FCLB President Campion's Tone Deaf Holiday Letter

In a recent holiday letter to friends and associates in the regulatory and educational spheres of chiropractic Titled: "Thank You from the FCLB", Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB) President Karen Campion DC reflects on gratitude and resilience. However, this message strikes a notably tone-deaf chord given the backdrop of the ongoing Vanterpool lawsuit, allegations of monopolistic behavior, and the FCLB's controversial partnerships. The letter, in which she refers to herself and her "Friends in Regulation" as "principled" leaves one wondering just which "principles" she is referring to.  

CLICK HERE for the full text of Campion's Letter

A Lesson in Contradiction

Campion's letter, laden with themes of gratitude, resilience, and community building, seems disconnected from the storm brewing around the FCLB. The Vanterpool lawsuit paints a picture that sharply contrasts with Campion's portrayal of a harmonious and principled regulatory body. Accusations against the FCLB and the related court documents suggest a darker narrative, one of exclusion, control, and questionable alliances, particularly its involvement with the secretive "Summit" group. In the end it was Vanterpool's desire to "have a seat" at the Summit table that led the FCLB to suspend her.

CLICK HERE for more on the Vanterpool lawsuit

The Summit Group: A Secretive Alliance?

The FCLB's "partnership" with the Summit group raises questions about transparency and accountability in chiropractic regulation. Such secrecy is at odds with the open community spirit Campion’s letter attempts to evoke. In the face of legal challenges, this alliance appears more as a shield from scrutiny rather than a step toward communal betterment. Attempts to reach the Summit through its Executive Director Lisa Love-Smith have been ignored. Questions include: How does one become a member of the Summit? Who are the current members of the Summit? When and where are the meetings? What are the rules for the Summit members? We understand that members of the Summit are not allowed to talk about what goes on within the Summit.  The URL for the Summit (chirosummit.org) returns a FORBIDDEN message.

Why all the secrecy if there is nothing nefarious going on?

Portions of Campion's deposition were recently made public and call into question her actions in sanctioning and suspending Vanterpool and supports Vanterpool's claim about how others on the FCLB in similar circumstances were treated differently.

CLICK HERE for that story

Chiropractic Cartel and Financial Maneuverings

More troubling are the allegations of the FCLB's involvement in the 'Chiropractic Cartel', purportedly using student loan money and state tax dollars to fund its activities. This stands in stark contrast to Campion's message of resilience and mutual support. It's difficult to reconcile the image of a supportive regulatory body overseer with one that is accused of financially predatory practices.

PACE: Control Over Post Grad Education

Perhaps most concerning is the FCLB’s ownership of the Program for Approved Continuing Education (PACE), which is alleged to be part of a scheme to monopolize chiropractic postgraduate education. This endeavor contradicts the notion of fostering education and support within the community, as Campion's letter suggests. Instead, it points to a desire for control and dominance in the educational sphere, undermining the integrity of chiropractic education. In order to get a license to practice chiropractic one must graduate from a school accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) due to so called "CCE Only" language in state statutes rules and regulations.

But controlling the education of future DC's is not enough when you are operating in a monopoly - you must also control their education after they get the degree and that is where PACE comes in. So stringent are the "rules" to become a PACE provider that providers cannot approve content that includes criticism of the FCLB which amounts to free speech censorship. PACE must be approved by individual state boards and further cements the role of state regulatory boards involvement in furthering a monopoly. For her part, Campion has made expanding PACE a priority of her presidency.   

Campion's History Climbing the Chiropractic Political Ladder 

Campion has a long history of involvement within chiropractic politics - especially the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), The Texas Chiropractic Association (TCA), the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB), the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) and the Texas Board of Chiropractic.

Campion graduated from Texas Chiropractic College in 1989. She is a member of the Texas Chiropractic Association, American Chiropractic Sports Council and the American Chiropractic Association (ACA). She worked on the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners (TBCE) from 2011 to 2018, holding various key positions including Secretary Treasurer (2014-2016), Vice President (2016-2018), and Chair of both the Enforcement Committee (2013-2016) and Rules Committee (2016-2018).

Campion has worked with the NBCE since at least 2012 as an Examiner and as an Alternate Delegate "representing" the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners at NBCE from 2014 to 2017. She was also on the Part 3 Test Review Committee.

Her role at the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB) began in 2018 as a District IV Alternate Director, District IV Interim Director and is presently District IV Director. She was FCLB's Chair of the Board of Directors and was on several committees including: the Recognized Chiropractic Specialty Program (RCSP), Model Practice Act Committee, Policy & Procedures Committee and the PACE Appeal Committee.

She was elected as FCLB President in 2023.  Her involvement on the Texas state regulatory board, NBCE and FCLB serve as examples of the incestuous and questionable ethical and legal relationships amongst these private, for profit and non profit organizations and government agencies. Add student loan money, state tax dollars and monopolistic practices to this mix and you get a cauldron of concerns about the leadership within chiropractic. 

A Call for Authentic Leadership

As we reflect on Campion's words of gratitude and community, the dissonance with the reality of the FCLB's actions is glaring. Authentic leadership requires not just eloquent words about resilience and community but also actions that align with those values. As the chiropractic community navigates these tumultuous waters, it becomes increasingly important to scrutinize the gap between what is said and what is done. The community deserves leadership that not only speaks of gratitude and resilience but also exemplifies these virtues through transparent, ethical, and inclusive practices.