ICA President McLean Changes Tune in Regards to CCE

Now believes CCE can be Trusted

In December of 2011 numerous chiropractic organizations and individuals descended upon the United States Department of Education and its National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) to tell a vivid tale of mistrust and contemptuous disregard concerning the chiropractic’s sole accrediting agency – the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE).

An agency that the very committee charged with reviewing its request for renewal of Federal recognition referred to as part of a “cartel” exercising a “monopoly” over the educational and licensing functions of the entire profession.

Included in the parade of leaders within the profession testifying that day was Michael McLean DC.  McLean is now President of the International Chiropractors Association and ran on a platform of outright reform of the CCE.

In 2011 Dr. McLean testified in front of the Federal government committee and urged them: “to rein in an out of control CCE.”   McLean stated the CCE “has ruled with impunity the profession it regulates and has created a climate of fear so deep that no college administrators dare criticize CCE, for fear of CCE withdrawing their accreditation—a virtual death sentence.”

McLean continued in his testimony that: “NACIQI should have cleaned house of these malefactors but in the end decided to –quote-‘send them a message’ to change their ways. They have instead shown contemptuous disregard for NACIQI’s concerns in 2006.”

Further expressing his deep seated concerns for an accrediting agency out of control and unresponsive to expressions of cooperation or even threats, McLean stated:  “The educational ramifications of CCE’s continuing malfeasance have been the generation of DCs who are less educated in the very skills expected of them by the public we serve; the skills that make the difference between a successful DC and one who struggles in financial matters, including the ability to repay student loans.”

McLean closed his testimony before NACIQI in 2001 with this statement:
 
“I stand here today to urge you to rein in an out of control CCE, not to simply ‘send them a message’. The 2006 NACIQI ‘sent them a message’; they didn’t get it--- the 4000 aggrieved DCs who complained of CCE’s new Standards ‘sent them a message’; again, they didn’t get it. Simply put, the CCE hasn’t been listening to its’ messages! I entreat you to require substantive governance reforms, that will produce well-educated DCs, before reaffirming.”

The last sentence is a key piece of the puzzle since McLean made it pretty clear that the ongoing issues related to governance of the CCE had to be addressed before reaffirmation of their Federal recognition.

Now, with just days away from the next hearing before NACIQI, McLean and the ICA suggest that we can trust the CCE and that the offer by the CCE to enter into governance discussions AFTER they gain renewal of their recognition is a sincere one.

Pardon us if we are a little skeptical.

The following is the full text of Dr. McLean’s testimony before NACIQI in December of 2011

Testimony of Dr. Michael McLean before the NACIQ Hearing in December of 2011 regarding the CCE

Testimony : NACIQI Hearings on CCE Reaffirmation

Madame Chair, Distinguished Committee Members and Staff:

I thank you very much for this opportunity.

My name is Michael S. McLean and I have practiced chiropractic in Virginia Beach for nearly four decades. I have had the honor to be selected by the second Bush Administration to serve as a member of the VA Chiropractic Advisory Committee to help the VA Secretary integrate chiropractic into their Health system. I was also honored to serve on the Department of Defense Chiropractic Health Benefits Advisory Committee to help that Secretary integrate chiropractic into the DoD health system.

I stand here today to urge you to rein in an out of control CCE. The same small self-elected group that controls the CCE has ruled with impunity the profession it regulates and has created a climate of fear so deep that no college administrators dare criticize CCE, for fear of CCE withdrawing their accreditation—a virtual death sentence—as it did to Life College of Chiropractic in 2002, after Life’s President criticized CCE to the Dept of Education.

It took Federal Judge Charles Moye’s intervention to undo this travesty.

2006’s NACIQI should have cleaned house of these malefactors but in the end decided to –quote-“send them a message” to change their ways. They have instead shown contemptuous disregard for NACIQI’s concerns in 2006.

A primary duty of the Dept of Education, as I understand it, is to make certain the agencies they affirm require and enforce, educational Standards that adequately prepare their graduates for practice.

For the CCE not to require its institutions to mandate proficiency in detecting and correcting subluxations, is as fatuous as it would be were the Dental Accrediting Agency not to require proficiency in locating and correcting cavities.

Subluxation correction is the only chiropractic service covered under the Federal Medicare program…..Despite assurances to the contrary, the CCE does not require it be taught in its new Standards.

The educational ramifications of CCE’s continuing malfeasance have been the generation of DCs who are less educated in the very skills expected of them by the public we serve; the skills that make the difference between a successful DC and one who struggles in financial matters, including the ability to repay student loans.

I stand here today to urge you to rein in an out of control CCE, not to simply “send them a message”. The 2006 NACIQI “sent them a message”; they didn’t get it--- the 4000 aggrieved DCs who complained of CCE’s new Standards “sent them a message”; again, they didn’t get it.

Simply put, the CCE hasn’t been listening to its’ messages!

I entreat you to require substantive governance reforms, that will produce well-educated DCs, before reaffirming.

END of TESTIMONY