ACAC celebrates the profesion’s comon purpose On November 7 and 8, the Alberta College and Association of Chiropractors (ACAC) welcomed approximately 200 Dcs to the Rimrock Hotel in Banff, Alberta, for its annual convention and AGM, this year titled “Celebrating our Common Purpose.” The conference offered two days of informative and thought-provoking sessions as well as ample opportunities to network with other Dcs and representatives from various industries and services that support the profession. First-class speakers, Guy Reikeman and Gerard Clum On Saturday, November 7, the sessions were powered by Dr. Guy Reikeman, president of Life University School of Chiropractic in Marietta, Georgia. Dr. Reikeman discussed necessary components of the doctor/patient relationship and strategies for ensuring that chiropractic not only survives our current hyper- dynamic global society but emerges as a thought leader in those areas where the profession has cultivated its vision and purpose. He encouraged his audience to remember that the bottom line for these efforts is to benefit the individual patients who seek out chiropractic. Reikeman discussed the roles of the various chiropractic educational institutions, colleges and associations in the profession’s quest to move forward. He said members of the profession worldwide should never forget their responsibility to carry chiropractic into the future as an integral part of health care. Such a “tough act to follow” as Reikeman called for a speaker the calibre of Dr. Gerard Clum – immediate past-president of the World Federation of Chiropractic and current president of Life Chiropractic College West – to lead the sessions on Sunday, November 8. Dr. Clum brought together global, national, provincial and local elements to frame the development and current state of chiropractic research, education, practice, role in politics and payment trends into a cohesive and highly relevant picture. Clum’s assessment of the profession’s needs in our current world health-care milieu was as frank as it was inspirational, calling on chiropractors to be vigilant and not indifferent to the developments that impact the profession and to act as ambassadors for mutual growth and forward vision in health care. He also reminded Dcs that they can only achieve this by pursuing unified attention aligned along a collective purpose. Deserved recognition Conference sessions were interspersed with tributes to several Alberta chiropractors in recognition of their perseverance throughout decades of practice in an ever-changing Canadian and global milieu. For notable work and accomplishments that have honoured the vision of the chiropractic profession, Dr. Jeff Warren was awarded the distinction of ACAC’s Chiropractor of the Year. Finally, organizers of the event were named and recognized for their hard work in ensuring that this venue for chiropractic collaboration continues to be informative, relevant and fun! ACAC and beyond The ACAC also took the opportunity of a gathered audience to remind Dcs of the Canadian Chiropractic Association’s National Convention 2010, to be held from November 11-13, 2010 in Toronto. For more information on this, Dcs are asked to visit www.chiroconvention.com. For more information on the Alberta College and Association of Chiropractors, please visit www.albertachiro.com. New chiropractic text teaches profesional unity Dr. Gerard W. Clum, president of Life Chiropractic College West, is one of three essayists whose writings form the core of a new text, entitled Chiropractic Peace. The publication seeks to demonstrate common ground among professional viewpoints in chiropractic. The effort, under the executive editorship of William McDonald, DC, also includes essays by Reed B. Phillips, DC, PhD, former president of Southern California University of Health Sciences, and Ashley Cleveland, DC, Provost and Associate Professor at Cleveland Chiropractic College, Kansas City, Kansas. The project began with the inspiration and guidance of Dr. McDonald and is concluded with an analysis, by McDonald and David Chapman-Smith, secretary-general of the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC), of the three essays. Dr. Clum notes, “The message that comes through loud and clear is one of respectful pluralism that seeks to magnify our agreements and minimizes our differences. By demonstrating a unified front we become a more effective force and voice for health, healing and well-being. Working together, the chiropractic profession can make major strides to further improve chiropractic education and exert great influence on today’s governmental initiatives.” Life West, established in 1976, is an accredited, non-profit institution. Currently over 400 students from across the United States and abroad are enrolled, and over 3,700 graduates of Life West are now providing chiropractic care worldwide. The college’s Health Center, a public outpatient facility staffed by approximately 150 senior interns who are guided by licensed doctors of chiropractic, provides affordable health care to more than 1,500 patients per week in the city of Hayward, California. The college and Health Center maintain a website at www.lifewest.edu. Second CWB mision in the wor ks The Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) is currently working hard to prepare for another mission with Chiropractic Without Borders (CWB). This year’s group of interns, along with a faculty member and clinician, will continue where last year’s mission left off, treating patients in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic, many of whom have never had access to chiropractic care. The mission will take place at the end of April 2010. Chiropractic Without Borders is a project designed to provide chiropractic care to underprivileged populations in developing countries, many of whom do not have access to standard health care. Chiropractic Without Borders also works to educate people on the importance of spinal health, and improve the skills of local chiropractors. The CMCC mission is unique in that it also serves as an educational experience for the participating interns. Interns are supervised by an experienced clinician who will aid in assessment and diagnosis as interns work directly with patients. On last year’s mission, eight CMCC interns had the opportunity to treat more than1,200 patients in 12 days, working in a clinic directed by Dr. Ramon Lopez, a medical doctor with the organization Doctors for Peace. In order to promote international awareness and to help with fundraising for the mission, CMCC’s Students’ Council has established a club for Chiropractic Without Borders. The club is currently working to initiate fundraising activities, organize educational presentations to students about international health issues, as well as informing others of the work of past and upcoming CWB missions. If you would like to support Chiropractic Without Borders with a donation that will help sponsor this mission, please feel free to contact the CMCC Chiropractic Without Borders Club at Chiropractic Without Borders, C/O CMCC Students’ Council, 6100 Leslie St., Toronto, ON, M2H 3J1 or at cwb@cmcc.ca. Dcs and CHAs gather in Toronto for OCA event Pathways to Practice 2009, the Ontario Chiropractic Association’s (OCA) professional development day, took place September 26 at the InterContinental Toronto Centre. This year’s event showcased dynamic speakers and several professional tradeshow exhibitors and provided excellent networking opportunities for members. The event surpassed attendance records of the previous year, and the OCA would like to thank all members who joined us in downtown Toronto and helped make the event a remarkable experience. Speakers delivered presentations in three tracks, one for Dcs, one for chiropractic health assistants (CHAs) and one combined. Among the highlights, Waterloo chiropractor Dr. Craig Bauman and special guest Dr. James Milligan, B. H.Sc.PT, M.D., provided a presentation on developing a collaborative model for delivering chiropractic care within a Family Health Team. Dr. Eleanor White and Dr. Rick Ruegg presented on the subject of developing a greater understanding of the Practice Guide for The Treatment of Whiplash-Associated Disorders in Adults and Dr. Andrew Miners discussed the evaluation and rehabilitation of the hip, knee and ankle. The event provided “a good combination of exposure to developing political and market trends, research and relevant clinical applications, as well as member business and strategic planning,” wrote one DC who attended the event. “Dr. Miners provided practical information we can use on Monday. He was excellent,” another DC wrote. Meanwhile, CHAs were treated to a presentation titled “Motor vehicle accidents — solutions to your issues, answers to your questions” by the OCA’s Paula Yaremko with special guest David Hayward, barrister and solicitor; a presentation on essentials for the chiropractic health assistant by PMP support representative and seasoned CHA Liz Pridham; and a seminar titled “The CHA’s Position is a Place of Influence”, which included practice marketing components by staffing consultant Susan Cooney. In addition, other sessions were offered related to OCA’s software programs. Delegates improved their technical knowledge and skills by implementing PMP Measurable Timesavers with Lauren James, and gained valuable insight on OCA’s newest software program, ChiroWrite. Another crowd-pleasing feature of the event was the intimate trade show, which this year hosted more than 25 exhibitors and concluded with a special reception for delegates that provided time for networking with peers. As well, several delegates took home prizes furnished by various sponsors and exhibitors at the event. The next professional development event will be held in autumn of 2011, with a program that will feature resources, information, products and services to help you enhance your practice and meet the needs of your patients. More details will be made available in the months to come. Parker Seminars Italy 2010 Dedicated chiropractors met in Quebec On November 20 and 21, more than 140 Quebec chiropractors and students, representing 10 per cent of the profession in that province, met in Trois-Rivières for the second Québec Chiropractic Summit. Two years after the first Québec Chiropractic Summit – which was attended by more than 70 chiropractors – the second summit took place at the Université du Québec à Trois- Rivières (UQTR). The meeting was organized by l’Ordre des chiropraticiens du Québec, in partnership with l’Association des chiropraticiens du Québec, la Fondation de recherche chiropratique du Québec, and the chiropractic department of UQTR. The event’s two main objectives were : to help members of the Québec chiropractic • family better understand the many important activities that have been undertaken since 2007 by all four chiropractic partner organizations • to further discuss matters and concerns that were brought up in 2007, in order to initiate new projects in the upcoming years. Following an update on the main issues concerning each of the four partner organizations, as well as an overview of the activities of the UQTR research Chair, the participants were informed about the current status of the chiropractic profession in France, by the Association Française de Chiropratique’s secretary, Dr Jean-Philippe Pialasse. There was also a motivational conference by Denis Marsolais, who has been president of the Chambre des Notaires du Québec for the past 13 years. Marsolais has recently been appointed associate deputy minister at the Ministère de la Justice du Gouvernement du Québec. “It was the first time that the chiropractic profession in Québec invited a non-chiropractor to present possible paths for a successful future”, says Dr. André-Marie Gonthier, chiropractor and president of l’Ordre des chiropraticiens du Québec. “Mr. Marsolais insisted on the plus-value that is offered to the population by professionals, and on the pride that they must develop in their professional practice,” continued Gonthier. “Throughout the weekend, I met experienced chiropractors, as well as students, who claimed that they were more motivated to help people better know, understand and appreciate chiropractic.” According to Dr. Danica Brousseau, a chiropractor and the lead organizer for the second Québec Chiropractic Summit, the impressive presence of chiropractors from all regions of the province is a definite sign of a very healthy chiropractic profession in the province. “We succeeded in gathering many students, as well as chiropractors who have been in active practice anywhere from one year to 46 years! More than ever, the chiropractic family shows unity, and this is, assuredly, the main asset we have to face the major challenges that are ahead of us!” “The months of preparation are well worth it when we get to witness high-quality discussions, from which emerge intervention strategies that will be beneficial for the future of chiropractic, as much in Quebec as elsewhere in Canada!” notes Dr. Gonthier. Parker Seminars Italy 2010 The Association of Italian Chiropractors (AIC) in collaboration with the Parker College of Chiropractic presents Parker Seminars Italy, 2010, (PSI 2010) - “Extravagance in Post-Graduate Education.” The event is planned for June 24-26 at the Melià, Roma Aurelia Antica Hotel in Rome. Parker Seminars has become the fountain of post-graduate education in chiropractic and this will, once again, be demonstrated at the Rome event in June 2010. The speakers are experienced professionals and the three stream program ensures a dynamic atmosphere of learning. There will also be a Chiropractic Health Assistant’s course that is not to be missed! The event’s special guest speaker will be Joe Dispenza, DC. Dr. Dispenza’s book, Evolve Your Brain: The Science of Changing Your Mind connects the subjects of thought and consciousness with the brain, mind, and body. Dispenza is also featured in the award-winning film, What the BLEEP Do WE Know? Twenty-four 90-minute sessions of quality continuing education will be featured throughout the event. CE/CPD credits apply for lectures – please check with your local associations. The conference will also offer a course for Chiropractic Health Assistants. Titled “Empower your Staff,” the complete, world-renowned Parker Seminars CA Course gives your chiropractic health assistants the tools and inspiration that they need to carry your practice forward! The chiropractic health assistant course will feature three instructors offering six 90- minute sessions in English and Italian. Chiropractic health assistants are also invited to the English presentations of: Dr. Joe Dispenza, “Evolve Your Brain: The Science of Changing Your Mind” and Dr. Fabrizio Mancini, “Teleology – The Science of Being Naturally Right.” The PSI 2010 event will also include a Tapas Pool Party a notto- be-missed highlight event! The “Tapas Pool Party” is planned as a social starter to consolidate a team spirit at the onset of your PSI 2010 experience. The Association of Italian Chiropractors has made an extraordinary effort to create a campus for Parker Seminars Italy. Not only will the conference have the exclusive rights to the Melià Convention Center, but nearly all of the 270 four star superior Melià rooms have been reserved for attendees. Another 80 low cost rooms are available on the campus in a nearby three star superior hotel; these are to host assistants, students and team practices. Exhibitors will also be present to showcase their chiropractic related products. For all conference details, registration information, and exhibitor guidelines, please visit www.parkerseminarsitaly2010.it/.