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.
In a landmark development, Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) has reached a $2.8 billion settlement to resolve antitrust claims brought by health care providers, including chiropractors. The lawsuit accused BCBS of dividing the nation into exclusive regions and limiting competition, which resulted in lower reimbursements for providers. Although BCBS denies any wrongdoing, the company agreed to the settlement to avoid lengthy litigation – and you can get a piece of the pie.
The World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) Board of Directors passed a “Policy on Non-Interference and Respect for National Authority” at its Q3 2024 meeting. Upon reading this, some might ask if the WFC policy is targeting the activities of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) in providing international membership to Japanese individuals who do not hold a chiropractic degree from an accredited institution.
Part 3 of this three-part article on recogizing and diagnosing delayed-onset motor-vehicle acident (MVA) injuries in clinical practice coversspinal cord injury linked to cervical stenosis and spondylosis; alar sprain; and delayed instability. Part 1 discussed traumatic subdural hematoma, stroke due to MVA and traumatic central disc herniation; part 2 discussed traumatic Schmorl's nodes, post-concussion syndrome and posttraummatic syrinx.
