibly controlled by the Chiropractic Cartel.

The ICA and many of its affiliate organizations were part of DaVinci. The decision by the ICA to sign on to the Summit statement expressing support for the CCE sent shockwaves through the DaVinci group since the ICA made no efforts to discuss their decision with DaVinci members prior to the release of the Summit press release.

DaVinci Steering Committee Chairman, Dan Lemberger, stated that the Steering Committee would be meeting and discussing the group’s next steps in regards to the upcoming hearing. DaVinci had already submitted written testimony to NACIQI that CCE’s recognition should be postponed.

DaVinci Group Members

 

Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation