Jack Franks continues to violate the state law that says a County Board Chairman is to appoint a replacement from the same party for any countywide elected official who vacates such an office.

One man who wants the job, former McHenry County Board member Michael Rein, who was an effective check and balance on Democrat Franks wants the job.

He read the following at the last County Board meeting:

I am in front of you today to give you the understanding that I am more than qualified to become the Coroner of McHenry County!

Lets first look at what might you ask is the Coroner’s duties?

They are an Independent judicial official that investigates human deaths. Let’s be clear,

An Independent Official that determines the cause of death.

The coroner’s office is responsible for investigating deaths and ensuring complete and factual reports.

The work includes on-scene investigations, autopsies (performed by Forensic Pathologist), photography, toxicology testing, entomology study, notification of next of kin, and analysis of personal, medical and psychiatric histories.

I have a Bacholer’s Degree in Human Biology and Doctorate of Chiropractic which in the State of Illinois is defined as Chiropractic Physician under the Medical Practice Act.

Now as I have stated in Illinois, Chiropractic Physicians are categorized under the Medical Practice Act

225 ILCS 60/1)(from Ch. 111, par. 4400-1)Sec. 1. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the Medical Practice Act of 1987.

This Illinois State Statue identifies 3 different professions that will have the highest standards that include Medical Doctors, Doctor of Osteopath, and Chiropractic Physicians.

Now lets look at the background of becoming a Chiropractic Physician:

Chiropractor Physicians are educated in nationally accredited, four-year doctoral graduate school programs and undergo a rigorous education in the healing sciences, similar to that of medical doctors.

In some areas, such as anatomy, physiology, rehabilitation, nutrition and public health, they receive more intensive education than our MD counterparts.

Like other primary health care doctors, chiropractic students spend a significant portion of their curriculum studying clinical subjects related to evaluating, diagnosing and caring for patients.

Typically, as part of the professional training, they must complete a minimum of a one-year clinical-based program dealing with actual patient care.

In total, the curriculum includes a minimum of 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory and clinical experience/internship, with the average Chiropractic Physician program equivalent in classroom hours to Allopathic (MD) and Osteopathic (DO) medical schools.

The course of study is approved by an accrediting agency, the Council on Chiropractic Education, that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

The very definition of Pathology is in its simplest term is the study of disease and injury to the human body.

When I was going to the National University of Health Science I was a Teaching Assistant in Pathology Lab.

I have 4 semesters of dissecting a human cadaver.

I won’t detail that but you can get my understanding.

The tenuous hours looking under a microscope at tissue samples deciphering cancers and diseases.

Taking my National Board that included subsections of General Anatomy, Spinal Anatomy, Microbiology, Physiology, Chemistry and of course Pathology.

Taking my next National Boards that consisted of the subsections of General Diagnosis, Neuromusculoskeletal Diagnosis, Diagnostic Imaging, Principles of Chiropractic, Chiropractic Practices and Associated Clinical Sciences.

My next National Board of subsections of Case History, Physical Examination, Neuromusculoskeletal Examination, Diagnostic Imaging, Clinical Laboratory/Special Studies, Diagnosis, Chiropractic Techniques, Supportive Intervention, and Case Management.

This extensive education prepares Doctors of Chiropractic to diagnose health care conditions, treat those that are within our scope of practice and refer patients to other healthcare practitioners when appropriate.

The essential services provided by Chiropractic Physicians are also available in federal health delivery systems, including those administered by Medicaid, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Department of Defense, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, Federal Workers’ Compensation, and all state workers’ compensation programs.

As an Illinois licensed Doctor of Chiropracitic, I have full status as a Chiropractic Physician under the Medical Practice Act, which I stated before, and with that status comes the responsibility to meet the same continuing medical education (CME) requirements as all physicians under the Act and the rules.

Chiropractic Physicians must comply to the same standards as M.D.’s and D.O.’s for Continuing Education to keep ones License in the State of Illinois. Meaning that Chiropractic Physicians are required to complete 150 credit hours of combined Category I (Formal) and Category II (Informal) CME Credits.

Incidentally, medical doctors and osteopaths may receive credit for formal CME courses given by approved chiropractic presenters, as Chiropractic Physicians may similarly receive credit for formal CME presented by approved medical or osteopathic organizations.

One of the biggest issues that has arised locally and nationally is the epidemic of Opioids.

The field of Chiropractic has helped people extensively not only to get patients off of these drugs but helped them from even starting them.

If you go to the American Chiropractic Association website, which is a National Chiropractic Association, it will give you a little more understanding of our help in fighting this epidemic.

Chiropractic and the Opioid Epidemic:

http://www.acatoday.org/Patients-Why-Choose-Chiropractic-Chiropractic-and-the-Opioid-Epidemic

How I have worked with County Departments in the past and going forward as McHenry County Coroner?

Being a past County Board Member I have worked with many of the associated departments whether it was an elected official or director of those departments.

I would like to enhance my stance to outreach in the community and working with other departments within the McHenry County.

Those departments included conversations with Sheriff (Bill Prim), States Attorney (Patrick Kenneally) Mental Health Board (Scott Block), Valley Hi Director (Tom Annerellia), Department of Health (Mike Hill at the time), McHenry County Drug Coordinator (Laura Crain), VAC (Mike Iwaniki) and even Dr. Majewski of the Coroner’s office during my tenure as County Board Member.

Working especially with Sheriff Prim and States Attorney Kenneally will be of the utmost high priority.

While Sheriff Prim was tenured to perform duties of the Coroner’s Office I would look forward to meeting and discussing any input to helping the Coroner’s Office effectiveness for him and his department as well.

I also would look forward to discussing any concerns of States Attorney Kenneally to insure we can better serve his office too.

Though suicides are always a tradgedy, however this year alone 2019 McHenry County has seen 5 suicides of Military Veterans which is unusually high in our county.

With veterans coming back from war zones we must work with our VAC and Mental Health Board to eliminate these trends.

Drugs such as Opioids, Fentanyl, Herion continue to be a epidemic.

I have had many conversations with our Drug Coordinator Laura Crain and will continue to use her and her office as is an invaluable source in helping look at trends not only nationally but within our county.

I have always been involved in the community in some form and being McHenry County Coroner will make it a priority as well.

Reaching out to school children/teenagers to help educate our young population. Working with our first responders will be an important focus of the Coroner’s duties if I was to hold that position.

I would like to provide the board members that there are no necessary requirements needed to become a Coroner unless you are in Cook County.

If elected Coroner there is a state wide training that is done for new elected Coroners.

As I have stated with my medical background as evidence to the contrary to be capable of such duties.

Especially when 80% of cases at the Coroner’s office are Medical Related.

Outside of Cook County there is only 1 MD in Illinois that is a Coroner and that is DuPage County.

He does not perform Autopsies just like Dr. Majewski did none as well.

Other County Coroner’s background that are bigger or a little smaller in size and their background is

• Lake County Coroner has a background in Dentistry
• Will and Winnebago County background in Mortuary Science
• Kane/St.Clair/Madison/Campaign County Coroner’s have background in Law Enforcement.

Dr. Majewski set a higher standard for our County as Coroner and I look forward to keeping that high standard for McHenry County.

I hope that this gives the McHenry County Board a little more insight to the Coroner’s position as well as my qualifications to serve in that position.

And if appointed, I will be looking forward to hitting the ground running, bringing continuity to the office and relieving the Sheriff’s office of overseeing the Department so Sheriff Prim can focus more on the duties that he was elected for.

Dr. Michael R. Rein, D.C.

= = = = =

Franks was smirking the first three minutes, but then after two fellow Chiropractic Physicians, Dr. Matt Antzyk and Dr. Warren Wolschlager, relinquished their time to me Franks got quite disturbed.

Look for a Rules change that does not allow people to yield their time to another speaker.