News In Chiropractic

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - November 13, 2003

State Leaders Voice Concerns on PACE

Las Vegas, Nevada served as the backdrop for this year's gathering of state association leaders where members of the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations officially voiced their concerns on the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Board's (FCLB) proposed PACE (Providers of Approved Continuing Education) program. After receiving an introductory report on PACE at the 2002 Congress meeting in Charlotte, meeting with FCLB officials in Orlando this past March to discuss state association concerns, and receiving an update on the program this year in Las Vegas from Dr. Laurel Cowie, Chair of FCLB's PACE Committee, state association leaders unanimously approved the following resolution:

Whereas, the concept of a centralized continuing education approval process has merit and potential for solving certain problems of continuing education certification, the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations (COCSA) has concerns about the impact such a system could have on our member associations including but not limited to:

• Financial impacts on programs and conventions

• Loss of or reduced control over what is taught in state chiropractic association continuing education programs and conventions

• Potential philosophical differences between PACE-approved courses and state associations and their programs and conventions

In addition to these concerns, the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations has concerns about:

• The individual state boards of examiners ceding their authority to approve continuing education credits to PACE, especially in the states who have combined medical/chiropractic boards

• The individual state boards of examiners having the choice to approve non-PACE approved continuing education credits

Be it resolved that the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations advises a rigorous review of the potential impact on our member state associations of implementation and acceptance of the FCLB PACE program of continuing education approval.

Be it further resolved that we recommend that the FCLB not proceed any further with the implementation of PACE until all of the concerns of COCSA and its member associations are positively resolved.

It is hoped that with COCSA officially voicing these concerns, FCLB and its member state licensing boards will take a closer look at the PACE program as it is currently proposed and take the necessary steps to prevent it from having a detrimental impact on state associations and the continuing education process, and, in turn, the chiropractic profession.

For more information about the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations and its programs, please visit www.cocsa.org or contact Executive Director Janet Jordan at (803) 356-6809 or cocsa@sc.rr.com.