UnclePaul Accused

On July 27, 2004, Jeffrey Miller, DC, filed an 18-page complaint with the Kentucky Board of Chiropractic Examiners against the UnclePaul Chiropractic Business Training corporation. Dr. Miller served as the chief operations officer for the organization from Oct.1, 2003, to Jan. 8, 2004.

The complaint begins with the following:

"I wish to file formal complaints against Paul R. Hollern and James P. Stapleton for multiple violations of Kentucky laws governing the practice of chiropractic.

I do this at personal risk of retribution from Hollern and the possibility that I will not receive payment for my practice purchased by Hollern in October of 2003. However, I feel morally, ethically and legally obligated to provide information regarding what I perceive as multiple violations of the ethics and standards of care set forth by your agency."

The complaint appears online: www.chiroweb.com/unclepaul.

The complaint cites numerous alleged violations of state statutes, including:

• "Illegal, unethical and incompetent conduct by licensees;
• "That fraud, misrepresentation, concealment of material facts, or deceit was used in obtaining or retaining the license;
• "That the licensee no longer possesses a good moral character;
• "That the licensee solicits or advises patients utilizing false, deceptive, or misleading statements or information;
• "Unprofessional Conduct: Gross ignorance of, or incompetence in, the practice of chiropractic;
• "Performing unnecessary services; and
• "Perpetrating fraud upon patients, third party payers, or others, relating to the practice of chiropractic, including violations of the federal Medicaid and Medicare laws."

The complaint addresses issues that impact UnclePaul Chiropractic Business Training, reportedly the largest corporation of its kind, as well as the training of doctors of chiropractic who run the estimated 78 offices owned by the organization. As this complaint may concern clinics in as many as 20 states, chiropractic licensing boards in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin have been alerted, with copies of the original complaint and a list of doctors who have been trained by Dr. Hollern and may be operating clinics in those states.

Richard Vincent, DC, former president of the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB), was asked about the situation and what doctors should do if they find themselves in a potentially compromising situation, yet are bound financially:

"Doctors who find themselves in potentially compromising situations should be aware that their first obligation is to their patients. No contract on earth can excuse or exonerate a doctor from those obligations as set forth by the laws and regulations of their state. If there is something inappropriate happening in a practice they work in that is run by another DC, they have an obligation to report it to their state chiropractic licensing board. To not do so could fall under 'aiding and abetting' and could result in that doctor facing similar charges as the DC who runs the practice inappropriately. Doctors have to know from the very beginning, from the time they sign the contract with another DC, that they can only function within the parameters of their license."

We contacted Paul Hollern, DC, owner of UnclePaul Chiropractic Business Training, regarding the current complaint. Dr. Hollern had been the subject of a previous action by the Kentucky Chiropractic Board in 1991 that resulted in him being fined. Although we faxed Dr. Hollern interview questions twice and even spoke to him directly on the phone, as of press time, we had received no response.

Shortly after our inquiry, the corporation's homepage (www.unclepaul.biz) was taken down and replaced with a blank page stating: "Website under construction until further notice."