Chiropractic summit in Vegas kicks off fight for DC rights in Texas and beyond

February 23, 2017—A top level meeting was held among the leaders of Parker University, the Texas Chiropractic Association (TCA), the American Chiropractic Association, and the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) at the Parker Seminars Las Vegas conference on Feb. 23, the first day of the event. Also in attendance were major representatives from the chiropractic industry and media.

The meeting was chaired by William Morgan, DC, president of Parker University, regarding the grave situation facing Texas’s chiropractors following a court ruling in favor of the Texas Medical Association (TMA) stripping DCs of the right to use the terms “neuromuscular” and “subluxation,” as well as the ability to diagnose medical necessity.

The president of the TCA, Tyce Hergert, DC, presented the history of the litigation and current need to win the appeal through a sustained effort likely to require millions of dollars in legal fees.

All members in attendance agreed that a loss for the TCA and Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners in this case would embolden the AMA to press similar scope-of-practice litigation in other states, having established a precedent. Conversely, a forceful and successful defense would dissuade the TMA and AMA from relitigating practice scope issues that should have been settled by Wilk vs. AMA.

Kent Greenawalt, CEO of Foot Levelers, said that this was much larger than the typical skirmish, and akin to “D-Day.”

Mike Flynn, DC, a former ACA president, added, “We cannot underestimate the enemy.”

Richard Brown, a chiropractor and secretary-general of the WFC, expressed his concern that what happens in Texas “ultimately affects chiropractors in Canada, Mexico, Europe, and beyond.”

Later in the morning, Morgan introduced Hergert to the general assembly, made a spoken and video appeal on behalf of the TCA, and presented Hergert with Parker University’s Chiropractor of the Year award in a moving ceremony.

All doctors of chiropractic are urged to lend support to the TCA by donating to fund their defense at chirotexas.org through its Chiropractic Development Initiative (CDI).

Source: Chiropractic Economics Staff Report