A decade ago, establishing a chiropractic division in a New York hospital would have been considered difficult if not impossible. But the times are changing in the empire state.
Last month the state assembly passed the Chiropractic Insurance Equality Act (see "NY Law Poised to Require Insurers to Cover Chiropractic," DC, 8/25/97). Now comes the announcement that Doctors' Hospital of Staten Island, an affiliate of the Beth Israel Medical Center, has created a division of chiropractic to its department of medicine, making it the first hospital in New York City, according to the hospital, to include chiropractors as members of its medical/dental staff.
This acceptance of chiropractic into Doctors' Hospital is just another signal of a new era in health care. "All health care is in transition," observed Conrad Schroeder, MD, medical director at Doctors' Hospital. "More and more Americans are seeking alternatives to the traditional Westernized medical approach of drugs and surgery." He noted that Medicare requires access to chiropractors for its plans, and that Oxford Health Plans, one of the largest HMOs in New York City, has created the position of director of alternative medicine.
According to Heartbeat, the internal publication of Doctors' Hospital of Staten Island, adding a chiropractic division was made after studying how chiropractic was fairing in other hospitals, which convinced the hospital's board of directors to vote to add chiropractic services to the medical and dental staff. "We are responding to the needs of the community, and the studies that show chiropractic to be safe, effective, and cost-effective, which is a priority in the managed care environment," said a spokesman for Doctors' Hospital.
"Doctors' Hospital has always been progressive in meeting the changing needs of patients and physicians," explained Dr. Schroeder. "We constantly seek to recognize the community's health care wants and needs and to make them accessible at the highest quality level possible."
Heading up the new chiropractic division at Doctors' Hospital is Victor E. Dolan, DC, ACBSP, a cum laude Palmer College graduate (1983), and diplomat of the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians. Dr. Dolan, who has been in practice in Grasmere, Staten Island since 1983, expressed great delight at the board's decision to include chiropractic services at the hospital. "This breaks down the last existing barrier to the teamwork approach of caring for the patient." Dr. Dolan commended Doctors' Hospital for making the move, saying he believed "the patient will benefit most."
Dr. Schroeder added his support: "We are all enthusiastically looking forward to the development of our chiropractic division."
Applications have already been mailed to interested chiropractors in the surrounding area. According to Dr. Dolan, the division's staff will include chiropractors who hold a current New York license and registration certification, and are in good standing with the New York Board of Chiropractic Examiners. To be credentialed by the hospital, the chiropractor must be in active practice (a minimum of five years), and have successfully completed a recognized, college-sponsored hospital protocol course.
Following the announcement by Doctors' Hospital, the Staten Island Advance, a local paper serving 400,000 residents, gave their editorial opinion on the chiropractic breakthrough at Doctors' Hospital under the banner, "Partners, not enemies." While the commentary touched on the AMA's historic attempts to discredit chiropractic, and the subsequent law suit, it noted the changing climate in health care towards alternative care, and averred that the "ugly past may be prologue to a new spirit of cooperation between the first and second largest groups of primary health care deliverers." The opinion piece concluded: "Far from competing with each other, medical doctors and chiropractors can complement each other in providing a new, higher quality level of health care. We congratulate these institutions and professionals for their expanded vision for a healthier Staten Island."
For further information, please contact Dr. Victor Dolan at (718) 981-9755.
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