Rules & Regulations of the State of Tennessee
Title 0260 - Chiropractic Examiners
Chapter 0260-05 - General Rules Governing Chiropractic Therapy Assistants
Section 0260-05-.12 - CONTINUING EDUCATION

(a) A two (2) clock hour Board-approved course in risk management, sexual/professional boundaries, and Tennessee statutory and regulatory chiropractic jurisprudence must be taken within twelve (12) months prior to certification or within the first (1st) calendar year that continuing education is required. If taken prior to certification, the course must be an additional course beyond the regular chiropractic therapy assistant program. If taken after certification, the course shall not constitute part of the six (6) clock hour continuing education requirement in paragraph (1) of this rule. Those who are certified as both chiropractic X-ray technologists and chiropractic therapy assistants need only take this course once.

(b) New certification by examination or reciprocity - New certificate holders, whether by examination or reciprocity, shall be exempted from the continuing education requirements of 0260-05-.12(1) for the calendar year in which they are certified, but must take the two (2) hour course as described above in 0260-05-.12(2)(a).

(a) To be acceptable continuing education, the course must be approved by the Board of Chiropractic Examiners. No prior approval is required for continuing education courses conducted by the American Chiropractic Association, the International Chiropractors Association, the Tennessee Chiropractic Association, or CPR training provided by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross. No more than one (1) hour of credit will be granted for CPR training and courses.

(b) Whenever the Board decides that there is information that is crucial for certificate holders to have it may prepare and send that information to all continuing education providers in a format no larger than two (2) pages. All approved continuing education providers must, as a prerequisite to remaining an approved provider, reproduce and distribute this information from the Board to every certificate holder attending each of its individual continuing education courses or group of courses.

(a) A certificate holder must, within thirty (30) days of a request from the board, provide evidence of continuing education activities. Such evidence must be copies of one (1) or more of the following:

(b) Each certificate holder must retain original documents or photocopies of original documents which verify proof of attendance and completion of all continuing education requirements. This documentation must be retained for a period of four (4) years from the end of the calendar year in which the continuing education was acquired. This documentation must be produced for inspection and verification, if requested in writing by the board during its verification process. The board will not maintain continuing education files.

(c) If a person submits documentation for training that is not clearly identifiable as appropriate continuing education, the board will request a written description of the training and how it applies to the practice of chiropractic therapy assistants. If the board determines that the training can not be considered appropriate continuing education, the individual will be given ninety (90) days to replace the hours not allowed. Those hours will be considered replacement hours and cannot be counted during the next renewal period.

(a) Regular work activities, administrative staff meetings, case staffing/reporting, etc.

(b) Membership in, holding office in, or participation on boards of committees, business meetings of professional organizations, or banquet speeches.

(c) Training specifically related to policies and procedures of an agency. Except Tennessee statutes, rules and policies governing the practice of a chiropractic therapy assistant.

(d) Education content that is for practice building, practice management, patient acquisition or reimbursement related. Education should focus on clinical and/or scientific content, with an emphasis on patient diagnosis, treatment, protection, basic science, research developments, chiropractic therapy procedures, or rehabilitation techniques.

(a) Reactivation of Retired Certification

(b) Reactivation of Revoked Certification - No person whose certification has been revoked for failure to comply with continuing education may be reactivated without complying with these requirements. Continuing education requirements will accumulate at the same rate as that for those certificates which are active. The required clock hours of continuing education must have been begun and successfully completed before the date of reactivation.

(c) Reactivation or Reinstatement of Expired Certification - No person whose certificate has expired may be reactivated or reinstated without submitting evidence of continuing education. The continuing education hours documented at the time of reactivation or reinstatement must equal the hours required, had the certificate remained in an active status, and must have been begun and successfully completed before the date of reactivation or reinstatement.

(d) Continuing education hours obtained as a prerequisite for reactivating or reinstating a certificate may not be counted toward the calendar year requirement.

(a) Any certificate holder who falsely certifies attendance and completion of the required hours of continuing education requirements, or who does not or cannot adequately and timely substantiate completed continuing education hours with the required documentation, may be subject to disciplinary action. Such disciplinary action may include a civil penalty of up to three hundred ($300) dollars and the requirement that deficient hours be made up within the next calendar year or any other lawful discipline.

(b) Continuing education hours obtained as a result of compliance with the terms of a Board Order in any disciplinary action shall not be credited toward the continuing education hours required to be obtained in any renewal period.

(a) The board may grant a waiver of the need to attend and complete the required hours of continuing education if it can be shown to the board that compliance is or was beyond the physical capabilities of the person seeking the waiver.

(b) Waivers will be considered only on an individual basis and may be requested by submitting the following items to the board's administrative office.

(c) A waiver approved by the board is effective only for the calendar year for which the waiver is sought.