Governor Pete Wilson recently signed into law Senate Bill 1951, better known as the "Freedom to Advertise Act." The new law was sponsored by the CCA and passed the California legislature unanimously.
Under the provisions of the law, which takes effect January 1, 1999, managed care organizations are generally prohibited from placing unfair advertising restrictions on the doctors under contract.
"SB 1951 will allow doctors a little more leeway in conducting their practice the way they see fit," said CCA President Robert Argyelan, DC. "Basic business decisions affecting how and where a doctor provides information to his patients are now back in the hands of doctors."
Currently, some MCOs have contractual guidelines that go as far as banning advertising, even threatening to terminate a doctor's contract if they so much as promote a patient appreciation day. Because many MCOs operate on a reimbursement system that rewards low participation rates, they have an incentive to restrict advertising, keeping utilization low and profits high.
"Managed care organizations micromanage our practices enough as it is," added Dr. Argyelan. "We ought to at least get them out of areas where they have no legitimate interest.
"SB 1951 gives doctors one small bit of their practices back, and that's good for both doctors and patients," added Dr. Argyelan. "Managed care enrollees will now be able to get accurate information about the benefits of chiropractic and the full range of services offered by their doctor."
Golden Gate Park in San Francisco was the site of the 12th annual AIDS Walk on July 19. In September, the amount of money raised among the top 10 schools that participated in the event was announced. Of the 51 Bay Area colleges and schools that took part in the walk-a-thon, the team from Life Chiropractic College West came in fifth, collecting a total of $1,646.33.
This year's AIDS Walk generated a record $3,602,178, with more than 30,000 participants competing in the event. The money raised from the walk-a-thon will benefit the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and 30 other AIDS organizations in the Bay Area.
Dr. James Joseph Holland, 70, who spent more than 30 years caring for patients in the Sacramento area, died on Sunday, September 20th.
"He was gregarious, everybody was his friend," said his daughter, Lisa Marie Holland-Litzky. "He really cared about people. He was incredibly bright, cheery (and full) of good will."
Born in Detroit, Dr. Holland graduated from Lincoln Chiropractic College in Indianapolis in 1952. After some postgraduate work at Lincoln, he moved to California and operated an office in Carmichael from 1957 until his retirement eight years ago.
He was a charter member of the American Chiropractic Association and a 28-year member of the California Chiropractic Association, serving as chairman of the mobile education unit and the ethics and economics committees. Dr. Holland was also chairman emeritus of the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic's board of regents, and held an honorary degree from the International College of Chiropractic.
Dr. Holland was quite active in civic affairs: a 17-year member of the Lions Club; an advisor and counselor for the Boy Scouts and Sea Scouts; a member of the Knights of Columbus; and a Red Cross instructor in beginning, standard and advanced first aid.
Dr. Holland is survived by his wife Nancy; four children (Terry, Michael, Lisa Marie and Jan Michele); and three brothers (Frank, Raymond and John).
On October 24th, Life Chiropractic College West held its annual homecoming celebration at the San Francisco Exploratorium. The college's homecoming was also carried live over the Internet for the first time in the school's history, making the weekend festivities available to thousands of Life West graduates and visitors worldwide.
Computer users logged into the college's website ([url=http://www.lifewest.edu]http://www.lifewest.edu[/url]) to gain access to the online coverage of the homecoming ceremonies. Two cameras and a mixer were employed at the Exploratorium, a world-renowned museum, to convey sounds and pictures over the Internet. One camera was used to record and display interviews and speeches, while the other focused on the more informal aspects of homecoming.
Life West reserved the entire Exploratorium for this year's homecoming. The Internet participants were also able to explore the museum's more than 500 exhibits relating to science, art and human perception.
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?
