Kulhay Wellness Centre - 21 rooms - 38 practitioners and more
On March 4, 2000 Christine McPhee was front and centre at the Kulhay Wellness Centre in Toronto for a two hour infomercial marathon. It amounted to about 120 minutes of promotion, hugging and kissing, less a few ads for vitamins, herbs, lotions and potions for the mind and body.
I had spoken at length to McPhee earlier in the week because of my real concerns over what the station had previously delivered as "factoid" "alternoid" content last summer. At that time Kulhay was interviewed by Marsha Leiderman. ChiroWatch had previously covered those issues in depth because of our interest in pediatric chiropractic methods. We don't like the lies promoted by chiropractors who love to deliver anti-vaccination messages and who and make claims to be able to treat non-existent subluxations in infants and children.
I was assured by the host of Saturday's radio show that several topics would not be discussed, one was chelation therapy, and the other was anti-vaccine rhetoric. Well the host was about 50% correct. I guess that' pretty good for talk radio folks. This ain't the Art Bell show!
First, let's cover the topic that was discussed on the show. Let's put it this way, it was not just discussed, it was actively promoted as part of the deal. The Gold Standard Chelation Centre shared top billing every time the host gave a plug for the Wellness Centre.
It's no secret at all to the public as to who is the physician behind the chelation that is at the centre. He is Vincent DeMarco, and he has appeared on more than a few occassions as a paid speaker at questionable alternative medical meetings, conventions and at the Kulhay Wellness Centre itself on a regular basis.
His name and picture is still up on a 1999 wellness convention site. A short review of the other speakers on that program included Ingrid Naiman, and Carolyn Dean.
Carolyn Dean no longer has the right to practice as a medical doctor in Ontario. According to a c.v. posted on a web page she now has an appointment to the New York Chiropractic College as an Associate Professor. What isn't there is any mention that she had her license to practice in Ontario taken away? An interesting aside, is that fact that she and Carolyn DeMarco, (Vincent's sister), have been linked on some projects.
We have been monitoring the statements made in regards to chelation by several doctors in Ontario over the last few years, and reviewed the material that they use to promote it. We now have evidence about what is said directly to clients at meetings held in various clinics and are shocked at those claims.
We are absolutely convinced that the claims that are being made by those who are promoting chelation therapy at health centres across Ontario are wrong in their basic facts, their methods of recruitment, and their treatment of the public.
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario questions foundation of claims made by alternative medical doctors
In fact most of those methods and claims that are made specifically for chelation therapy, and the advertising and promotion of chelation therapy are in violation of the spirit of the guidelines established by the College of Physicians of Ontario:
Advertising guidelines
Some of the general principles that guide physician advertising are:
physicians can advertise in any medium available to all other physicians
the information advertised must not be false or misleading
advertisements cannot contain testimonials, or comparative or superlative statements
advertisements cannot contain references to specific drugs or equipment
physician advertising must not be associated with the advertising of products or
services
CPSO COMMITTEE SAYS ‘THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE TO GOOD MEDICINE’ Toronto, September 22nd, 1997 - An ad hoc committee on "alternative" medicine has presented its report
to the Council of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, (CPSO). The report follows months of study and
two days of public hearings in July in which interested parties were invited to make a presentation on
alternative medicine. Approximately 40 presentations were heard in the two days and the committee also
considered numerous written submissions.
College of Chiropractors of Ontario
The College of Chiropractors of Ontario makes no statement at all about alternative medicine, its integration into chiropractic practice or anything that may involve invasive techniques, laboratory tests, unapproved devices, whether or not a manicure or pedicure is allowed in a chiropractor's office, but certainly it makes no mention of chelation therapy or its promotion.
However they do have this to say about advertising in their Standards of Practice S-003, which was updated in September 1999. Perhaps its their qualifying statement that I find perhaps a little blunt: "In the circumstance in which the standard of practice may conflict or be inconsistent with the legislation that affects chiropractic practice, the legislation and not the standard of practice governs."
Can you find any conflicts here?
- Can chiropractic be verified?
- How many devices were mentioned?
- What about the prize giveaways?
- Solicitation for business?
- Qualifications of associates?
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DESCRIPTION OF STANDARD
Advertising is commendable if it serves to educate members of the public, helping them make
informed choices regarding their health care. However, to help members of the public make
knowledgeable choices, advertisers must respect certain principles.
Any advertising with respect to a member's practice must not contain:
-
anything false or misleading;
- anything that, because of its nature, cannot be verified;
- a reference to the member being a specialist, unless the member is recognized pursuant to
CCO’s policy as a specialist, and the specialty is disclosed;
- an endorsement other than an endorsement by an organization, that has expertise relevant to
the subject matter of the endorsement;
- a testimonial except within the practitioner's office;
- a reference to a particular brand of device or technique used to provide health-care services;
a guarantee as to the success of the services provided;
- any comparison to another member's practice, qualifications or expertise;
any offer of free consultative, diagnostic or treatment services; and
- a reference to the member being a member or affiliated with any professional association,
society or body other than CCO.
Additional grounds for misconduct related to advertising:
- advertising or permitting advertising with respect to a member's practice in contravention of the
regulations;
- contacting or communicating with, or allowing any person to contact or communicate with,
potential patients, whether in person or by telephone, with a principal goal of soliciting
business; and
- mall displays or screenings by individuals
Advertising Committee Protocol
Policy P–004DESCRIPTION OF POLICY
Protocol
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Standard of Practice S–008
Scope of Practice
The scope of practice of chiropractic is outlined in section 3 of the Chiropractic Act, 1991, and
includes ‘diagnosis’ as follows:
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The practice of chiropractic is the assessment of conditions related to the spine, nervous system and
joints and the diagnosis, prevention and treatment, primarily by adjustment, of:
- dysfunctions or disorders arising from the structures or functions of the spine and the effects of
those dysfunctions or disorders on the nervous system; and
dysfunctions or disorders arising from the structures or functions of the joints.
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Questions
Where does it say that chiropractors or their associates are allowed to make claims for the following? Claims made by Kulhay and her associates are in direct conflict with Chiropractic standards of care by "Providing a diagnostic or therapeutic service that is not necessary."
These include:
- live cell microscopy
- hair analysis
- electrodermal testing
- push anti-vaccine information
- push chelation therapy
- sell Japanese herbal tea
- say that Japanese ORGANIC green tea improves longevity, improve cholesterol, is excellent for cancer, it lowers blood pressure, that it lowers insulin requirements, it fights viruses, that it stops HIV virus from replicating, that it gently chelates the bocy of free radicals and pollutants. Oh, before I forget, Kulhay chimes in and says that they have hundreds of studies for all of these claims.
- give away Mexican trips
- recruit pregnant women
- treat metabolic problems
- treat medical illnesses
- make medical diagnoses
- take patients off of thyroid
- make claims for meridiens
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If your medical doctor put a picture of Dr. Mengele on the wall, what would you say?
If your chiropractor put a picture of Dr. Len Horowitz on their wall, what would you say?
If your health provider promoted and facilitated presentations by someone who promotes the treatment of cancer with salves and astrology what would you say?
Why is it that the Kulhay Wellness Centre and the Gold Standard Chelation Centre are any different? Why should they not be held up to the same standards of ethics of advertising, promotion and treatments of patients/clients as that required by those who hold a license to practice under the regulated health professions acts for medical doctors or chiropractors in Ontario?
- Who really practices at the Kulhay Wellness Clinic?
- What are the qualifications of those alt. medical people who run it, and work there?
- Why was the validity of their questionable evaluations, medical treatments, claims, and anti-vaccine fanaticism not discussed by at least two hosts of a radio network show during the last year?
- Did the recent broadcast on March 4, 2000 bend the very essence of broadcast ethics?
- Was it an infomercial, or promotion by the clinic itself?
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