A Tri-Cities chiropractor gets his license back, but with restrictions to protect patients

A former Tri-Cities chiropractor will be allowed to resume practice — with restrictions — after having his license suspended in 2013.

Russell Tagg, who held a chiropractic license in Washington since 1992, was accused of inappropriately touching four women during treatment before the state Department of Health suspended his license for at least three years.

Allegations included touching or massage below the waist to treat shoulder injuries.

The Department of Health’s Chiropractic Quality Assurance Commission is allowing Tagg to resume practice, but he will be on probation for at least four years.

Tagg agreed to the terms, according to state documents.

He will be prohibited from massage therapy, and patients must be treated in their street clothes rather than disrobing during the probation period.

For the first six months, he is only allowed to treat men.

Patient informed consent

After that restriction lifts, he must have a female chaperone present during treatment of all patients through the probation period, and the chaperone may not be a relative.

All patients must read and initial a statement explaining the reasons for having a chaperone present, although a patient may waive the presence of the chaperone.

Each patient also must be notified of the commission’s decision in the case for the duration of the probationary period.

Before the probation is lifted, Tagg must undergo a complete psycho-sexual evaluation by a psychiatrist or mental health specialist approved by the commission.

Before his license was reinstated, he was required to pay a $5,000 fine; undergo a psychiatric evaluation; pass a National Board of Chiropractic Examiners Ethics and Boundaries Examination; and compete 16 hours of continuing education on ethics and boundaries and documentation and billing codes.

In one case that led to the license suspension in 2013, a woman reported seeing Tagg in March 2011 to get treatment for shoulder, neck and hip pain. She returned for 32 more sessions and said the treatment became increasingly inappropriate, according to state documents.

Tagg also reportedly ended at least eight sessions by kissing the patient on the cheek.

This story was originally published August 4, 2019 at 4:43 PM with the headline "A Tri-Cities chiropractor gets his license back, but with restrictions to protect patients."