I-Team Blotter
Medical Board Fines, Restricts Doc’s Surgical License
Theresa Sullivan Barger reports
FDA Steps In To Ease Cancer Drug Shortages
Nursing Home Faces Fines For Residents With Dehydration, Malnutrition
Docs Often Put Positive Spin On Patient Prognosis
Theresa Sullivan Barger reports
Medical Board Suspends License Of Doctor Charged With Sexual Assault
Theresa Sullivan Barger reports
Nursing Homes Face Fines For Resident Injuries
Blumenthal Sponsors Bill To Protect Patients From Unsafe Medical Devices
Theresa Sullivan Barger reports
St. Francis Hospital Oncologist Fined
Theresa Sullivan Barger reports
Cromwell, Milford Nursing Homes Among Six Penalized By DPH
Kids Without Health Insurance At 6%, Beat National Rate
Theresa Sullivan Barger reports
Mental Health Facility Cited For Inadequate Care
Westport Plastic Surgeon Fined $25,000
Report: Troubled Teens Dumped In Alternative, Adult Ed Programs
Eye Surgery Centers In Waterford, Bridgeport Fined
Theresa Sullivan Barger reports
Medicaid May Require Approval For Some Cancer Drugs
Three Members Of Chiropractic Board Violated Law
by Jennifer Kaylin | Mar 9, 2011 4:00 pm
(8) Comments| Commenting has expired | E-mail the Author
Posted to: Health
The state Department of Public Health has found three members of its own Board of Chiropractic Examiners, the panel charged with regulating and disciplining chiropractors in Connecticut, in violation of a state law intended to protect the public.
DPH Spokesman William Gerrish confirmed that the department is investigating Drs. Michelle Imossi, Sean Robotham and Paul Powers.
He said that the department, acting on a tip by the Victims of Chiropractic Abuse (VOCA), opened petitions to begin investigations of the three board members in February 2010 for improperly identifying their practices.
Later that year, the department found them in violation the law. In a September 2010 letter to Janet Levy, VOCA co-founder, the department said the board members were told they were not in compliance with state law and needed to submit corrective action plans to the DPH.
It began in December 2006, when VOCA, a grassroots organization dedicated to “promoting awareness of chiropractic risks through advocacy and legislation,” sent a letter to the DPH stating that it had identified 458 chiropractors in Connecticut in violation of the use-of-name statute.
The law states that “No person shall practice as a chiropractor under any name other than the name of the chiropractor actually owning the practice or a corporate name containing the name or names of such chiropractors.” In other words, it’s not enough to identify a practice as, say, the “Connecticut Neck Therapy Center.” The chiropractors’ names must also be included.
“It’s was easy,” said Britt Harwe, VOCA co-founder, in describing how her group identified the chiropractors it suspected of non-compliance. “We opened the yellow pages and went down the list. If we found violations, we drove to their place of business to see if there were any more.”
In July 2009, VOCA sent a letter to the office of then-Governor M. Jodi Rell with information about four members of the Board of Chiropractic Examiners it claimed were in violation of state statutes. Then, in September 2010, VOCA received the response from the DPH confirming that three of the board members were non-compliant; the fourth met the statutory requirements.
Contacted at his Rocky Hill office, Paul Powers declined to comment on DPH’s findings. The other two board members, Michelle Imossi, whose office is in Berlin, and Sean Robotham, who practices in Bloomfield, didn’t respond to phone messages or e-mails requesting comment.
“People might think it’s a petty thing,” said Harwe, who suffered a stroke after visiting a chiropractor in 1993, “but then why is the statute there in the first place? Somebody thought it was important. It used to be enforced in the past, and it’s enforced in other states, so why isn’t it taken seriously here?”
Gerrish said the DPH is “thorough and resolute in its investigation and prosecution of complaints against all licensed health care providers.” He added that the Board of Chiropractic Examiners is responsible for disciplining chiropractors.
The DPH’s investigation comes as the state’s chiropractic association is pushing a bill through the General Assembly that could make the whole issue moot. The proposed legislation, which has been unanimously approved by the legislature’s Public Health Committee, would eliminate the requirement that a practice name contain the name or names of the chiropractors owning the practice. It would continue to require that licensed chiropractors exhibit their names at the business entrance.
Gina Carucci, president of the Connecticut Chiropractic Association, who testified on behalf of the bill, said the proposed changes “will more accurately reflect the many multidisciplinary practices that exist.” She added that the word “chiropractic” will still be required along with “doctor” on the chiropractor’s business entrance.
Jon Crane, who testified on behalf of VOCA, said of the proposed bill, “Those who are supposed to enforce the law have been breaking it, and their answer is to simply change the law.”
Jean Rexford, executive director of the Connecticut Center for Patient Safety, who is on the Connecticut Board of Chiropractic Examiners, was surprised and disappointed that the health committee approved the bill. “The move nationally with health care is toward transparency,” she said, “so people should call themselves what they are.”
VOCA has also filed a lawsuit against two chiropractic associations, the Connecticut Chiropractic Association and the Connecticut Chiropractic Council. The lawsuit, filed last June, charges, in part, that chiropractors don’t adequately inform patients about the risks associated with certain neck adjustments. Chiropractors counter that the risks are miniscule and haven’t been proven.
“Identifying your practice and giving patients information about risks, I see it as part and parcel of the same issue,” said Crane. “Members of the public should be given the information they need to make informed decisions about their health care.”
Post a Comment
- Commenting has closed for this entry
Comments
posted by: Noteworthy on March 8, 2011 7:38pm
Brit Harwe and Janet Levy are the Chicken Little’s of Hartford, running around sounding the alarm of astonishingly puny grievances. At some point, one begins to lose faith that the sky is falling. And poor Jon Crane is guy running around with the umbrella, on a sunny day. ...
MD doctors practice under a number of corporate names that accurately reflect the services they provide. Pediatric Associates is clearly a peds practice. But you don’t know who the doctors are until you get inside and find them listed on the board. Why should chiropractic be any different? The same is true for Urulogy Associates and heart practices. I don’t recall Brit, Janet, Jon or Jean screaming that we are somehow misinformed about these practices.
As for Jean Rexford ...Rexford should be careful about who she lies down with. They could have fleas.
posted by: Joel Saeks on March 9, 2011 9:19am
VOCA is nothing more than a group that is trying to scare people away from Chiropractic. This is obviously just another tactic to discredit a profession. The incidence of harm from a cervical adjustment is 1 in 3 million. You have as much chance having a stroke from an adjustment as you do from having your hair washed in a salon. If cervical adjusting is so dangerous why haven’t there ever been a case of a stroke t a Chiropractic School where you practice on each other. There is a big difference between a student and a trained DR..
Why don’t I see these people up in arms over the thousands of deaths due to NSAID’s or pharaceutical drugs that are supposedly safe every year. It is a shame this organization exists and is allowed to harass Chiropractors and lie about the dangers.
posted by: Jo Jo on March 10, 2011 5:24pm
These ladies had their day in front of the board and they lost. There was no association between chiropractic adjustments and stroke. they are mad and are tying anything they can to be annoying so someone will listen. The medical est. has been trying to contain and destroy chiropractic and have failed every time and so will VOCA. VIVA CHIROPRACTIC.
posted by: A.T. on March 10, 2011 11:51pm
Kaiser Permanente Mid Atlantic States and Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group recently revised their Chiropractic Manipulation Medical Coverage Policy to exclude cervical Chiropractic Manipulative Treatment (CMT).
The revised policy stated, “Given the paucity of data related to beneficial effects of chiropractic manipulation of the cervical spine and the real potential for catastrophic adverse events, it was decided to exclude chiropractic manipulation of the cervical spine from coverage.”
I believe Kaiser is regarded as of the most progressive health organizations in America as well as a thought leader in in health policy.
They have the evidence…science-based evidence.
Please do what other health care providers do, simply admit there is a slight risk, inform the patient, and you will be surprised…if they want your services and feel they are ebenificial they will stay with you.
Please do the right thing.
posted by: Deborah Terry on March 11, 2011 12:01am
It is unfortunate that people have been injured by negligent chiropractors. However, they are a small fraction of a well trained & educated profession. More people are injured or worse die from allopathic medical malpractice/accidents per year than from chiropractic and naturopathic physicians. The issue here is that a small group (VOCA)are now targeting an entire profession for the mistakes a few. ALL chiropractic physicians as well as medical doctors are suppose to inform their patients about the risks and benefits of treatment PRIOR to initiating treatment. Chiropractors routinely and judiciously engage in the practice of providing patients with risks or receiving and/or not receiving care…many even review alternatives that are available for a patient’s condition…thereby allowing the patient to make an informed choice.
Regarding the manner in which a Chiropractor must list their practice and/or name…this regulation was not developed with a patient’s best interest in mind. It was developed in the 1980s when chiropractors had to sue the AMA to cease and decist with obstructionist practices. During the early 1980s the AMA waged a campaign against the chiropractic profession, such that they were interfering in the right of the chiropractors to earn a living in their field of trade. The federal courts rules in favor of the ACA (Amercian Chiropractic Associateion). So, to try and get around this “defeat” the strong lobbiest of the AMA decided to do a grass roots campaign state by state so to speak…the lobbies with their millions of dollars were successful in passing regulations to try and restrict the chiropractic profession or make it difficult to practice or advertise one’s practice. The regulation that the VOCA dug up was one of those attempts to regulate and unfairly manipulate the ability of chiropractors to practice freely within the state of CT. The chiropractic profession is not full of devious people like the VOCA would want people to believe… Chiropractic Physicians are well educated. You must have a bachelors degree prior to commencing the chiropractic program here in CT. Then students complete basic sciences (identical to those completed by medical students with less emphasis on pharmacology and more emphasis on nutritional biochemistry). Afte completing the basic sciences chiropractic students complete training in visceral diagnosis, pediatric, geriatrics, neuromusculoskeltal diagnsosi, physical rehabilitation, and chiropractic manipulation. Many now do rotations through the VA hosptial system, Brigdeport Hospital, and the Military Hospital in Bethesda Marilyn. These people earn the right and priveledge to be call chiropractic physicians and to be treated as such. They are entitle to the same respect given unto other medical practioners. However, if one were to believe and follow the “blaogging” and targeting campaigns of the VOCA…they would choose to ignore the above mentioned facts… and instead chastise and entire profession for the wrong doing a few. I would like to know if the VOCA pursues the issue of informed consent with their medical doctors? Do they make an issue out of it when an MD prescribes a medication and does not go over ALL the possible side effects and interactions…or consequences associated with taking or not taking the medication?
FYI - I ti srequired that ALL doctors in the state of CT display their license on wall of their office..“In clear view”...usually this is the entrance or at the check in window. So, perhaps the VOCA should also go check and see if all the MDs, DOs, and DPMs are following the state regulations in regards to this? If they choose not to..well then it is clear they have proverbial axe to gride with the profession ..again..for the unfortunate misconduct of a very small minority of the chiropractic profession - PROUD SUPPORTER OF CHIROPRACTIC!
posted by: slim shaddy on March 11, 2011 8:50am
Deb,
Just because a stroke occurred does not mean that they were injured by a “negligent chiropractor”.
A.T.
Just be because.P. made a policy does not mean that there is a risk. The state just had a public health hearing on this matter and no risk was found. This so called risk is a “old wife’s tale”. The current research not support this fallacy.
posted by: Enough on March 11, 2011 11:53am
Enough is enough. I do not want to bring medicine in on this issue, since they are not part of it. However they have the same “practice” of names of their groups.
1) Connecticut neuroscience: Neurosurgeons, Physiatrists, Anaesthesiologists
2) Center for Orthopedics: Orthopedics, Podiatrists, Physiatrists
3) New Haven Medical Group: all types of specialists
Where are the patient advocates on these issues? ...
posted by: Truth Be Told on March 11, 2011 2:12pm
A.T. is not telling the whole story. After reviewing all of the data, Kaiser Permanente again recommends chiropractic spinal manipulation for their members and employees. Their policy is that this is a covered service, as it always has been.
Chiropractic doctors study and practice spinal manipulation and other forms of natural health care including nutrition, for four years and over 5000 hours in a doctoral-level post-graduate program at a chiropractic university, so are the ones who it is recommended should perform these procedures.
All of the scientific literature clearly demonstrates that since no drugs or surgery is used by the chiropractic health care profession, it is one of the safest, if not the safest forms of health care available.
Medical care accounts for 800,000 to 1 million deaths each year from PREVENTABLE errors, making it the leading killer of Americans ahead of heart attacks, cancer and strokes. This is according to the scientific literature and medical journals. You can read about it here, complete with references:
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2004/mar2004_awsi_death_01.htm
Since chiropractic health care uses neither drugs nor surgery, it is the reason it is the first option, leaving drugs and surgery as a last resort.
That’s also why it is preferred by millions of people all over the world of all ages, especially those who are not into taking medications and prefer more natural healthcare for their family.
Chiropractic health care is the largest, drugless licensed healing profession today.