Recently an article authored by Dr. William Harris, chairman and CEO of Practice Consultants entitled, It's Time to Police Ourselves" (Eagle Magazine, Spring 1990) discussed the historical emergence of standardization processes and how they apply to chiropractic. In the article Dr. Harris admonishes the fraternity of practice consultants that the time is long overdue for the development of a standardizing council, or as he put it, "... a CCC (Council for Chiropractic Consultants.)"
Directing this caveat to the practice consultants in the chiropractic community, Harris wrote, "... the time is upon us when we will have to POLICE OUR OWN or, as history has shown, SOMEONE WILL DO IT FOR US."
As if on cue and in a similar awakening, the California Chiropractic Association is now considering the adoption of a new policy which would cast a scathingly, scrutinizing eye upon the unethical and illegal antics by chiropractic practice consultants. Declaration of this policy would constitute a considerable step in harnessing the offenders in the state of California.
This action by the CCA clearly demonstrates their commitment to the chiropractic profession by "pulling the plug" on chiropractic's unscrupulous practice management consultants. No longer will California turn a deaf ear to their exhortations of sub-standard and unethical practices.
Whether or not other state associations are following suit, is yet undetermined, but it is anticipated that many state and national associations will seriously consider establishing similar policy. As practice consultants across the nation scramble to address the problem, the policing phase (at least in California) has begun.
