WASHINGTON, D.C. - New Jersey Senator Robert Torricelli, an ardent supporter of chiropractic for the past two decades, was the recipient of the International Chiropractors Association's "Outstanding Public Service" award at a special ceremony in the nation's capital.
"Senator Torricelli represents the kind of responsiveness and commitment to fairness that chiropractic respects and admires," said ICA Executive Director Ronald Hendrickson, who presented the award on the association's behalf. "If every member of Congress had Senator Torricelli's understanding of chiropractic issues and willingness to fight on chiropractic's behalf, we would be in an ideal situation," he averred.
This award is given to members of Congress who have established a record of extraordinary service to chiropractic patients and the chiropractic profession. The award was a bust in the likeness of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, to symbolize an activist approach to government.
Senator Torricelli has been a strong supporter of chiropractic since he was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982 (he was elected to the Senate in 1996). In his 18 years in Congress, he has led efforts to correct the practice of post-payment review of chiropractic services in the Medicare program. He has worked with the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) to end this practice, which has been considered as discriminatory and detrimental to the chiropractic profession, and is intended, by the agency's own admission, to "reduce chiropractic utilization because of the growing demand for chiropractic services among the Medicare beneficiary population."
Sen. Torricelli has also made a special effort to understand chiropractic issues and to lead efforts to find fair solutions to chiropractic problems. His interest in chiropractic led to his writing a legislative column for the ICA Review for several years.
"ICA is proud to honor one of the most outspoken and effective supporters of chiropractic in the Congress today," said Mr. Hendrickson. "His efforts represent the best and most powerful elements a representative can bring to the public policy process, a desire to know the facts and an absolute commitment to fairness."
Biking for Backs A husband-and-wife bicycling team of DCs from Frankland Park, New Jersey, Lorraine and Lenny Mazza, will venture out from Astoria, Oregon in June 2001 to begin a 4,800-mile journey across the United States. The Mazzas plan to promote chiropractic as they travel, and to raise some $200,000 in scholarship funds.
The couple has initiated the Samuel and Sandra Berkowitz Memorial Scholarship fund, named after the late parents of Robert Berkowitz,DC. Dr. Berkowitz provided unsecured loans from his retirement savings in the early 1990s to help Sherman College through a difficult time in its history.
The trip will conclude in September in New Brunswick, New Jersey, at the home of Dr. Berkowitz. The Mazzas are encouraging people to ride the final 30 miles of their trip, from Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania to North Brunswick, NJ.
You can keep track of the couple's journey at www.rideforchiropactic.org.
ACC Administrators Meet The semi-annual meeting of the clinic administrators of the Association of Chiropractic Colleges took place in October on the campus of the Southern California University of Health Sciences, home to the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic.
The colleges represented at the meeting were: Canadian Memorial; New York; Northwestern; Palmer; Parker; TCC; Sherman; and LACC.
Among the topics discussed were: the clinician-based model; distance learning and its technology; community-based and preceptor internships; file review technology; and the Council on Chiropractic Education's clinical competencies draft.
During the three-day event, the attendees toured the SCU campus. SCU will open a College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in January, and a new $3 million University Health Center in Whittier. The new health center will offer chiropractic, acupuncture, Oriental medicine and auyervedic therapies.
Dr. Herbert Lee Celebrates 90th Herbert K. Lee,DC, professor emeritus of the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto, Ontario, turned 90 on November 5, 2000.
Dr. Lee, a 1941 graduate of National Chiropractic College, taught the first class at CMCC, September 18, 1945. He continues to teach three days a week at the CMCC chiropractic clinic named in his honor.
An advocate of physical activity, Dr. Lee maintains a physical regimen of exercise and stretching. He has not missed participating in the CMCC 5K Walk for the past 15 years.
Dr. Lee is a contributing writer on a book being written about CMCC, and is hosting a series of informative talks at the college for the public. He is president of the Canadian Chiropractic Historical Association and is an avid photographer.
CMCC celebrated Dr. Lee's 90th with a party at the college on November 7.
