ARTICLE
Good day! My name is Dr. Andrew Oteo, a chiropractor practicing in The Colony and chair of the Texas Chiropractic Association’s Chiropractic Development Initiative (CDI) Committee. I am reaching out to you because the rights of Texas chiropractors are under assault … yet again! Next week, a trial pitting the Texas Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (TAAOM) v. Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners (TBCE) will take place at the District Court of Travis County in Austin. As always, TCA stepped up as intervenor in the lawsuit. At stake is the right of Texas chiropractors to perform chiropractic acupuncture, which our doctors have done safely in the Lone Star State for decades. TAAOM contends that chiropractors lack the education and training to perform acupuncture and, worse, are a threat to public safety. We know what this is all about: money! It’s also anti-competitive, but it’s much bigger than that. This is a scope issue that could have far-reaching consequences, potentially impacting dry needling and more. Any time our scope is threatened, ALL chiropractors need to rally around the cause … even if you don’t hold an acupuncture permit. We have no choice! As “THE Voice of Texas Chiropractors,” TCA has ensured that we have the finest legal representation. Attorney Matt Wood of Weisbart Springer Hayes, LLP, who spearheaded chiropractic’s landmark victory in the nerve (VONT) case in the Texas Supreme Court, will take the stand. The trial officially kicks off at 9 am Monday, August 28, at the Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility (1700 Guadalupe Street, Austin, TX 78701). The acupuncturists will be there in big numbers, so we are counting on a group of chiropractors to show up. We encourage you to attend and demonstrate your support for chiropractic acupuncture. Stay tuned for more details! Let me be clear: this message isn’t just an update. We need your help! Legal services don’t come cheap. We rely on your CDI contributions to advocate for you and your patients. Support our #movetheneedle campaign for the current acupuncture trial and the future battles that we, as Texas chiropractors, know we will face. You have several options: Become a 100 X $100 CDI contributor! You’ll join an exclusive group of Texas chiropractors who back TCA through a monthly $100 donation. Join the 50 Club! If $100/month isn’t in your budget, you can contribute $50 each month. Make a one-time donation or set up a monthly auto draft. CONTRIBUTE TODAY! It’s easy! You can even use your cell phone. Your CDI contributions are money well-spent, with TCA delivering BIG results for you! Proven track record at State Capitol – In the past decade, TCA has achieved more than 10 pro-chiropractic bills signed into law, including three during the 88th Texas Legislative Session this year. The biggest legislative win was protecting your right to diagnose, but, because of TCA, you also can own and operate an integrated clinic, serve on a concussion oversight team, and more! Thanks to TCA, you also no longer pay facility registration fees to TBCE for your clinic. Saving nerve – Texas’ watershed victory in Texas Supreme Court in 2021 was significant and widely celebrated across the chiropractic community. We had a tremendous legal team in place, but we wouldn’t have made it to the finish line without our generous CDI contributors. TCA is a winning team, but we need you to help us protect, preserve, and promote the profession you love. If you’re not currently a TCA member, JOIN TODAY! And please GIVE TO CDI! With gratitude, Andrew Oteo, DC TCA District 5 State Director TCA CDI Committee Chair