Palmer West Recognized by NCQA
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality, has recognized the Palmer Chiropractic Clinic in San Jose, Calif., for providing superior care to patients suffering from low back pain.
The NCQA developed the Back Pain Recognition Program, the first independent program to systematically evaluate back pain management, to improve patient outcomes by motivating health care providers to document and improve their spine care. To be recognized, the Palmer Clinic submitted data demonstrating excellence relative to the program's key measures, which include variables such as initial visit, physical exam and appropriate imaging for acute back pain.
"Our recognition through the NCQA Back Pain Recognition Program provides external validation for our patients and community that we have processes in place to ensure that we consistently deliver high-quality, evidence-based care in an effort to generate the best patient outcomes," said Gregory Snow, DC, dean of clinics at Palmer West.
The NCQA developed requirements for the Back Pain Recognition Program using widely accepted medical evidence and significant input from back pain specialists, health plans and employer representatives. To learn more, visit www.ncqa.org/BPRP.
DC Starts Nonprofit Foundation for Children
Beatrice Tapia, DC, has co-founded the Wishing You Well Foundation, an organization dedicated to conducting outcome studies on the benefit of complementary and alternative medicine for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and high-functioning autism. The foundation also provides access to care for children who could not otherwise afford such care.
According to Dr. Tapia, the foundation will publish case studies and outcome assessments to help establish treatment protocols, and will share its findings with insurance companies, providers, educators, social workers and therapists. Projected protocols include chiropractic, dietary restrictions, nutritional supplements, brain function assessment, exercise, and laser treatments. Treatment will also include testing for food sensitivities, bacterial overgrowth, detoxification issues, amino acid deficiencies, and metabolic dysfunction.
The foundation expects to receive grant funding in 2009. Until then, it requires initial seed funds to cover the expenses of the first 30 children participating in the study. To make a donation, volunteer, sponsor an event and/or receive additional information, contact Dr. Tapia at
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