The American Chiropractic Association's annual meeting was held August 29-September 1 in St. Petersburg, Florida. The ACA representatives enacted policies, elected officers, and recognized important contributions to the profession.
New Wellness Model
The ACA House of Delegates outlined a new wellness model by ratifying a resolution affirming DCs to be "primary care physicians who have the requisite training and education to provide clinical nutritional counseling and intervention." Strategies for implementing this wellness model include: a fundamental shift in chiropractic college curricula to emphasize the wellness philosophy; a campaign to inform the public of chiropractic's wellness focus; funding research to assess the wellness model; and increasing the profession's involvement in the American Public Health Association.
Officers Elected
The ACA meeting saw the following officials elected:
President - Dr. Daryl Wills, Gering, Nebraska
Vice President - Dr. Donald Krippendorf, Saint Petersburg, Florida
Chairman, Board of Governors - Dr. James Edwards, Emporia, Kansas
Third member, Executive Commitee - Dr. George McClelland, Christiansburg, Virginia
Governor, District I - Dr. Roger Combs, Libby, Montana, re-elected
Governor, District III - Dr. George McClelland, re-elected
Governor, District V - Dr. J. Michael Flynn, Houma, Louisiana, re-elected
Governor, District VI - Dr. James Edwards, re-elected
(Districts II and IV Governors Drs. Linda Zange of Glenview, Illinois, and Lewis Bazakos, Valley Stream, New York were not up for election.)
President, Council of Delegates - Dr. Richard Brassard, Beaumont, Texas
Vice President, Council of Delegates - Dr. Glenn Manceaux, Houma, Louisiana
Secretary, Council of Delegates - Dr. David Herd, Geneva, New York
ACA Representative to the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research - Dr. Kenneth Spresser, Arvada, Colorado
Chiropractic Contributors Recognized
The "Chiropractor of the Year" for 2001 was awarded to Dr. Edward Maurer of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Dr. Maurer is the former chairman of the ACA Board of Governors.
Dr. Monte Greenawalt, of Las Vegas, Nevada, the founder of Foot Levelers, Inc. in 1952, was named "Humanitarian of the Year." The award is given for "exceptional service, achievement and/or leadership to the chiropractic profession for current or past accomplishments." Monte's son, Kent Greenawalt, the current president of the company, was bestowed the same honor 10 years ago.
Dr. Greenawalt emerged this year as the national legal action spokesperson for the ACA lawsuits against the Department of Health and Human Services and Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield.
The father-son duo has made the company synonymous with philanthropic efforts. The two have donated over $7 million to chiropractic organizations and institutions, and recently raised nearly half a million dollars for the American Red Cross relief fund for victims of the terrorist attacks.
Dr. Mario Spoto, Pennsylvania delegate and former president of the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations, was named "Delegate of the Year."
B. Gert Bronfort,DC,PhD, professor of research at Northwestern Health Sciences University, was recipient of the "ACA Research Award." Dr. Gert Bronfort is a graduate of the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College and received his PhD from Vrije University of Amsterdam. He has been the principal investigator or co-investigator on eight studies in Denmark and the United States, evaluating the efficacy of conservative care for low backpain, neckpain, asthma, infantile colic and headache. He recently completed reviews on the efficacy of spinal manipulation for low back and neck pain, and for non-neck and back pain conditions.
Dr. Al Adams, vice president of professional affairs at the Southern California University of Health Sciences, Los Angeles, was named the "Academic of the Year."
Dr. Howard Fidler, ACA Minnesota delegate, received the Drs. John Flynn-Fobert Lynch Memorial Award. This award recognizes an outstanding member of the House of Delegates who has served for less than five years.
Legal Matters
General counsel George McAndrews, Esq., gave an update on the ACA lawsuits against the Department of Health and Human Services and Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield. (See "Judge Rules on Trigon's Motion to Dismiss ACA Lawsuit" in the Sept. 1, 2001 issue of DC, or on line at www.chiroweb.com/archives/19/18/17.html.)
Mr. McAndrews reported that based on an initiative by the National Blues, the ACA and the Virginia Chiropractic Association have entered into discussions with them to pursue possible settlement negotiations. He noted that the national Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association (BCBS) has indicated the need to discuss in good faith ways in which the problems and concerns of chiropractors and their patients regarding Blue Cross/Blue Shield plans can be addressed, and areas that might improve chiropractic patient access to state and federal BCBS benefit programs.
Dr. Allan Korn, chief medical officer of the national Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association, told the ACA House of Delegates that his organization is taking ACA's concerns seriously. "There is a willingness to put these issues on the table and talk through them," he stated. "We do care, because our patients want access to your services."
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
