ICA Board Declines ACA's Merger Invitation

The Board of Directors of the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) has handed down a unanimous decision to decline the published invitation by the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) to enter into formal organizational merger discussions.

The ICA Board voted in late October 2000 to decline ACA's offer. At that meeting, the ICA also adopted a motion offering operational cooperation with all chiropractic organizations on issues of common concern to the chiropractic profession and pledged to work on areas of agreement with the ACA.

ICA has put forward a lengthy list of issues on which the two organizations might cooperate, including reform of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, legislative efforts, a profession-wide stand opposing the destructive efforts of the National Association for Chiropractic Medicine, and in other areas, but merger is not on the table for discussion, ICA officials said.

"The response of the ICA Board should come as no surprise to anyone, including the ACA," said ICA President Dr. Robert Hoffman. "ICA has been very up-front on its position on the issue of merger and has been crystal clear to the ACA in previous occasions that as far as the ICA is concerned, merger was not on the table as a possible option."

ACA chairman of the board Dr. J. Michael Flynn said the ACA is disappointed by the ICA's decision todecline their invitation to form a "unity committee" for the purpose of a merger. Flynn said the ACA continues to believe that the chiropractic profession would be best served by one national organization and one staff -- presenting a united front to the American public, federal and state governments and the health-care industry.

"The ACA remains committed to a merger with the ICA and will not give up until 'dis-unity' within the chiropractic profession is a thing of the past," Flynn said.

The ACA will continue to work with the ICA on issues of concern to the profession, Flynn said. The ACA and ICA were scheduled at press time to hold a joint Legislative Commission meeting at ACA headquarters in early December..

ICA's Board has invited ACA's Executive Committee to make a presentation on cooperative issues to ICAs's Board of Directors at its 2001 Mid-Year Meeting in January in Orlando. The ICA has said a possible merger will not be a topic for discussion. The ICA's president and executive director appeared before the ACA Board in July 2000.

ICA's Board has also passed a formal motion of protest over incorrect information published by the World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA), stating that ICA had officially agreed to merger discussions and that such talks were formally under way.

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