PORTLAND, Oregon -- ChiroNet, Inc. has signed an agreement with Regence BlueCross/BlueShield of Oregon through 2000 to continue to provide chiropractic care to Regence BCBSO enrollees.
ChiroNet, Inc., headquartered in Portland, is a provider network for chiropractic throughout the Northwest, serving 600,000 members and employees in health plans of managed care organizations (MCOs). ChiroNet began offering chiropractic to MCOs in 1992.
The Washington State Chiropractic Association (WSCA), which was formed in 1991 when the three state associations merged to represent chiropractic as a single association, has honored five Washington state chiropractors for their service and commitment to chiropractic at their annual conference.
Dr. Ken Shotwell, of Ballard, Wash., was elected president of the 1,000-member WSCA. He was a founding member of the WSCA and has served on the executive committee of the board of directors since the association's inception. He has served as WSCA's chairman of the board, treasurer, and as secretary.
Dr. Shotwell has been in private practice for 15 years. He is a native of Pennsylvania, and a 1982 graduate of Sherman College.
Dr. Larry Stemp, of Tacoma, was awarded the WSCA's top honor, "Chiropractor of the Year." He received the same honor in 1992.
Dr. Stemp, a founding member of the WSCA, recently completed his term as president and board member of the WSCA. Dr. Stemp was the founder of the United Chiropractors of Washington, and served as the WSCA's first president when the state's three chiropractic organizations merged.
Larry Stemp, DC, has been in practice for over 26 years, and is a 1971 graduate of Palmer. He taught for eight years, at Life College and at Life West. Two of his three sons now attend Life College.
David Butters, DC, was presented the "Freedom Award."
Dr. David Butters of Seattle, was awarded the "Freedom Award" by the WSCA's political action committee, the Washington Chiropractic Trust. As chairman of the Coalition for Patient Choice, he has motivated DCs across the state to join in the effort to protect patients' rights to choose their health care provider. He currently is heading up a signature-gathering campaign for Initiative 673 to put this issue on the Nov. 1997 ballot. The Coalition filed the new initiative after not enough valid signatures were collected for the old initiative to get on the ballot last year.
"We decided to make this new initiative even better by including stronger language regarding disclosure and managed care policies," explained Dr. Butters.
Dr. Butters has been a member of the Washington Chiropractic Trust since its inception. He has served two five-year terms on the governor-appointed state chiropractic disciplinary board.
Dr. Butters, a 1973 graduate of Palmer College, has been in practice for 23 years.
Dr. Dennis Dilday, of Everett, Wash., was awarded the "Volunteer of the Year" for his commitment to educating more than 1,000 chiropractic offices on accurate and ethical coding of chiropractic services for insurance reimbursement.
"The world changed for chiropractic in Jan. 1997 when for the first time chiropractic services were included in the AMA's code book," Dr. Dilday noted.
Dr. Dilday has been in practice for over 11 years, and is a 1985 graduate of Palmer.
Larry Hansen, DC, was honored for "Outstanding Service."
Dr. Larry Hansen, of Federal Way, Wash., received the "Outstanding Service Award" for his instrumental creation of Initiative 673, and for supporting that effort.
Dr. Hansen, who recently completed his term as a member of the WSCA Board, has served as president and chairman of the WSCA Board.
He has been in practice for over 14 years, and is a 1983 graduate of Western States Chiropractic College.
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?
