VOCA : Chiropractor suspended for ads

Chiropractor suspended for ads

July 1, 2008 The Wichita Eagle, Karen Shideler

Wichita chiropractor Todd Eck will lose his license for 30 days, beginning today, and pay a $10,000 fine because he failed to specify in two advertisements that he was a chiropractor.

Ryan Hodge, Eck's attorney, said Eck's patients would be cared for by others during the suspension.

The discipline was ordered by the Kansas Board of Healing Arts, which reduced the staff-recommended 90-day license suspension after hearing from Eck at the board's June 21 meeting, board president Betty McBride said Monday.

State law requires those governed by the board to specify in advertising which branch of medicine they're licensed in.

Eck inadvertently left the designation off the ads, Hodge said, and didn't catch the omission on draft forms of them. Those answering the phone said "Eck Chiropractic," Hodge said, "so there was never an issue of anybody being deceived by the ads."

McBride said the suspension and fine were ordered because it's not the first time Eck has faced the board over advertising practices. "That's why the board felt it was very important that action be taken, to protect the public."

In April 2004, Eck paid a $2,500 fine for failing to identify what kind of doctor -- medical doctor, osteopathic doctor or chiropractor -- he was in an advertisement in The Newton Kansan.

The new case involves two December 2005 ads, one in The Newton Kansan and one a direct-mail ad. The disciplinary petition was filed in October 2007. Each ad identified "Dr. Todd Eck, a local doctor" and "Eck Clinic" but failed to say what kind of doctor he was.

"When there's a repeat offense, that triggers some additional sanctions," said Larry Buening, whose last day as executive director of the board was Monday.