Because they have yet to pass national legislation protecting the chiropractic profession, Japanese DCs are in a similar situation that U.S. DCs faced. We were fortunate enough to be able to pass chiropractic licensure state by state. The DCs in Japan must accomplish this nationally, which has proved to be an extremely difficult task. And in spite of their efforts, Japanese DCs are currently faced with two chiropractic professions.
News in Brief
ACA HOD Meeting: Preparing for the New Health Care
Adapting to change, particularly in the face of a transforming health care system, was the overriding theme echoed at the American Chiropractic Association's annual House of Delegates meeting, held at National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) headquarters in Greeley, Colo. Integrating into new health care delivery models, meeting quality measurement deadlines in Medicare, HIPAA patient privacy regulations, and transitioning to the ICD-10 code set were all big topics of conversation during this year's meeting.
As noted by ACA President Keith Overland, DC: "We have an opportunity facing us like never before in history. Our entire U.S. health care system is transforming. The payment mechanisms and delivery system are changing. Evidence and cost-effectiveness are required. We must stop clinging to the past if we want to create the future."
Other meeting highlights included passage of a resolution to, according to the ACA, "develop an ACA work group to review current and future best practice and guideline documents for potential adoption"; and awards given to retiring NBCE Executive Vice President, Horace Elliott, and William O'Connell (Leadership Awards), and Oregon delegate and Oregon Chiropractic Association lobbyist, Vern Saboe (special award for contributions to member recruitment).
Performance Health Partners With Cramer Products
Performance Health recently announced a merger with Cramer Products, which supports the athletic training, sports-medicine and team markets. According to Performance Health President / CEO Marshall Dahneke, "Each company will cross-promote and cross-sell the other's product lines through their respective sales channels, taking advantage of each other's market leadership and strong legacy brands."