(Dover, NH, March 20, 2007) Statement in public testimony of Dr. Michael Hoyle, President, McIntosh College, concerning House Bill 908, An Act relative to the licensure and regulation of massage therapists and registration of somatic and bodywork practitioners. The testimony was presented to the New Hampshire NH House Executive Departments and Administration Committee on March 20, 2007.

Introduction:

• My name is Dr. Michael Hoyle and I am the president of McIntosh College located in Dover, NH
• As many of you might know, we have been in operation for more than 110 years. The college offers Associate degree and certificate programs in a number of fields including business management, culinary arts, graphic design, criminal justice, professional photography, medical assisting, as well as massage therapy.
• In 2003 we began a Massage Therapy program that has proven to be a popular and growing program at McIntosh.

HB 908

• In its current form, we are opposed to HB 908.
• Among the concerns we have with the bill are the following:
  • As I understand the bill, it would remove important oversight of academic and educational training from the State’s Postsecondary Education Commission and transfer that oversight to a new independent regulatory board with oversight of all massage therapy programs in colleges and universities in New Hampshire.
    • While the profession certainly needs a Board to ensure consumer confidence in the work of massage therapists, New Hampshire already has that oversight in place and it is called the NH Postsecondary Education Commission.
    • This bill increases the tax burden on the taxpayers of New Hampshire needlessly.
    • Simply put, HB 908 is poor public policy and would set New Hampshire on a slippery slope of multiple higher education oversight boards. This kind of public policy does not serve the public interest.

Conclusion

• If you as duly elected representatives have a concern about massage therapists and massage therapy programs, we suggest that the better approach would be to ask the NH Postsecondary Education Commission for a report – to invest in the commission rather than creating multiple systems.
• Thank you for this opportunity to address the committee and if you have any questions I will be happy to try and answer them for you.

McIntosh College is a private, degree granting post-secondary college located in Dover, New Hampshire. McIntosh College offers a variety of associate degrees. McIntosh College was founded in 1896, and has continually operated in Dover, playing an important role in the region's evolving career education landscape. Today the college enrolls nearly one thousand students from around the country. In 1999, McIntosh College became part of the Career Education Corporation's community of schools.

McIntosh College's programs currently include Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts, Criminal Justice, Medical Assisting, Paralegal Studies, Graphic Design, Professional Photography, Business Management, Massage Therapy and Fashion Merchandising. In 2006, McIntosh entered into an articulation agreement with New Hampshire's Plymouth State University in which course credit can be transferred to PSU for Graphic Design and Criminal Justice. McIntosh College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC).