Peter C. Harvey, Attorney General

Division of Consumer Affairs
Reni Erdos, Director

For Immediate Release:
May 26, 2004

For Further Information Contact:
Genene Morris, Jeff Lamm
973-504-6327

NEWARK - Recognized for setting "a new and higher standard for board performance in regulation," the New Jersey State Board of Chiropractic Examiners has been named "2004 Outstanding Regulatory Board" by the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards ("FCLB").

The Board received the accolade during FCLB's recent annual meeting in Denver, Colo.

"From paper tools to Web site development, from personal interactions to Internet-based orientation, these people have taken the board of tomorrow and brought it into clear focus today," FCLB's President Dr. Richard L. Cole said of the Board during the presentation.

Acknowledged for its commitment to developing "character, professionalism, and ethics in their board and licensees," the Board was honored for developing a three-hour, online orientation program/jurisprudence examination for new licensees. The program will be presented as part of the jurisprudence examination. It features presentations in seven key areas: background on laws and regulations; sexual misconduct; insurance and healthcare claims fraud; advertising; record-keeping; electro-diagnostics; and administrative requirements (license renewal, change of address.) Following each presentation, applicants are asked a series of questions testing their knowledge and comprehension in each area.

"I congratulate the Board on earning this honor," Director Erdos said. "Under the leadership of its president, Dr. Mary-Ellen Rada, and the guidance of its executive director, Kevin Earle, the Board has distinguished itself as a model of efficiency and innovation for chiropractic boards around the nation and for other professional licensing boards and committees that fall under Consumer Affairs' jurisdiction."

In addition, the Board was recognized for initiating outreach activities to build relationships with State and national law enforcement authorities and for the leadership role it took in sponsoring a professional ethics training program for other chiropractic licensing board members from around the country. The "Mini-ProBE" (Professional/Problem Based Ethics) course, provided participants with a firsthand opportunity to experience a typical ProBE remedial ethics program provided to licensees who have been disciplined by the board. The ProBE intervention, developed in the early 1990's in cooperation with the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners, has provided such training to over 300 disciplined licensees from 37 states. The program is offered through The Ethics Group, LLC of Summit, New Jersey.

The Board was also commended for its active participation in FCLB committees and initiatives. More specifically, Rada of Jackson was selected to lead a task force that will create a Web-based board member ethics training program geared toward helping newly appointed licensing board members from around the country to make the transition from practitioner to regulator. She was also appointed to the FCLB's nominating committee. In addition, Earle was re-elected to FCLB's board of directors. Earle, a Hillsdale resident, is the first board administrator to be elected to a position on FCLB's board of directors and to have voting powers in the organization's 78-year history. Also, Board member Dr. Larry O'Connor, of Westwood, serves as Chairman of FCLB's Government Relations and Legal Affairs Committee.

FCLB comprises 60 member boards from the United States, Canada and Australia.