VIRGINIA TO ALLOW CHIROPRACTORS TO QUALIFY FOR FMCSA DOT EXAMS!
"Virginia DCs Regain Ability to Conduct CDL Physical Exams"Monday,
May 1, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 17, 2017
Virginia DCs Regain Ability to Conduct CDL Physical Exams
Afton, VA – The Unified Virginia Chiropractic Association (Unified VCA)
is pleased to
report that the organization’s HB 1688 was passed and signed into law by Governor
MacAuliffe on February 24, 2017. It becomes effective July 1, 2017.
The legislation is an important affirmation that Virginia DCs have training consistent
with the demands of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
(https://nationalregistry.fmcsa.dot.gov/NRPublicUI/home.seam).
The Unified VCA would like to give special thanks to Michael Megehee, DC, President of
TeamCME and the National Network of DOT Medical Examiners, and Craig Little, DC,
President of the Council of Chiropractic Education. The doctors travelled to Virginia in
June of last year to provide vital testimony to the Virginia Board of Health Professions
in support of the bill. For the full list of actions through the legislative session on
this issue, go to http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?171+sum+HB1688.
As Unified VCA president Dr. David Dolberg observes, “Virginia Chiropractors can now
take advantage of this great opportunity to train and become certified for listing on
the national registry. This is a unique opportunity for our profession to provide a
vital service to our respective communities while at the same time strengthening our
practices.”
Before offering these CDL physical exams, a doctor must take a special course, pass a
DOT test, and be registered as a “Certified Medical Examiner” (CME). To take the exam to
be a CME, doctors need a registration number from the Federal Motor Carriers Safety
Administration/ National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (FMCSA/NRCME). Dr.
David Brown, Executive Director of the Virginia Department of Health Professions, has
forwarded the necessary documentation to the FMCSA/NRCME so that it can assign these
registration numbers to DCs.
For more information, contact Dr. Joe Foley, Unified VCA Legislative Committee Chair, at
bonesdc@aol.com or Ms. Julie K. Connolly, Unified
VCA Executive
Director, phone
540-932-3100, email jconnolly@virginiachiropractic.org.