The PARCA bill, however, has suffered a setback. The GOP leadership in the House of Representatives, which strongly opposes the bill, successfully blocked its consideration when the full House voted on managed care legislation in July.
Two competing managed care reform bills did make it to the House floor in July. One of them, HR 4250, was passed, but the PARCA Coalition feels that HR 4250 is too "watered down" and contains provisions that could erode the effectiveness of state patient/provider protection legislation.
With the passage of HR 4250 in the House, legislators in the Senate are also expected to take up competing GOP and Democratic managed care bills. The PARCA coalition is monitoring the action of these bills and believes it likely that a vote on managed care will not occur in the Senate until September.
Dr. Phillips Leads in the Polls
(Scan pix of Paul Phillips) An early poll shows Paul Phillips, DC, a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives (R-Washington) with a 12 percent lead over his nearest competitor. Dr. Phillips is one of three DCs running for Congress: the other two are Meredith Bakke (R-Wisconsin), and Peter Ferguson (D-Ohio).
An independent telephone survey of 300 random phone inquiries conducted in southwestern Washington finds Paul Phillips, DC, as the most recognizable candidate for the state's District 3 race for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
- Dr. Phillips had the highest name recognition of the candidates (33%); Brian Baird was second (23%); and Don Benton third (18%).
- Who would they vote for today? Undecided, 26%; Paul Phillips, 25%; Brian Baird, 13%; Don Benton, 11%; Pat Fiske, 11%; Jackson, 10%; none suitable, 4%.
Dr. Phillips, while quite pleased with the poll's results, noted: "Polls are like the tides, they change daily. One poll is just that -- one poll." Dr. Phillips pointed to the hard work of his staff and campaign workers and the grassroots nature of his campaign for the poll's findings.
If you'd like to contribute to Dr. Phillips' campaign, donations should go to:
Paul Phillips for Congress
650 North Devine Road
Vancouver, WA 98661
You can contact Dr. Phillips at:
tel: (360) 693-2597
fax: (360) 695-0272
e-mail: paulphillips-paulphillips.com
website: www.paulphillips.com.
President Winterstein is Top Donor
For the second consecutive year, James Winterstein, DC, has been the top individual donor to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation's "Ride for Kids."
Dr. Winterstein had set a goal to raise $15,000, a campaign directed toward National's alumni, faculty and staff, and local health care and community groups for support. When the final figures were in, Dr. Winterstein's efforts had raised $20,818 toward finding the cause and cure of childhood brain tumors.
In recognition of Dr. Winterstein's efforts, Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan presented a grant in the amount of $10,000 to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Mr. Ryan's 12-year-old daughter, Anne, died unexpectedly as a result of a brain tumor last January.
"I am delighted that the attorney general's office, through this $10,000 grant, is able to provide some financial help to a worthy charitable organization that is doing so much to find a cure for childhood brain tumors," Mr. Ryan said. "Because of the tragedy in my own family, I am especially aware that we must redouble our efforts to find a cure and provide support to families that are facing this terrible health concern. Groups like the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation play a key role in this effort."
Dr. Winterstein added: "I want every child to have a chance in life, a chance to grow up and a chance to make a difference in this world. This is, in a small way, my opportunity to help, an opportunity for which I am deeply grateful."
Life West Appoints Dr. Hewes Dean of Clinics
Dr. Colleen Hewes has been named the dean of clinics at Life Chiropractic College West's public clinic and campus clinic. She replaces Dr. Patricia Gayman, who is retiring after serving as the college's dean of clinics for more than four years.
Dr. Hewes brings to the position a combined 26 years of health care experience in chiropractic, nursing, teaching and administration. Dr. Hewes will be responsible for managing the clinics' faculty doctors and administrative managers, while overseeing all clinic operations and activities.
Dr. Hewes is a 1989 graduate of Cleveland Chiropractic College-Los Angeles. She has worked continuously at Life West since 1992, serving as chair of clinic education and faculty professor.
"The Life West Public Clinic embodies the college's commitment to service," Dr. Hewes averred. "Our faculty and staff members are dedicated to helping the interns achieve their professional goals, while providing service to the community. Our interns are trained in accordance with the highest standards in chiropractic practice, which means our patients receive quality care based on current techniques and research in the field."
ACA Announces New Director of Publications
The American Chiropractic Association has announced that Carol Marleigh Kline has been promoted to the position of director of publications. She previously held the title of associate director of publications.
Ms. Kline has worked at the ACA for one year, first as associate editor of the Journal of the American Chiropractic Association. Most recently, she was a columnist for Japan Now, the national newsletter of the Japanese embassy. Ms. Kline has worked as an independent writer and public relations/marketing consultant since 1989.
HRSA Representative Visits National
This past May, National College of Chiropractic received a visit from Shannon Mulrooney, an officer with the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) Chiropractic Demonstration Project. While at National, Mulrooney met researchers who are working on a HRSA funded project comparing flexion-distraction therapy with medical care for the treatment of chronic low-back pain.
"This visit is encouraging to me because it reflects the increasing level of federal support the field of chiropractic is receiving," said Mulrooney. "I continually observe indications that chiropractic is gaining its deserved place among other health professions historically supported by federal assistance."
The flexion-distraction project is part of an ongoing clinical study first funded in 1994 under the Chiropractic Demonstration Project (CDP). The CDP represents the federal government's first investment of research funds to investigate the effectiveness of chiropractic care.
National was one of only three chiropractic colleges to be awarded research funds during the last grant review cycle (see the November 3, 1997 issue of DC). According to Mulrooney, the extent of interdisciplinary collaboration distinguished NCC's research project during the second grant review cycle.
Mulrooney congratulated Dr. Gudavalli and his colleagues. "It is quite an achievement to win federal grant awards in two consecutive cycles, particularly when the competition is so keen, as it is in our program."
Heavy Metal Chiropractic
For more than a decade and a half, Metallica has been one of the most popular bands on the planet. Sales of the group's albums number in the tens of millions, and they have an impressive resume of platinum records and awards from the music industry.
In support of the group's latest album "Reload," Metallica has taken their act on the road for a two-and-a-half year worldwide tour. When their tour is finished, the band will have played at more than 300 locations around the globe.
While in Melbourne, Australia, the band called on Dr. Don Oyao, who happens to be lead guitarist Kirk Hammett's first cousin. Dr. Oyao adjusted Kirk and a number of Metallica's road crew both before and after the performances.
Preserved in Plastic: NCC Completes First Plastination Trial
Plastination, a complex process in which anatomical specimens are preserved in a lifelike state in plastic, was developed in 1978 by Dr. Gunther von Hagens at the University of Heidelberg and is now widely used at more than 250 institutions around the world.
At the request of National's president, James Winterstein, Dr. Gregory Cramer encouraged Dr. James Baker to start a pilot plastination laboratory at the college. Among the first specimens that Dr. Baker has preserved are a half kidney, articulated carpal bones, a parasagittal section of lumbar spine, and portions of brain cortex, pancreas and gastrocnemius muscles.
Scan pic: Articulated carpal bones that have been preserved in plastic are shown in relation to their correct position in a human arm.
Preserving specimens in plastic serves several advantages. For teaching purposes, the anatomical parts can be handled, do not smell, and are essentially permanent. Plastination is also quite useful for research because with care, a specimen's cellular identity can be preserved, which means that the specimens can be studied at the microscopic level.
CCKC Earns Honors at ACA Convention
The student American Chiropractic Association at Cleveland Chiropractic College-Kansas City was honored by being named the "Outstanding Chapter of the Year" at the recent ACA business convention in Vancouver, Canada.
"It is a great honor to receive this national recognition," said Jennifer Maurice-Miano, a sixth trimester student and the chapter's president. "Everyone involved with our chapter has worked very hard as a team. This past year, our chapter has offered more seminars, activities and fundraisers on campus, and in turn, we have had record attendance at our events and on our trips to conventions and conferences. I am very happy that the work everyone in our chapter has done led to this honor."
Chiropractor Named to Anti-Dairy Coalition Board
At a press conference in New York this June, a panel of six health care professionals and one researcher announced the formation of the Anti-Dairy Coalition. The panel was brought together by Robert Cohen, whose book Milk: The Deadly Poison examines, among other topics, the dairy industry's practice of injecting dairy cows with genetically engineered growth hormones to make the cows produce four to five times the milk they otherwise would.
Among the board members is Daniel Twogood, DC, author of the book No Milk, which also explores the unhealthy aspects of cow's milk. Dr. Twogood is the only chiropractic board member.
The Anti-Dairy Coalition, as the names implies, seeks to combat the dairy industry's promotion of "milk is for every body," and to educate the public on some of the health hazards of dairy foods.
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