Texas MDs Support Chiropractic Care for Veterans

On February 16, a group of medical doctors, chiropractors and other associates of the Texas Back Institute presented U.S. House of Representatives Silvestre Reyes and Ciro Rodriguez with letters urging them to support the integration of chiropractic services in the Veterans Administration (VA) health care system. Representatives Reyes and Rodriguez, both of Texas, are members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over veterans' hospitals and the care, treatment and rehabilitation of veterans and their dependants.

The letters recommend that the legislators implement the proposals of the ACA and the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC) for chiropractic in the VA's health care system. (Editor's note: See "Chiropractic Reps. Meet with Dept. of Veterans Affairs" on the front page of this issue.) Per the Veterans' Millennium Health Care Act (HR 2116) that was signed into law in November 1999, the Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs must establish chiropractic's role in the VA.

The letters in support of chiropractic were written by James Cable,MD; Stephen Hochschuler, MD; John Regan, MD; Richard Guyer,MD; Ralph Rashbaum,MD; Jack E. Zigler, MD; Scott Blumenthal,MD; Dennis Skogsbergh,DC,DABCO,DACBR; John Triano, DC,PhD; Daniel Hansen, DC, DABCO; and Lisa Raines, the TBI practice administrator.

In their letters, the doctors state: "Despite the widespread popularity and proven efficacy of chiropractic care, clinically and economically, chiropractic benefits are rarely provided to veterans and the Veterans Administration health care system. American veterans deserve to receive the very best health care possible in all of its options. Based on our experience, that would mean the appropriate incorporation of chiropractic services within the DVA system."

The recommendations written by the ACA and ACC provide several options for integrating chiropractic into the VA's health care services. A free copy of the report is available from the ACA's website (www.amerchiro.org/pdf/va_report.pdf ). You can also request a copy by contacting the ACA at (800) 986-4636.

On February 17, thousands of chiropractic students, faculty, staff and friends crowded into the Eagle's Nest gymnasium at the campus of Life University to celebrate 25 years of education. From less than two-dozen students in 1974, Life now has a student body of approximately 3,500, making it one of the largest chiropractic colleges in the world.

"The purpose of Life University is to train young people from all walks of life ... not only to become skilled doctors of chiropractic, but also to become meaningful human beings whose innate goodness will touch and affect all who come in contact with them," said Life President Sid Williams. "In this, our 25th anniversary year, we see an even brighter future for educating chiropractors and spreading health care throughout the world."

Carol Jones, the first librarian for Northwestern College of Chiropractic, has retired after more than three decades of service. Her retirement marks the end of a career that saw the school change locations three times and expand its program to become the Northwestern Health Sciences University.

"I have enjoyed my job and liked what I was doing," said Jones. "In the past 33 years, there have been some bad times and some good times, but I have liked it here."

After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor's degree that included a minor in library science, Jones was approached in 1966 by faculty member Dr. John Allenburg, now the president of Northwestern. He asked her to help set up a library at the college. She began working part-time at Northwestern a few months later and played a vital role in the school library's day-to-day operations as the college moved from Minneapolis to St. Paul, and finally to Bloomington.

Though retired, Jones still wants to lend a hand. "There's still a lot of cataloging that needs to be done," she noted. "If they'll let me, I'll work from home to clean up this system."

Students in National College of Chiropractic's (NCC) first allied health class of massage therapy began the clinical phase of their education in January. The program is a three-trimester course of study, which full-time students complete in one year. The students are required to complete 30 hours of clinical intern experience during the program's second trimester, in addition to 11 hours of classroom work every week. During the final trimester of the massage therapy program, students must complete 60 hours in the clinic to fulfill the program's clinical requirements for certification.

NCC officially becomes the National University of Health Sciences on Sept. 1, 2000. The College of Allied Health Sciences, in addition to massage therapy, will offer a chiropractic assistant program and bachelor's degree in human biology.

For the first time in almost 20 years, two new facilities will be constructed at Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic. As part of the college's master plan, a new classroom and chiropractic museum are being built on campus. One as-yet-unnamed building currently under construction will support two classrooms and offices, and will include a large atrium.

The new museum/meeting facility, the Brown House, is being built in honor of Dr. Gordon Brown, a 1942 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic, and his wife Helen McPike Brown. The building was funded by the sale of the Browns' home in Arizona. It is intended to house various chiropractic memorabilia and will also include space for meetings, receptions and entertainment.

"The museum will house the Brown and McPike families' extensive collections of chiropractic memorabilia," said Dr. Koch, president of Sherman.

Both buildings are scheduled to be completed in the spring.

Richard Brinkley, president and chief executive officer of Complementary Healthcare Plans (CHP), has been elected treasurer and named a board member of the American Association of Preferred Provider Organizations (AAPPO). Mr. Brinkley is the only representative from a complementary health care organization to serve on the board.

"I am looking forward to working with the AAPPO in its expanded mission to improve the quality, accessibility and affordability of health services," said Brinkley, whose company offers provider networks for chiropractic, acupuncture and other forms of alternative care to local health care plans. "Hassle-free access to high-quality, affordable care is the cornerstone of CHP, and I am pleased to have a seat at the table to share how this model has contributed to our success."

Complementary Healthcare Plans was founded by a group of doctors of chiropractic in Portland, Oregon in 1989. In addition to chiropractic and acupuncture, CHP provides naturopathic medicine, therapeutic massage and other forms of care to health care plans throughout Oregon and the Northwest.

Three new officers were elected at the annual meeting of the Council on Chiropractic Education's Commission on Accreditation in Scottsdale, Arizona in January. The commission's new officers are:

Chairman: Joseph Brimhall,DC (Ogden,UT);

Vice Chairman: William Remling,DC (Louisville,KY); and

Secretary: Bruce Gunderson,DC (Salt Lake City,UT).