ACA - ICA Recommend "Alliance"

OAK BROOK, Illinois -- The stage was set for the November 16-17, 1996 chiropractic leadership conference that would address the challenges before the profession. The historic summit meeting, sponsored by the American Chiropractic Association, and the International Chiropractors Association, brought together seven members from each national organization, and nine participating chiropractic organizations:

American Black Chiropractic Association (ABCA)
Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC)

American Spinal Research Foundation (ASRF, formerly the Consortium for Chiropractic Research)
Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE)
Congress of Chiropractic State Associations (COCSA)
Foundation for the Advancement of Chiropractic Tenets and Science (FACTS)
Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research (FCER)
Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB)
Federation of Straight Chiropractic Organizations (FSCO)

After everyone was given the opportunity to express their hopes for the meeting, a number of individual presentations were made:

Carl Whitworth, DC, president of the ABCA, called for a unified voice for chiropractic, standardized practice procedures and documentation, a chiropractic public education effort, and a more proactive approach in general.

Reed Phillips, DC, DACBR, PhD, president of the ACC, presented the ACC's first position statement on the definition of chiropractic and subluxation and encouraged the profession to set a course for itself. Dr. Phillips announced that a second position statement would be forthcoming.

Patricia Brennan, PhD, president of the ASRF, told the leadership that the chiropractic research community "doesn't have any problems that money can't solve." Dr. Brennan spoke of the need for a stronger chiropractic research infra-structure and told the audience that the watchword for 21st century would be "evidence based health care."

Thomas Klapp, DC, first vice president of the COCSA, pointed out the lack of ICA/ACA cooperation in the past. Dr. Klapp spoke to the need for greater public access to chiropractic care, announced that the Congress had endorsed the ACC's definition of chiropractic and encouraged other organizations to do likewise.

Robert Hoffman, DC, of FACTS, noted the trend from disease orientation towards wellness. Dr. Hoffman advocated an aggressive chiropractic public relations campaign to help the profession "plug in" to the current trend of alternative/complimentary medicine and reposition chiropractic towards healthy lifestyles.

George "Mac" McClelland, DC, immediate-past president of the FCER, presented the eight assumptions upon which the foundation's mission statement is based. Dr. McClelland also spoke of the need to educate the public about chiropractic, and included a discussion of the issue of financial capacity.

Robert Vaughn, DC, president of the FCLB, called the chiropractic leaders to "unity of action." Dr. Vaughn stressed the importance of placing the patient first and how the chiropractic profession would benefit from doing so.

William Decken, DC, president of the FSCO, focused on chiropractic's need to remain "separate and distinct." Dr. Decken was also concerned about the need to better educate chiropractic students in the area of business techniques.

The two-day meeting was extremely congenial. It was obvious that the time had come to set aside differences and work towards solutions. Ultimately, the ICA and ACA presented the following summary of results:

References

The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) and the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) convened a Leadership Summit, November 16-17 in Oak Brook, Ill. Nine other organizations associated with the chiropractic profession also attended: the ABCA, ACC, ASRF (formerly CCR), CCE, COCSA, FACTS, FCER, FCLB and FSCO.

At the Leadership Summit, the ACA/ICA delegations agreed to jointly recommend to their governing bodies for adoption:

1. and public awareness of the current professional
   education competence and licensing requirements for a DC. This public awareness program will be operated through:

    

2. Creation of the Alliance for Chiropractic Progress within
   60 days. The Alliance will act as a work group focused on a specific project, and will have no separate governance powers. The Alliance will be governed by the boards of the ACA and ICA. Upon creation, the ACA and ICA may invite other organizations to contribute their efforts and resources to the Alliance within the following 180 days [or other selected time line].

    

3. Focusing the Alliance's initial efforts on increasing
   public awareness of chiropractic education and licensing standards, and the high quality of care provided by licensed chiropractors.

    

4. Convening a broader-based working group within 120 days to
   facilitate operational details to implement this public awareness program.

    

5. of the ACC position paper on chiropractic definitions
   (chiropractic paradigm) by each participating organization, within 45 days [or other time line]. Note: ICA recently adopted this document.

    

6. on legislative agenda items of common interest and
   positions. These two organizations, with input from others, should: 1) develop their respective legislative programs and agendas; 2) identify common positions; and 3) pursue cooperation and coordination of those legislative activities selected.

    

7. action: The ACA and ICA delegations recommend to their
   governing bodies a sharing of legal information and advice (including input from NACA) in regard to common issues facing the profession (e.g. Medicare, managed care, etc.)

    

8. meeting: The ACA and ICA delegations also recommend to
   their governing bodies to continue their joint discussions of additional issues in future sessions.

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   The ICA/ACA leadership asked each organization represented to endorse and support the Alliance for Chiropractic Progress. Additional organizations are expected to be invited as the Alliance gets underway.

   At the conclusion of the effort, ICA President Robert Braile, DC, commented: "The exciting aspect of this effort was the central nature of the needs of the health care consumer to have open access to the health care of their choice."

   ACA Chairman of the Board Lowry Morton, DC, noted: "Research and analysis by the ACA indicates the general public is uninformed about matters of chiropractic education, examination and licensure. Clarification of these matters alone would provide the person in need of health care with another excellent option."

   R. James Gregg, DC, chairman of the ICA Board added: "The more the public knows of noninvasive, low-cost health care choices, the better it will serve to lessen the fiscal strains associated with health care."

   ACA President Kurt Hegetschweiler, DC, advocated a broad base of support for these efforts from within the profession. "This is not just an ACA/ICA issue. It will require the support and participation of every organization in the profession, and in fact every doctor of chiropractic."

   These specific action steps and timelines are included in preliminary plans for implementation of the public education and awareness effort. To be successful, this effort will require a broadening of the organizational participant base, and continued high level discussion between ACA and ICA.