Approximately five days after Hurricane Katrina hit the South, I was invited to go to Mississippi with a team of doctors from Yale and the Hospital of St. Raphael in New Haven, Conn.
I joined a team that was comprised of a cardiologist, a pulmonologist, a doctor of internal medicine, a pediatrician, an orthopedic surgeon, and a plastic surgeon. A shipping and supplies expert accompanied us.
After arriving in Gulfport, Miss., we were stationed at Gulfport Memorial Hospital. We had taken approximately $50,000 worth of medical supplies and medicine along with us, which had been donated by St. Raphael's and private physicians for this mercy mission. I came armed with a small portable chiropractic table. Later, we hooked up with three ENTs
from Missouri; like us, they were there hoping to give medical help where it was needed. We were able to acquire an ambulance and a box truck, which we drove approximately 170 miles per day, traveling from one Red Cross shelter to another, providing all types of medical care.
It was both a personal privilege and a great chiropractic experience for me. Half of my time was spent assisting the doctors I was with; the other half of the time, I was treating patients, including local residents, Red Cross volunteers and hospital workers. The amount of musculoskeletal injuries was vast. Many people who had lost their homes were sore from sleeping on floors. The volunteers and hospital workers who had been working without relief were also in need of my
services. It was remarkable - whenever I took out the chiropractic table, a line would form. It was a great feeling to have an opportunity to give to people who at this point had so little. Working alongside such a diverse medical team with all their support was an added experience that I never would have known if not for this situation.
If you're ever given the opportunity to volunteer in this capacity, I strongly recommend that you take time out of your life to give back. It is a life-changing experience from which you gain as much as you give.
It’s a new year and many chiropractors are evaluating what will enhance their respective practices, particularly as it relates to their bottom line. One of the most common questions I get is: “Do I need to be credentialed to bill insurance, and what are the best plans to join?” It’s a loaded question – but one every DC ponders. Whether you're already in-network or pondering whether to join, here's what you need to know.
The geriatric curve – the progressive decline in our health, fitness, mental capacity, and overall constitution – graphically appears as a downward sloping line over time. It is a culmination of the effects of sarcopenia, postural deterioration, frailty, and chronic noncommunicable diseases that occur as we age. While aging cannot be reversed, the goal is to reduce the negative slope or “square off” the curve, thus avoiding a steady decline in health. Here are five ways to get your patients started.
Imagine an environment in which DCs are tightly integrated with their local healthcare system; a trusted resource for PCPs, specialists and self-insured employers; are reimbursed in alignment with value created; use modern technology enabling them to fully engage with their patients; are self-governed; and are able to maintain a fulfilling work-life balance. In the final part of this three-part series, we explore three areas for chiropractors to focus on to leave the current foolishness behind and create “the best of times” for DCs and their patients.
