Numerous additional issues have been raised about the actions of the directors of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) in the wake of comments and concerns expressed in Dynamic Chiropractic by the International Chiropractors Association (ICA); the American Chiropractic Association (ACA); the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB); the Student ACA; the Student ICA; and the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACE). Numerous DCs, students, and even the National Board's own delegates have expressed concerns and raised valid issues.
In response to this profession-wide outcry, Dynamic Chiropractic requested a second interview with a representative of NBCE to obtain answers to the pertinent questions brought up by these groups. As most of the concerns regarded the financial accountability of the NBCE Board of Directors, we requested an interview with John Tierney,DC, the NBCE treasurer. In hopes that Dr. Tierney would agree to an interview, Dynamic Chiropractic agreed to limit the questions to three items:
"Board members of the NBCE give up their meal allowance on those occasions where the board has a dinner meeting. And, all board members forfeit one extra meal allowance when their spouse is present."
I take this to mean that when a board member and their spouse have dinner paid by the National Board at a "dinner meeting," they give up two meal allowances - somewhere in the neighborhood of $40 total. Having talked to a number of past NBCE directors, I have heard reports that these meals for the directors and their spouses can cost as much as $3,000-$5,000 each. When the board picks up the check for a big dinner like this, what account is that expense put into? Also, can you provide the minutes from the last three NBCE "dinner meetings"?
"The first nine months ended with NBCE's operating income $1,444,655 greater than expenses. The budget excess revenue for the same period is $935,449. Therefore, actual excess revenues before the 8% revenue restriction were $509,206 more than budgeted for. Eight percent of revenue is currently $435,741, leaving a net balance of $73,465 more than was budgeted for."
It has been reported that you have stated that the NBCE's income for the first nine months of 1999 was less than $80,000. Is this recap how you arrived at that figure? Isn't that a little misleading, given that the "total excess revenues" for the first nine months of 1999, according to the "statement of revenues and expenses" in that same memo, were $1,657,941?
It is my understanding that the delegates aren't allowed to attend the full board and executive committee meetings. When will the delegates get copies of the minutes from the last two full board meeting and the last three executive meetings - meetings they apparently weren't invited to?
Continuing to look at the last meeting with the NBCE delegates, there was a request by the delegates that the bylaws be changed to allow the delegates to amend the bylaws. They felt they should have that right, given the fact that most of the delegates were never given a copy of the NBCE's bylaws. At that meeting, the NBCE bylaws committee was to prepare bylaws changes consistent with comments made by the delegates and deliver them to the delegates by January 1, 2000 for review; the delegates were to make comments and recommendations. As a member of the NBCE bylaws committee, why didn't you deliver a copy of the bylaws changes to the delegates? I understand you will be distributing a copy of the recommended bylaws changes only 45 days before the delegates are supposed to vote on them at their annual luncheon in May. Was this done to eliminate the comment period? Doesn't this violate parliamentary procedure? Will there be a recommended bylaw to allow the delegates to amend their own bylaws?
Looking at the NBCE board's travel to the European Chiropractic Union (ECU) meeting in Denmark last year, one board member's expenses, according to the 1999 budget, were to be paid for 10 days at a budgeted cost $14,000 in travel expenses, $5,000 of which was paid to him for going, not to cover expenses. Dynamic Chiropractic published a rather detailed article on the ECU meeting, an event that lasted three days (May 13, 14 and 15). As treasurer, how could you approve 10 days of travel expenses knowing that over half of that time was unnecessary? By the way, who attended that meeting for the National Board? Did the spouse join him? Which of their expenses were paid by the National Board?
Looking at the average travel expenses per board member from the 1999 budget, it averages out to over $55,000 per director per year. Yet a number of directors have told us that their annual expenses are not nearly that much money. Who are the top three travelers on the National Board?
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
