The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) held its annual meeting April 28-May 3 in Orlando, Fla. The organization appointed and elected members of its board of directors and executive committee, and approved a committee name under which to operate regarding international activities.
Board Elections
The following elected positions were filled at the meeting:
Vernon R. Temple, DC
District III director (re-elected);
Rick C. Murphree, DC
District IV director (re-elected);
Jerry D. Blanchard, DC
District I director (continuing);
Frank G. Hideg, DC
District II director (continuing); and
James J. Badge, DC
District IV director (continuing).
Donna L. Craft, DC, who has practiced in Brooklyn, Mich., since 1986, was elected director-at-large to the NBCE. A 1986 Palmer graduate, Dr. Craft is a charter member of the Council on Chiropractic Pediatric, ICA, with a diplomate in chiropractic pediatrics. She has served on various NBCE committees, including Part III; Part IV; Job Analysis; Public Relations; Foundation Advisory; and Ethics.
Board members Peter D. Ferguson, DC, and Kenneth W. Padgett, DC, also were elected to three-year terms as directors-at-large, joining Dr. Craft in that capacity.
Wayne C. Wolfson, DC, former FCLB appointee, filled the board seat vacated by Dr. Lawrence Gerstein, and Dr. Craft filled the seat left by Dr. Julia McDaniel.
Executive Committee Elections
The following officers were elected at the meeting:
Peter D. Ferguson, DC,
president (re-elected);
James J. Badge, DC,
vice president;
Jerry D. Blanchard, DC,
treasurer (re-elected); and
Rick C. Murphree, DC,
secretary (re-elected).
Also at this year's meeting, N. Edwin Weathersby, DC, of Glendale, Ariz., and Richard L. Cole, DC, of Bartlett, Tenn., were selected to the board as the two Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB) appointee members. Dr. Cole is the FCLB president and Dr. Weathersby is the FCLB vice president.
Dr. Weathersby, a 1986 Western States graduate, was appointed in 1994 by Arizona Gov. Fife Symington to the state's board of chiropractic examiners, and has held the offices of president and vice president of the Arizona Association of Chiropractic. He also has served as a district director of the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations (1992-1994) and is a diplomate in the International Academy of Pain Management, a fellow in the American Academy of Pain Management, and a certified chiropractic sports physician.
Dr. Cole serves on the NBCE Job Analysis committee, among several others. He is a 1979 Palmer graduate and holds a diplomate in neurology from National College of Chiropractic (now National University of Health Sciences). He also is a former president of the Tennessee Chiropractic Association and a Fellow of the International College of Chiropractors.
International Board of Chiropractic Examiners
The NBCE Board of Directors approved an official name and trademark for international activities during the Orlando meeting. When embarking on international projects, the board will operate as the International Board of Chiropractic Examiners (IBCE). This name, and a new trademark, were approved and are pending registration.
"I am pleased that the NBCE Board of Directors reaffirmed the importance of assisting international colleagues in developing legal, defensible, standardized examinations in chiropractic," commented Dr. James Badge, NBCE vice president and chair of the IBCE.
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?
