Jeff Winchester: The Full Record

1. 1997: the meningitis campaign

In 1997 Waterloo Region ran a mass meningitis immunization program for young people after an outbreak. Winchester publicly opposed it. He picketed outside Bluevale Collegiate, used his clinic sign to say the vaccine was not needed, and argued his case in the local media. For years afterwards he wrote letters to the editor criticizing public-health efforts.

The episode was a turning point for Ontario chiropractic regulation. In my view it led directly to the CCO's Standard S-015, which barred chiropractors from advising patients about immunization and required them to refer such questions to physicians, nurses or nurse practitioners. S-015 has since been folded into Standard S-001, Chiropractic Scope of Practice. ChiroWatch has followed him since then: see the 1997 Record story "Meningitis shot is not healthy" and his December 1998 letter to the editor, "Drug companies lie," in which he called chicken pox "a harmless childhood disease."

2. What the College's record shows, 2003–2007

The CCO's own decisions list his early history:

• 2003: a reminder "to exercise care in making statements which could be misunderstood by the public about what chiropractic care can or cannot achieve."
• 2004: a reminder to follow the advertising standard and to submit his Yellow Pages ad for review. After a review by the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board (HPARB), the committee issued a new decision. It repeated that his advertising must not contain anything false or misleading, anything unverifiable, or "a guarantee as to the success of the services provided."
• 2007: a reminder that when he uses his professional status to advocate on a public-health issue, "any public signage associated with his practice must present a balanced message." He was also told to comment only on issues he has researched, to make clear that he is not giving a chiropractic opinion, and to present the competing public-health arguments.

3. 2009: "Ask me about H1N1"

On 11 November 2009, during the H1N1 pandemic and its vaccination campaign, the back-lit sign outside Bridgeport Family Chiropractic read "ASK ME ABOUT H1N1." The next day I emailed the CCO a photo of the sign, with copies to the province's chief medical officer of health, local MPP Elizabeth Witmer and the Waterloo Region Record. The College's communications officer replied that afternoon: "Is this a complaint? If so, please put the complaint in writing." I did, by letter on 13 November. I pointed to Standard S-015, to his history, and to his regular show on a Kitchener religious radio station where, as I told the College, he said his powers to heal came from God. The CCO's core competencies say it is unacceptable to use "religion, guilt or pressure tactics" to persuade patients. I have no record of any decision, and this complaint does not appear among the prior decisions the College later listed.

4. 2015: "Measles Talk … Anti Vaxxers Only Please"

In February 2015, as measles cases were being reported in Ontario, the same sign announced:

"Measles Talk / Tues Mar 3 / Anti Vaxxers / Only Please" Sign outside Bridgeport Family Chiropractic, on or about 18 February 2015, as recorded in the CCO's decision

A photograph by Professor Jacob Shelley spread on Twitter within hours. It was shared by the University of Alberta's Ubaka Ogbogu and Tim Caulfield, Ottawa obesity physician Yoni Freedhoff and pharmacist Scott Gavura. Globe and Mail health reporter Carly Weeks replied that the paper's database showed the chiropractor had been "very vocal" about vaccines before. Shelley then reported that the clinic had called him: the event was cancelled "by edict of the college." By the next day the sign read "MEASLES TALK CANCELED." Freedhoff also pointed out that Winchester was listed as an alumni "mentor" on a University of Waterloo Applied Health Sciences web page.

I filed a complaint on 19 February 2015. Winchester told the College "I did not put this talk on," and said it "was to be a pro-choice, balanced presentation." He also noted that Standard S-015 no longer existed. The Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC) was not persuaded:

• The committee called the sign "unprofessional on its face." A measles talk for "anti-vaxxers" only "will likely reinforce the view" that vaccination "is of questionable utility or safety."
• The talk was "clearly linked to Dr. Winchester's chiropractic practice, and only to his practice." No one with vaccination in their scope of practice worked at the location.
• It wrote that "the term 'pro-choice' in this context may be disingenuous": given his history and the invitation to anti-vaxxers only, "it [is] reasonable to infer that the 'choice' that will be favoured is to decline vaccination."

Outcome: an oral caution on scope of practice (S-001) and on advertising that would "reasonably be regarded as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional" (S-016). The decision was sent to me on 26 August 2015. The committee did not refer him to discipline, which it said is "usually reserved" for dishonesty, breach of trust or deliberate breaches of significant professional values.

5. Maximized Living and cancer

Winchester ran his own Maximized Living website, maximizedlivingdrwinchester.com, alongside drjeffw.com. In October 2015 he emailed his mailing list about a Saturday seminar at the clinic on 24 October. The College summarized it as "The Cancer Killers – The Cause is the Cure" presents "a Woman's Guide to Wellness," after the 2012 Maximized Living book. The flyer, timed for breast cancer awareness month, said: "while you won't see us hanging pink ribbons in our clinics … we want to completely change the conversation." It promised to explain "why preventative solutions are the same for most illnesses."

I complained on 19 October, naming Winchester together with London's B.J. Hardick, and again on 26 October about Winchester's seminar alone. The College acknowledged the second complaint on 29 October 2015. I have no record of a decision. The full Maximized Living story is told in Maximized Living in Ontario: The Hardicks, the Scripts and the College.

6. 2019: "Chiropractic Care can help with…"

On 5 October 2019 Bridgeport Family Chiropractic advertised a "New Patient Special" on Facebook: an exam, an x-ray and one adjustment for $50 ("Regular $160 – 69% off for a limited time"). Under it was a checklist of what "Chiropractic Care can help with." It included back and neck pain and headaches, but also "Improved mental clarity," "Ear infections," "Asthma," "Blood pressure," "Healthy pregnancy," "Organ function" and "Improved immune function."

I complained the next day. Winchester's reply:

"I do not treat conditions. I remove interference to the nervous system (subluxation) and by removing interference the body is better able to control and regulate itself." Dr. Jeff Winchester, response to the CCO, 18 November 2019

He also called the complaint "an abuse of the complaint system" and said it was "bordering on stalking."

The ICRC asked him to sign an undertaking. He called that "premature," declined, and declined again when given a second chance. The committee then considered referring him to discipline and obtained an expert opinion. The expert could find no definitive studies on "mental clarity." Although he cited summaries for some other items, he concluded that the ad's wording ("a natural and drug free health solution") could mislead the public. The committee wrote:

"If, as implied in Dr. Winchester's response, he does not diagnose or treat conditions, the ICRC asked why so many conditions are listed on this post. If he does no more and no less than remove subluxations, then his advertising should say that." CCO Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee, Winchester-19-OC-07 (Polevoy), 29 October 2020

The committee also found the ad did not state how long the discount would be honoured, as the advertising standard requires. It noted that by March 2020 both the World Federation of Chiropractic and the International Chiropractic Association had said there is no credible evidence that adjustments boost immunity. It said it "was struck by Dr. Winchester's extensive history of very similar complaints."

Outcome: a second oral caution, on scope of practice (S-001), advertising (S-016 and G-016) and social media (G-012). Again there was no discipline referral. The College posted a “Caution in Person” notice on its public register: Winchester attended the oral caution on 30 March 2021, and there was no appeal. The notice adds that a caution “does not involve a finding of wrongdoing.” (PDF of the register notice)

7. 2020: "We welcome mask exempt"

During the COVID-19 pandemic the same sign read "WE WELCOME MASK EXEMPT / NO DISCRIMINATION HERE." In November 2020 Winchester gave an online interview to Rebel News, which headlined it with his words, "I've done nothing wrong."

8. Resigned

Winchester attended his second oral caution at the College on 30 March 2021. A resignation date of 12 May 2021, about six weeks later, has been reported but not yet confirmed by the College; I have asked it to confirm the date. The CCO's public register now lists Dr. Winchester's status as "Resigned." A resigned member can no longer practise chiropractic in Ontario or call himself a chiropractor in the province, and the cautions above remain part of his record.

9. Complaints and outcomes

Sources

1. CCO Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee, Decision and Reasons, Winchester-15-MR-02 (Polevoy), 2015 (sent 26 Aug 2015).
2. CCO Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee, Decision and Reasons, Winchester-19-OC-07 (Polevoy), 29 Oct 2020 (member history section listing the 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2015 decisions).
3. College of Chiropractors of Ontario, public register, “Caution in Person,” Dr. Jeffrey Winchester, effective 30 March 2021 (S-001, S-016, G-012, G-016; no appeal). PDF.
4. Dr. Jeff Winchester, response to the CCO, 18 Nov 2019 (enclosed with CCO letter of 3 Dec 2019).
5. CCO correspondence to the author: 24 Feb, 31 Mar, 26 Aug and 29 Oct 2015; 3 Dec 2019; 30 Oct 2020.
6. Bridgeport Family Chiropractic Facebook post, "New Patient Special," 5 Oct 2019 (author's capture).
7. Twitter posts by Ubaka Ogbogu, Tim Caulfield, Carly Weeks, Scott Gavura, Yoni Freedhoff and Jacob Shelley, 18–19 Feb 2015 (author's captures).
8. Bridgeport Family Chiropractic / maximizedlivingdrwinchester.com, seminar email for 24 Oct 2015.
9. Author's email to the CCO, 12 Nov 2009, and reply from CCO Communications Officer Sue Gargiulo, same date.
10. Author's complaints to the CCO: 13 Nov 2009; 19 Feb 2015; 19 and 26 Oct 2015; 6 Oct 2019.

This page reports decisions of the College of Chiropractors of Ontario, Dr. Winchester's own statements to the College, his public advertising, and published social-media posts. Statements identified as the author's views are opinion. Corrections are welcome: drpolevoy@yahoo.com.