The Vision of Los Angeles College of Chiropractic 1990s -- The Decade of Distinction

There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows, and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat;
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.

-- Shakespeare, Julius Caesar (1598-1600) IV, iii, 96

The tide is at the flood stage and we, the chiropractic profession in generally and the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic (LACC) in particular, must take our voyage now or remain bound in the shallows and miseries of the past.

But what is our voyage to be? How shall we set the sails and trim the rudder? What is our course and our destination?

Our course is direct and our destination is distinction. We have charted a course leading to distinctive students; distinctive faculty, staff and alumni; distinctive educational program; distinctive research; distinctive professional development; and distinctive community service.

Our distinction will be derived from our commitment to quality. From students to alumni, janitors to board members, neighbors to patrons, evidence of our commitment to quality shall be felt by all.

At LACC, the Advantage program is but the beginning of our dedication to a decade of distinction. Our commitment to quality will define new advantage concepts to be applied in our clinics, postgraduate studies, faculty development, and administration. We stand committed to cast our sails toward the 21st century, to lead chiropractic into its distinctive role as the primary care provider of the future.

It's exciting to serve as president of an institution dedicated to shaping the future of a profession. Yes, we are faced with many challenges. Yes, we are confronted with large obstacles. Yes, the winds seem to blow in our face more than at our backs. But it was a seasoned Dr. Janse who used to say, "It was the cold North winds that made the Vikings strong."

Have we not faced adversity as a profession before? Have not our enemies marshalled massive forces focused on our elimination? Has not internal conflict always been one of our greatest weaknesses? Yet chiropractic has survived, and we will continue to survive.

But survival alone is not our goal. Only under the harshest of circumstances does survival rate distinction. Our challenges are great, but challenges are nothing more than opportunities where obstacles become stepping stones. There is such a great need for chiropractic, if only we, as a profession, could clearly articulate our cause and our purpose. To this end I am totally dedicated, that chiropractic might obtain its rightful place.

As president of LACC, I envision:

• Doctors of chiropractic will be primary care providers in the 21st century and fulfill a major role in a multidisciplinary health care setting.

   

• Chiropractic education will be a rigorous and stimulating experience comparable in quality to any other health profession's education.

   

• Chiropractic educational institutions will be centers of active learning whose faculty, as leaders of thought and experts in clinical skills, will extend the frontiers of knowledge and practice in chiropractic.

   

• Quality of life and health status will be elevated through effective, accessible, and affordable chiropractic care.

   

• Chiropractic will obtain an internal consensus and external legitimization and thereby achieve its rightful role in society as a health care authority.

LACC will play a vital role in leading chiropractic into the 21st century as we provide the educational experience that creates competent and confident doctors of chiropractic; establish an environment for active learning and research to extend our frontiers of knowledge and practice; train the leadership that will lead the profession to its rightful place in society; and improve the quality of life by improving the effectiveness and availability of chiropractic care.

The Los Angeles College of Chiropractic is already about the business of leading chiropractic through this decade of distinction and into the next century. Survival is not enough. Progress is our goal. Success lies in the fulfillment of our vision of the future of chiropractic.

Reed B. Phillips, D.C.
President, LACC