In the Sept. 1, 1993 issue of "DC," a page 34 headline read: "Georgia Board of Chiro. Examiners Endorses Mercy Guidelines..."
The article quoted, word for word, the complete news release of the Georgia Board.
However, the Georgia Board has now released a revised statement that they believe more accurately represents their thinking on the Mercy Guidelines.
"The Georgia Board of Chiropractic Examiners unanimously passed a motion endorsing the efforts of the participants of the Mercy Conference. This motion was submitted by the president of the GBCE, Hewett M. Alden, DC, in recognition of a sincere effort by many of our chiropractic colleagues to prepare a living document to better identify guidelines for the parameters of the science and art of chiropractic. "Prior to submitting the motion for consideration, the author of the motion was not aware of whether or not any action by any other state's regulatory agency (board of examiners) had addressed the efforts or possible impact of the efforts of the Mercy Conference participants, or the resulting guidelines. It was not the intent of the author to have the GBCE labeled as the "...first state licensing (board) to individually endorse the guidelines."
"There are three specific aspects of the GBCE motion as presented and unanimously approved:
- It is an endorsement and acknowledgement of the efforts of the Mercy Conference participants.
- It specifically identifies the document as a living document that will periodically need reviews and subsequent revision.
- By endorsement of the spirit of the development of reasonable guidelines for the practice of chiropractic, the GBCE specifically asserted its position that it does not view the findings of the Mercy Conference as a document which specifically dictates a standard of care or prescription for the day to day chiropractic practice.
"If any publication and/or organization reads anything more than the aforementioned three points into the action taken by the GBCE, it/they are in gross error."
