December 2003

FCLB answers COCSA concerns about PACE

The proposed PACE (Providers of Continuing Education) program will have “negligible to zero effect on state association continuing-education programs, whether the concern is with financial impact or content control,” according to Dr. Richard L. Cole, president of the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards, the developer of PACE.

Cole addressed the issues raised by delegates to the annual Congress of Chiropractic State Associations (COCSA) convention in Las Vegas in a letter to Dr. Kevin Donovan, COCSA president.

Following a presentation at the November convention by Dr. Laurel Cowie, chairperson the PACE task force, COCSA delegates challenged the claim that PACE would benefit state associations. (See “COCSA concerned about PACE’s benefits to associations.”) They were especially concerned about the possible financial impact PACE fees would have.

In his letter, Cole stated, “State associations will continue to obtain approval for their programs as they do now through direct approval by the state board or through automatic approval by state statute, in accordance with statutory requirements.”

He added, “Since the state regulatory board will ultimately maintain control and will continue to approve non-PACE programs, there should be no effect on state association programs in the areas of course content, philosophic emphasis or financial income.”

Cole emphasized that the FCLB recommended language for law and rule changes is specifically designed to ensure automatic approval for PACE programs and to continue the existing board approval process for non-PACE programs.

PACE was designed to assist continuing-education providers who offer courses in multiple jurisdictions, he said. It is not designed to have any effect on local programs, study groups or state association educational activities.

Cole explained that currently no organization or agency ensures the quality of post-graduate courses. He wrote, “To steal and modify a quote from President Lincoln: ‘The PACE program is of the regulatory boards, by the regulatory boards and for the regulatory boards.’ … It was developed to assist in the all-too-often overwhelming task of course approval. It is not designed to affect, nor to integrate specifically with, state associations. It is designed to act as a credentialing mechanism for national programs of the highest caliber and to allow colleges and other national programs to teach freely without the financial impediment of compliance with varying nuances and requirements of multiple regulatory boards.”

The FCLB plans to roll out PACE in May of 2004.

Source: Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards

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