TCA’s executive officers preside over an executive committee that includes several departments related to the chiropractic profession as well as a board of directors comprised of representatives of TCA’s 12 districts from across Texas.
Born and raised in Eunice, LA. We were a family of four. My parents (Ernie & Betty) and my younger brother (Andre). My dad was in the oil & gas industry, so outside of school, sports, or family obligations we often followed him to Houston or parts of east Texas while he was overseeing drilling and exploration operations. When visiting on drilling sites, we fished, shot BB guns, and played cards most of our days. Houston trips allowed for Oiler and Astros games, Houston Rodeo, bowling, family pool halls, museums, car shows, etc. Being from a small town was great, but experiencing some of Houston’s offerings always felt like a continuous vacation.My mom said she introduced me to chiropractic as a baby while I was suffering with asthma. She said after two adjustments the asthma was gone. I obviously do not recall the visits, but my mom told everyone about it. My earliest memories of chiropractic were tagging along with my mom to her treatments. She suffered chronic headaches, and Dr. Carl Turk would adjust her and the headaches would be all better. My first personal experience that I do recall was in high school. While playing football, two of my teammates rolled over my ankle. Two months later it was still a problem even after rehabbing. My mom and head coach convinced me to go to see the family chiropractor (Dr. Joe Turk) and on one visit the pain was totally relieved. At that moment I was hooked on chiropractic care.
Played football a few years in high school but I was not particularly good and hurt my knees. So, I got none of the glory but all the pain. In high school I met a girl, Donna Marie Santini, who would later become my wife. Took several years for the Benton charm to kick in but it finally did.
In the summer of 1976, my Uncle Steve passed away. He had had a knee replacement surgery and the first time on his feet was when he was released to go home. Well, he collapsed after walking into his house from a blood clot that broke loose and he died instantly. He died on my mom’s, his sisters, birthday. So that was a tragic event for my family that I remember vividly. My mom’s mother also suffered from Rheumatoid Arthritis, and I remember my mom and Uncles talking about how the medication really killed my grandmother. In high school I was introduced to Bill Churma whose dad Dr. Steve Churma was a successful chiropractor in our town. He had a new house built and had one room with just a Zenith Hi Lo table in it so he could treat his family at home. I had always wanted to be in healthcare and with the bad incidents my family had suffered from medicine I saw what chiropractic was about and just gravitated to the chiropractic profession.
The Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) has adopted new and amended rules in 28 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 133 and Chapter 134 to increase billing and reimbursement for certain workers’ compensation-specific services, including:
The plaintiff TAAOM, the association representing the acupuncturists, has agreed not to appeal the decision delivered by a District Court in Travis County. The parties – TAAOM, defendant TBCE and the Texas Chiropractic Association, which served as an intervenor – have settled the case, bringing an end to a decade-long legal battle.
The plaintiff TAAOM, the association representing the acupuncturists, had challenged TCBE, the state agency governing chiropractic, contending that chiropractors lacked the education and training to safely perform chiropractic acupuncture. But the judge’s ruling upheld the right to perform chiropractic acupuncture, a victory for the hundreds of Texas chiropractors with an acupuncture permit.
From the Board’s perspective, the most consequential bill that passed during the 88th Legislative session was House Bill 1002 (Price), effective on June 6, 2023. The bill amends the Texas Education Code to permit school districts and charter schools to add chiropractors as members of concussion oversight teams. Under the new law, a school’s decision to add chiropractors to the concussion oversight team is permissive, which means the school is not required to do so.
The Keeler Award for 2022 was awarded to Karen Campion-Brown, D.C.
The Keeler Award for 2021 was awarded to Craig Benton, D.C.
