Expanding Chiropractic in the Military: A Cautionary Tale
Dear Editor:
I am writing to you about the chiropractic program within the Department of Defense (DoD). I see that the American Chiropractic Association is again saying how they have gotten legislation introduced to expand chiropractic services in both the active-duty area and the VA. On the front page of the April 23, 2007 Dynamic Chiropractic is a large headline about the expansion ("A Chiropractor at Every VA Hospital - Will Congress Finally Act?"). That's all well and good. It needs to be expanded. But what about the doctors who provide this service to our soldiers, sailors and airmen/women now and have done so for the past 12 years?
The Air Force and the Army DCs work for Cherokee Nation Industries or Aliron. The contract we work under is, for all practical purposes, the same one that was written 12 years ago to service the demonstration program. That contract was written as a very short-term contract, with no thought or provision for any long-term employment. The DoD said right from the get-go that the program would take two, and at the very most, three years and then go away. The contract mirrored that thought. There is nothing to cover raises, other than COLA. We have never had a raise. There is nothing to cover a change in benefits for long-term employment. No matter how long you work, you never get more vacation or an increase in any benefit. There is no thought of safety for the worker, e.g., if there is bad weather and the base closes, we either have to stay to the end of the day and take the chance that we might get in trouble with the bad road conditions, or we have to take leave so we can go home while it is still safe to do so. Like I said, the contract is one that was designed for a very short-term situation that has then been used for long-term employment.
Overall, working at a military base is wonderful. It is work that has meaning. We are helping a community that needs the care and has been underserved in the past. It is a great job. There is room for improvement, but the leadership at the national level only seems to see more sites, more sites, more sites. That national leadership has no interest in doing something for those of us who have been in the program from the beginning and who did the work that made the continuing expansion possible. If this is mentioned to them, they say they do not want to rock the boat or disturb the "more sites, more sites" effort.
This is why I am writing you. Your organization and paper have the greatest voice in chiropractic. You have the widest following and influence in the profession. You seem to take a balanced approach and do what is best for the profession. I would like to see someone address this situation and bring it to the attention of the profession, to see if these things could be addressed. Can we get the Surgeon General's office to look at this situation and get something done to make the contact reflect the long-term nature of what is now going on? The Surgeon General's office is where policy gets started. Can we get DoD central contracting to be moved to write a contract that is more reflective of long-term employment? Cherokee Nation Industries and Aliron just bid on the contract and will take whatever central contracting writes. That is the nature of bidding on a DoD contract. A company looks at the contract and then figures out what it will cost them to do it and make a profit, and then bids. Trying to do anything through the bidder is of no use. Change has to come from the top.
If anything can be done it is DC that will get it done. Those of us who work for Cherokee or Aliron cannot talk to anyone directly. We are forbidden to do so under the contract. Someone will have to contact the Surgeon General's office, Congress or DoD central contracting to get any movement on this matter. Can you, will you, take this matter under consideration?
Please do not ignore this just because it is not signed. I fear that I could lose my job if I identify myself. Please help get this contract to reflect the current nature of the situation.
A concerned Cherokee/Aliron employee
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