For more than a century, chiropractic has been helping people discover true wellness and live to a potential they never thought possible. For that same amount of time, chiropractic has been fighting to validate itself and prove itself deserving of its rightful place in the health care industry as a natural healing art.
Today, more than ever, chiropractic is rising to a level of prominence and is becoming a primary health choice for millions. There are still many challenges ahead and many obstacles to overcome, but we have learned as a profession that in order to achieve our goals, we cannot do it alone. We must continue to work together for the benefit of everyone.
One of our profession's greatest achievements in recent years is the inclusion of chiropractic services with most third-party payers. Credit goes to, among others, the National Chiropractic Legal Action Fund. Not only is chiropractic being recognized as a viable option for primary health care, but we are also able to serve more patients who otherwise may not have been able to afford chiropractic care. Medication and surgery are no longer the only insurance-covered options.
This groundbreaking victory would not have been possible without the collaborative efforts and funding of chiropractors from around the world. It is a testament to our profession's ability to truly band together to support one common cause. We were no longer one voice in a crowd; we were the crowd. The changes we brought forth serve as a reminder that together, we can accomplish anything. This spirit of camaraderie has created a trickle-down effect throughout the profession, sparking more cooperation to achieve our common goals.
Much of the profession's leadership has recognized the need for creating greater awareness of the value of chiropractic care. The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (FCP) works tirelessly to create awareness for the industry and shares the benefits of chiropractic on a global level through positive media exposure, which in turn motivates the public to consider seeking out chiropractic services. The FCP's efforts have created a stronger identity of professionalism within chiropractic and increased our credibility among the public. To maintain this strong momentum, we must continue to cooperate with groups that serve the entire profession through our donations and support.
It is also essential that we embrace new opportunities, whether it be new technologies or new resources designed to help us provide patients with the best chiropractic wellness care possible. Presenting adequate scientific evidence for prevention, diagnosis and treatment is necessary for the public to understand the full benefits of chiropractic care. It is also necessary for DCs to receive evidence-based research in a fashion that is easy and practical, so they may use it as an educational tool with their patients and third-party payers.
This is an area of professional advancement that I believe in and am proud to be a part of. It is essential to our continued growth as a professional, particularly as it relates to patient care and education. As you know, Parker College of Chiropractic and the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research (FCER) have teamed up to create a professional research resource - DCConsult. It houses MANTIS with the index to all the published research relevant to chiropractic. Dr. Ronald Rupert, dean of research at Parker College, developed the concept of MANTIS more than 20 years ago. His son, Joe Rupert, has developed the Web site that hosted MANTIS. That site has now become DCConsult.
Over that past few years, Dr. Dwain Daniel, one of our researchers, has led a faculty team and organized the largest collection of evidence-based condition reviews for chiropractic. These evidence-based reviews summarize thousands of peer-reviewed research articles into condensed versions. This has been an integral part of our success in teaching as an institution. By gifting this educational resource to FCER, we felt we could fulfill a need within the chiropractic profession, and allow the FCER to take this information to every chiropractor in the world.
DCConsult serves as a complete clinician/patient/research information resource with access to global information, allowing users to search for and compile information regarding recommended patient health care diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Users can use the articles to develop and print customized patient handouts, helping chiropractors place an emphasis on patient-centered care. All the information is being translated from English to Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese, allowing chiropractors to communicate most effectively with a more diverse patient base. This is the first international resource center available to chiropractic. Chiropractors around the world are now able to access and share information over a common medium and have a globalized, unified vision for chiropractic.
These achievements are only the beginning. Much more is possible with the dedication and strength of the future leaders of the chiropractic profession - the students of today. The number of chiropractic student organizations has risen dramatically, and they have been extremely influential. It is not by accident that our students are banding together for the greater good. They also have the vision of chiropractic's viability for better health naturally.
The Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC) has made it a top priority to create a higher level of consistency among chiropractic programs around the country. The leadership within chiropractic colleges have also focused on serving the profession as a whole. To bring the profession to where it needs to be, we must continue to set aside our personal agendas and see the larger picture. Educating students by utilizing a similar message will create the consistency we need to take chiropractic care to its rightful place.
Educational opportunities within the chiropractic profession are continuing to appear, as indicated by the increase in number of chiropractic programs outside the United States. More than 30 schools are educating doctors of chiropractic and bringing the chiropractic message to the world.
At Parker College, our students are proactively exploring opportunities to gain real-world experience and enhance what they learn in the classroom. Our study abroad programs in Mexico and Colombia, and the internship with the Dallas Veterans Administration, are ways we are helping the profession reach more people.
Parker students have the opportunity to study at Mexico's Universidad Estatal del Valle de Ecatepec (UNEVE) and work in a on-campus clinic and hospitals providing chiropractic wellness care to Mexican residents, many of whom have never had prior exposure to chiropractic. Students who graduate from the program are ahead of the curve, as they are better prepared to meet the growing Hispanic population's health care demands within the United States. While abroad, they gain a command of the Spanish language and a greater understanding of the Hispanic culture. They can effectively communicate with a larger audience within the clinical setting, giving them the opportunity to serve more people.
The Dallas VA program has allowed Parker interns to be chiropractic pioneers within an integrated health care system, providing services to decrease pain and improve functional outcome without drugs or surgery. At the VA, student interns are able to work alongside a variety of doctors and see firsthand how a collaboration of specialties can give patients a better outcome. The success of the program is proof that chiropractic blends seamlessly into the conventional health care structure, enabling program participants to see that they can create new opportunities for themselves and the chiropractic profession in the integrated health care arena.
Although there are still many battles ahead, there is no denying the many outstanding achievements the chiropractic profession has made in the past 25 years. I feel that our greatest opportunity now is to empower our patients to be our advocates, our fund-raisers and our voice. I also feel that the next 25 years will require greater participation by our doctors in their state and national associations. Their participation is essential for the growth and success of our profession. Whatever challenges lie ahead, we will overcome because we stand together with one vision and one voice for chiropractic.
My favorite quote by Albert Einstein is: "You cannot solve the problems of today with the same level of thinking that created them." We must adjust our thinking and begin to see that there are many opportunities facing us every day. Chiropractic was meant to be much greater than what it is right now. I feel it may be the answer to this health care crisis. The question is: Do you?