Palmer College of Chiropractic organized the meeting, with Palmer Chancellor Michael E. Crawford chairing the coalition. "The primary intent of the meeting was to help mobilize the colleges," said Mr. Crawford.
The coalition members agreed that a broad-based lobbying effort that includes chiropractic patients was necessary. "It is too self-serving for only DCs to lobby this issue," said ACA Chairman Dr. Kerwin Winkler. "If this is portrayed as a 'consumers' rights' issue -- which it legitimately is -- we'll strengthen our position many fold," Dr. Winkler concluded.
The college representatives agreed to work through their alumni associations to distribute chiropractic advocacy materials and urge their graduates to contact Congress and the Clinton administration.
In addition, the chiropractic coalition agreed to work closely with the Arkansas delegation to develop and deliver its message to the administration.
The coalition itemized a five-part declaration for chiropractic in the upcoming health care reform:
- Chiropractic care should be a basic benefit of any national health insurance program.
- Chiropractors are primary health care providers.
- Chiropractors are capable of serving as gatekeepers in managed care systems.
- Restricting chiropractic care will force consumers to seek less efficient and more costly forms of health care.
- Limitations placed on chiropractic in a managed care scheme would virtually eliminate chiropractic involvement because of professional bias and ignorance about chiropractic.
Future actions of the ad hoc coalition will be coordinated and directed by Chancellor Crawford. Although the health care coalition's strategy is still in the development stages, Mr. Crawford gave assurances that the chiropractic coalition would be heard from.
The following is an alphabetic listing of representatives attending the chiropractic coalition meeting:
College Representatives:
Cleveland
President Dr. Carl S. Cleveland III
Life
President Dr. Sid E. Williams
Life West
President Dr. Gerard Clum
Logan
President Dr. George A. Goodman
Dr. Ann Billot
Dr. Anthony Billot
National
President Dr. James Winterstein
New York
President Dr. Kenneth W. Padgett
Northwestern
President Dr. John Allenburg
Mr. Ron Robinson
Palmer
Chancellor: Michael Crawford
President Dr. Donald Kern
Palmer Chiropractic University Trustees: Vickie A. Palmer and Dr. Roger Hulsebus Alumni Assoc. President: Dr. Robert Brooks Mr. Gary Mohr, and Mr. Darrell Slabaugh
Palmer West
President Dr. Peter Martin
Dr. Stephen Hartman
Parker
Dr. Neil Stern
Texas
President Dr. Shelby M. Elliot
Neurology Instructor Dr. Brad McKechnie
Western States
President Dr. William H. Dallas
American Chiropractic Association
Board Chairman: Dr. Kerwin P. Winkler
Vice President of Governmental Relations: Richard Miller Assistant
Directors of Governmental Relations: Michael Hogan and Paul Kelly, and Thomas Daly
Arkansas Chiropractic Association Dr. Gaylon Carter, Dr. Stan Heard, and Dr. Sam Haley
Association of Chiropractic Colleges
President: Dr. Gerard Clum
Mr. Doug Walgren
Dr. Howard E. Holcomb
International Chiropractors Association
Executive Director: Mr. Ron Hendrickson
President: Dr. James Gregg
Legislative Counsel: DCs Jim Corman, John Hoffman, Ian Grassam, and Mike Nathanson
Maryland Representative
Mr. Tom McMillian, former U.S. Congressman
Oklahoma Chiropractic Physicians
Wes Watkins, former U.S. Congressman
Texas Chiropractic Association
President: Dr. Michael Martin
Dr. Steve M. Elliot
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