Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Enforcement Caseload topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Enforcement caseload drops average days to 120; new investigator hired for Houston
Summary
The board’s enforcement director reported lower average case processing time, top violation categories and the hiring of a new field investigator based in Houston to help reduce backlog.
The Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners’ enforcement director reported progress on case processing, a changing profile of top complaints and imminent staff additions at the Aug. 21 meeting.
Director of Enforcement Chris Walling told the board that between May 13 and Aug. 12 the agency took in 43 complaints and administratively closed 33. “From May 13 to August 12, we did an intake of 43 complaints. 33 of those were administratively closed,” Walling reported. He said the enforcement committee considered 14 cases at its Aug. 19 meeting and recommended 9 violations and 5 nonviolations to the committee.
Walling said current open caseload stands at 104 cases: “50 of those are with investigation, 54 are with legal.” He reported the agency’s average case processing time has fallen to about 120 days, down from a previously longer period.
Top violation categories: Walling listed billing violations, standard-of-care concerns and patient record issues as the most common complaint types. He said enforcement and education efforts appear to have reduced advertising violations, which had been a frequent enforcement focus in earlier years.
Staffing and capacity: Walling told the board the agency has hired a new investigator who will be based in Houston and begin training on Sept. 2; the director said that additional investigator capacity and the new general counsel’s involvement should help resolve backlog legal cases more quickly. Executive staff and the new general counsel, Rudy Calderon, said they are reviewing cases with an eye toward negotiated settlements where appropriate.
Board reaction and follow-up: Members suggested highlighting the top violation categories in the agency newsletter and continuing targeted education for licensees. Enforcement staff said the newsletter item and reminders about mandated board hours could help reduce repeat violations.
Ending: Walling said the enforcement team has been “phenomenal” in addressing caseload, and that with new staff and counsel he expects further improvements in case resolution times.
