The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress continues to lead the profession's longest-running public awareness campaign, but it's time to try new avenues to reach even more people with our message.
Targeting the Employer Community
Building off the success it had connecting with the employer community in 2010, the foundation will take this outreach to the next level by sponsoring speakers and exhibiting at major employer-sponsored health conferences throughout 2011. The goal is to provide education and information to employers and other payers on the benefits of including chiropractic care in benefit design. This is a first-ever initiative for the chiropractic profession and is expected to further the foundation's mission of generating positive press for chiropractic.
The profession rarely has the opportunity to get in front of key decision-makers, some of whom represent Fortune 500 companies, in the employer community, so we are excited about being included in these discussions throughout the year. The foundation's presence is being felt by exhibiting and sponsoring speakers at the following meetings this year:
- 2011 Employer Health, Human Capital and Wellness Congress –World Congress. February 1-3, 2011, Alexandria, Va.; speaker: Mark Zeigler, DC, president of Northwestern Health Sciences University.
- IBI/NBCH Health and Productivity Forum –National Business Coalition on Health. Feb. 28 – March 2, 2011, San Francisco; speaker: Arnold Milstein, MD.
- CDHC Solutions Forum East – CDHC. May 11-12, 2011, Atlanta; speaker: Niteesh Choudhry, MD, PhD.
- AHIP Fall Forum 2011 –AHIP. Nov. 14-16, 2011, Chicago; speaker: Arnold Milstein, MD.
Foundation Student Chapters Continue to Grow
The foundation welcomed more than 230 new monthly contributors at Parker Seminars in Las Vegas, more than doubling the highest number of contributors it has been able to bring in during a chiropractic event. The foundation is growing not only its monetary contributions, but also its student DC chapters. Representatives from 12 chiropractic colleges came to Parker Seminars Las Vegas to do work for the foundation. These chiropractic students manned the booth, talked with vendors, signed up members and organized FCP events. It's exciting to see chiropractic students not only recognize the challenges in our profession, but also start pitching in to spread the truth about chiropractic's many benefits.
New Radio Spots on Tap for 2011
The foundation has created radio spots from new audio testimonials by its spokespeople, NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, retired Brigadier General Becky Halstead, and members of the Washington Redskins cheerleading squad. The radio spots feature Jerry Rice relating football hits to the impact of vehicular accidents and why he suggests visiting a doctor of chiropractic; Brig. Gen. Halstead describing her positive experience with chiropractic care for the chronic pain associated with fibromyalgia; and the Washington Redskins cheerleaders commenting on the importance of chiropractic care for cheerleaders of all ages and genders. These spots will roll out throughout 2011 and will be available to FCP members for local use at no extra cost.
Employee Benefit News Features Dr. Gerard Clum
In response to an article featured in Employee Benefit News (EBN) focusing on treatment and process for low back pain, Dr. Gerard Clum, former president of Life Chiropractic College West, crafted a reply that gave a chiropractic perspective on the issue. After passing review from the EBN editorial board, the article was featured as a Web exclusive on the EBN site.
News Ticker Live on Web
The FCP has made it even easier for you to keep up with its media campaigns. You can now go online to see the foundation's activities and most recent campaigns. Visit www.f4cp.com to see the news ticker on the homepage, which will include the latest news and information relevant to the foundation's media campaigns.
Pushing for Policy Changes in Washington, D.C.
In mid-February, the foundation's chief operating officer, Gary Cuneo, attended the National Chiropractic Legislative Conference (NCLC) and the Chiropractic Summit in Washington, D.C. Once again, the foundation had a major presence and was well-received. The FCP has a positive message that is resonating throughout the profession. While there's a long way to go, it's exciting to see our direction and impact.
The foundation had a number of opportunities to address the students and doctors in attendance at the NCLC. Brig. Gen. Halstead addressed the 70-plus members of the ACA House of Delegates. She was absolutely on fire, with many in attendance walking away beaming with pride and tears in their eyes.
The foundation placed a full-page ad featuring Brig. Gen. Halstead in POLITICO, the niche publication for members of Congress and their staff. The ad called on Congress to increase chiropractic coverage in the military. Last year, the foundation did a similar ad, but it was only a half page. This year there was a much greater response! Not only did the FCP get increased compliments from the doctors, but a reporter from The New York Times saw the ad and wanted to learn more about our issues.
The foundation had other opportunities for impact with TRICARE, the health system for members of the armed services, their families and retirees. Brig. Gen. Halstead had a meeting with the deputy director of TRICARE, who holds the rank of Admiral. The goal was to learn more about their system and determine if the foundation could do anything through regulation to help pave the way for the military to have more chiropractic care. By the end of the meeting, the deputy director had identified some areas in which the profession might be involved, including the Pain Management Advisory Committee; Title 38 (the United States Code regarding veterans and their health care); and the medical home model. One hour after the meeting, Dr. Anthony Lisi was contacted by the deputy director's office and was offered the appointment to the advisory committee. How's that for getting the ball rolling immediately?
Are You on the Team?
Now is the time to join the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress. The FCP has accomplished big goals by reaching millions of people, but just think how much stronger it would be if we had more support from doctors like you. Getting more help with monthly contributions would grow the foundation's work exponentially. Do your part to make an impact on the public's perception of chiropractic. Join the FCP and help spread the word about the benefits of chiropractic. To learn more about the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress or to arrange an automatic monthly donation, visit www.foundation4cp.com or call 1.866.901.3427.
Contact Information:
Foundation for Chiropractic Progress
P.O. Box 560
Carmichael, CA 95609-0560
Click here for previous articles by Kent Greenawalt.