Ten chiropractic colleges will be participating in this year's Challenge Grant Program, presented by Foot Levelers, Inc. The challenge for each college is to raise up to $25,000 by the end of 1997 for specific products; that money will be matched dollar-for-dollar by Foot Levelers. The combined funds raised by the colleges and matched by the company is expected to reach the $200,000 mark.
The Challenge Grant Program was announced last March at the annual meeting of the Association of Chiropractic Colleges. In a follow-up letter, Foot Levelers' President Kent Greenawalt laid out the ground rules for the challenge. Any college of chiropractic could apply for a challenge grant (up to $25,000) by submitting a proposal by May 1, 1997. The funds collected must come from either first-time givers or a source who had not given to the college in the past three years. To receive the matching funds from Foot Levelers, 100% of the matching grant amount must be generated by the college by December, 1997.
The 10 colleges which have accepted Foot Levelers' challenge are: Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College; Life Chiropractic College West; Logan College of Chiropractic; Los Angeles College of Chiropractic; New York Chiropractic College; Northwestern College of Chiropractic; Palmer College of Chiropractic; Palmer College of Chiropractic West; Parker College of Chiropractic; and Texas Chiropractic College.
Mr. Greenawalt mentioned how some of the colleges were applying for the funds: Canadian Memorial (to help construct a building at York University in Toronto); Palmer (campus renovations); Parker (postgraduate educational center; Northwestern (career services center).
"The purpose of our challenge grant program is to encourage the colleges to generate new funds," explained Mr. Greenawalt. "I know that's not an easy task, but I hope each of the 10 'challengers' meets its goal of 100%, so that we can give them the money they need for their worthwhile projects."
The Georgia Chiropractic Association (GCA) has renewed its "Platinum Sponsorship" of the Georgia Special Olympics (GSO). The $50,000 annual sponsorship is a state-wide project that has brought chiropractic a greater level of recognition in the state.
Dr. Patrick Sallarulo, in charge of the project since 1994, described the fund-raising process: "This sponsorship is paid entirely by GCA doctors who donate money raised through patient appreciation days. Our doctors see new patients for free on those days; we inform them of how much the visit would have normally cost and ask them to write a check, the amount of which is up to them, which we then send to the Georgia Special Olympics. GSO then credits the check to the GCA's sponsorship commitment and sends a receipt directly to the donor."
"Our doctors really get lots of bang for the buck," noted Dr. David Wren, a GCA member and part of the GSO's Board since 1995. Working with the Special Olympics helps get the chiropractic message out to the public ... and the Georgia Chiropractic Association receives major sponsor recognition at every state-wide Special Olympics competition held in Georgia."
"Working with these athletes is something our doctors look forward to," added GCA Executive Director Dr. Eric Krohne. "It's the type of positive image and strong PR money can't buy." For more information on the platinum sponsorship, contact the Georgia Chiropractic Association at (404) 688-3730.
The Congress of Chiropractic State Associations (COCSA) has a new project to develop an online chiropractic exchange for state associations on the Internet in a protected environment.
"We have been working towards this goal for a number of years, but costs and the lack of security on the public Internet have given us cause for concern," explained COCSA President Len Suiter, DC. Dr. Suiter said that negotiations with ChiroLink now gives the member associations the networking capabilities without the fear of the information being accessed by anyone on the Internet, and without the high costs of developing a web pages.
The agreement between COCSA and ChiroLink offers associations the ability to develop an intranet for communicating sensitive information to their members, while still being able to create a public access Internet website to promote chiropractic. The service is free to COCSA member associations. For more information, contact COCSA at (803) 356-6809, or at jjordan@chirolink.com.
A new program offered by Palmer Chiropractic Clinics West is making it much easier for nearly 1,000 South Bay athletes to compete in the 13 sporting events sponsored annually by the Santa Clara County Special Olympics. The clinics are working with the local Special Olympics chapter to provide their athletes with a low-cost and convenient method to satisfy the organization's requirement that athletes receive a physical exam once every three years.
"Having a resource like this for our athletes is a dream, and I'm confident it will help boost the number of athletes competing in our events," said Kara Capaldo, Special Olympics training coordinator. "Every year, approximately 25% of our athletes are due for a physical exam. This program will make it significantly easier for the athletes to fulfill the physical exam requirement, because of the reduced rate, the availability of three locations and the distinguished reputation of Palmer College West as one of the leaders in chiropractic care."
"We decided to take our son to the Palmer clinics because it was very convenient," said Daniel Falconer, whose son James finished first in the 50-meter dash at the recent Special Olympics Track and Field event. "I was very satisfied with the thoroughness and quality of care my son received."
The program benefits the clinicians also, as they gain from the experience of working with the Special Olympics athletes.
"Our students also benefit from the educational experience of working with a more diverse group of patients during their internship in the clinics," observed Dr. Dominick Scuderi, director of the Palmer West Clinic in Santa Clara.
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?
