Nebraska Chiropractic Board Latest to Oppose ACN Policies
The Nebraska State Board of Chiropractic has joined the growing opposition to the apparent discriminatory practices of the American Chiropractic Network (ACN). A letter to CEO Thomas J. Allenburg, DC, penned by G.H. Hanssen, DC, chair of the Nebraska board, purports that ACN is restricting care based on arbitrary statistical models rather than clinical necessity, resulting in substandard care for patients. The letter goes on to suggest that financial concerns are taking priority over appropriate patient care, which leaves Nebraska chiropractors in a compromised position as, according to state rules and regulations, they treat patients based on clinical necessity.
According to the board, following the ACN business model undermines patient confidence in the DCs who care for them. ACN also has faced fire from the Arkansas State Board of Chiropractic Examiners, which wrote a similar letter to the network in June 2005.
The American Chiropractic Association and the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards continue to campaign against the unfair actions of chiropractic networks, urging state member boards to "identify inappropriate managed care criteria and processes that interfere with the doctor-patient relationship" and to report such instances to state regulatory authorities.
For background on this topic, please see the following articles from recent issues of Dynamic Chiropractic:
Two professors at Logan College of Chiropractic recently received significant professional honors within the greater health care profession. Donna M. Mannello, DC, was named chair of the Missouri State Board of Health, while Norman Kettner, DC, DACBR, FICC, was named a "visiting scientist" at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).
Dr. Mannello, a professor in Logan's clinical science division, was nominated to the board of health in 2003 by Missouri Gov. Bob Holden.1 She was elected as chair by her fellow board members. Dr. Kettner, a professor of clinical science and chairman of the radiology department at Logan, helped set in motion the college's research partnership with the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Functional and Structural Neuroimaging at MGH in 2001.
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3+3 = DC Degree
In other Logan news, for the past four years, the college has offered an innovative "3+3" articulation program, whereby students can enter Logan's doctor of chiropractic program having completed 90 semester hours (or three years) of coursework at a participating four-year university. The basic science coursework taken during the first year at Logan satisfies the academic requirements for both the undergraduate degree and the DC program concurrently.
For example, in late 2005, Logan partnered with the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL); students enrolled at UMSL can complete three years of study in the biology program, and then transfer to Logan, where they fulfill the requirements for the UMSL bachelor's of science degree while receiving credit for their first year of study toward their DC degree.
As the second-largest chiropractic institution in North America, Logan currently has 3+3 articulation agreements with 25 colleges and universities, and hopes to expand that number to 40 by the end of 2006.
NUHS Receives $1 Million Grant to Continue Research Project
National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) in Lombard, Ill., has received a $1,007,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate the effects of chiropractic adjustments on spinal joints. The project, led by principal investigator Gregory D. Cramer, DC, PhD, is titled "Z Joint Changes in Low Back Pain Following Adjusting." This four-year study will evaluate "gapping" in subjects with acute low back pain and evaluate relationships between gapping and changes in pain, function, number of treatments, and audible release during adjustments.
The NUHS research group completed initial studies on the effects of chiropractic adjustments on the zygapophysial joints in 2002. Those investigations showed that gapping does indeed occur following the adjustment.
Dr. Barry Sears to Keynote Palmer Symposium on Nutrition and Chiropractic
The 5th Symposium on Nutrition and Chiropractic is scheduled to take place April 22-23, 2006 on the Palmer College campus in Davenport, Iowa. The event's keynote speaker will be Barry Sears, PhD, founder of Zone Labs and author of bestselling diet books such as The Zone, Mastering the Zone and The Anti-Aging Zone. Other scheduled speakers include Linda Snetselaar, PhD, RD, from the University of Iowa College of Public Health, and John Morley, MD, from the St. Louis University College of Medicine.
The theme for this year's symposium is "Nutrition and the Life Cycle," and many oral and poster presentations will discuss nutritional considerations relating to pregnancy, lactation, pediatrics, adulthood and aging. Chiropractors, chiropractic college students, dietitians, medical doctors and other health professionals will benefit from the latest information on nutrition from leading experts in the fields of chiropractic and nutrition. For more information about the symposium, including how to register online, visit www.palmerinstitute.net.
Life University Announces New Personnel
Life University recently welcomed four new staff members: David Koch, DC, Amy Kubat, DC, Krista Boline, DC, and Kimberly Green. Dr. Koch is a graduate of Sherman College and served his alma mater for 20 years before joining Life University. Dr. Kubat joins the college of chiropractic in the clinical sciences division. She graduated from Life in 2001 and earned a bachelor's degree in microbiology and immunology from the University of Toronto, where she also graduated with honors. Dr. Boline, who earned her doctor of chiropractic degree from Northwestern College, will serve as the new director of clinic P.E.A.K. programs (Practice: Excellence, Art and Knowledge). Ms. Green joins the university as source coordinator. She earned her master's of education degree in school psychology from Georgia State University.
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
