At the February conference of the American Public Health Association (APHA) in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Jill Simecka, a 1985 graduate of Palmer West and PCCW faculty member since 1987, was nominated by members of the APHA's chiropractic forum as its membership chair.
The APHA is the nation's largest and perhaps the most politically influential health care organization in this country, one of 48 national associations of the World Federation of Public Health.
In 1986, chiropractic earned acceptance into the APHA as an unaffiliated member. (For a list of APHA groups, see the bottom of the membership application form on page 5904x.) Since that time, chiropractic membership has not exceeded 300. The chiropractic profession's inability to surpass this membership figure has restricted chiropractic and five other APHA health care disciplines to an unaffiliated or "Forum" status. A sobering detail: The six disciplines in the forum status have no voting privileges; the 23 other "Primary" groups do.
APHA membership is open to both DCs and students. Unlike the ACA or ICA, all students members of APHA have full voting privileges. But alas, chiropractic has the lowest renewal rate of any APHA discipline. Dr. Simecka attributes this to the chiropractic student members of APHA who often fail to upgrade their memberships after they become doctors of chiropractic.
To reach primary status in the APHA, chiropractic membership must exceed 500 members for three consecutive years. Let's do some rudimentary math: Currently there are 47,516 DCs and 6,383 chiropractic students in the U.S., a perspective chiropractic member pool of 53,899. With chiropractic membership in APHA never having exceeded 300 (approximately 5.5 percent of the pool), only 9.3 percent of the pool would have to become members to attain the magic mark of 500: certainly a realistic goal.
The reasons for becoming a member of the APHA are numerous and cogent. Dr. Simecka states them succinctly: to further the chiropractic profession; and to associate and communicate with the other health care professions. Her third reason is more prophetic. With the national health insurance program that many envision taking shape in the near future, Dr. Simecka states the APHA is "perhaps the most effective forum to voice opinions and affect the health care policy-making decisions made by Congress... If we don't speak up for ourselves, it's doubtful that anyone else will. It's time to get involved."
It is people like Dr. Simecka who make a difference in their profession. Taking the time and effort to chair a membership campaign, along with her teaching duties, her practice, and political lobbying activities, defines the word "dedication." Dr. Simecka admits she enjoys a busy schedule but still finds time to keep in shape with a weightlifting regimen, a "passion" she's pursued for 10 years.
Dr. Simecka is confident that once the word of the importance of chiropractic membership in APHA gets out, that the chiropractic profession will reach the plateau of primary status.
Steve Kelly
Assistant Editor
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