or can be referred effectively and in a timely manner to a chiropractor or physiotherapist for conservative care. Although the project has yet to offi-cially launch – likely in the fall of this year – it has already succeeded in creating a platform for patient-centred interprofes-sional collaboration, Comeau says. “It’s forward-thinking health care,” he points out. “The panel that is meeting to discuss this is everybody from orthopae-dic surgeons to hospital administrators and nurse specialists, chiropractors, physiotherapists and physiatrists.” Klein and Comeau give credit to the provincial associations in the province that saw the potential of the program and helped get the ball rolling. They are the New Brunswick Chiropractic Associa-tion, New Brunswick Physiotherapy Association and the Atlantic Neuro-sciences Network, which is a team of neurosurgeons in Saint John. With mul-tistakeholder and multidisciplinary support, Comeau is confident the pro-gram will generate positive outcomes for the patients. “If we can start to take a proactive approach and say, ‘yes, you are sick but maybe instead of waiting for two years [to see a surgeon], we will try to sort you into the appropriate group that you should be in rather than be in this big lump of people [on the wait list].’” Comeau hopes the chiropractic pro-fession takes more leadership roles in health care, whether in major sporting events or in the development of major health initiatives. The ultimate goal is to put chiropractic on the forefront of team-based, collaborative care settings – which also means bolstering the evidence that supports chiropractic benefits and pro-moting evidence-informed practice across the profession. Comeau’s participation as an opinion leader with the CCGI is one way he is accomplishing that goal. He wants to help make it easier for practitioners to implement evidence-based clinical guidelines in their practices. Nikki Sixx (left) of rock band Motley Crue is only one of a long list of high-profile entertainers who sought Dr. Murray Rosen’s (right) chiropractic care. Pure and simple He is virtually the chiropractic ambassa-dor to the entertainment world because for more than 25 years, Dr. Murray Rosen of Calgary has been the chiroprac-tor of choice for celebrities visiting his city. But what keeps him excited about 22 Canadian Chiropractor April 2016 his work is the everyday “miracles” he sees in his practice – at least, what his patients regard as such. Graduated magna cum laude from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Dav-enport, Iowa, Rosen subscribes to the original tenets of chiropractic and runs a subluxation-based practice. Perhaps his strong principles and beliefs about what chiropractic is – and should be – are what gained the admiration of his patients. One, in particular, who nom-inated him for the Inspire Award. “I have yet to see Dr. Rosen not to speak passionately about the greatness of chiropractic, no matter where he is or whom he is speaking with,” said patient Robin Craik in his submission. “Dr. Rosen has never swayed from the basic, original and authentic belief in chiropractic.” In practice for 31 years, Rosen runs the Calgary Spine and Sport health and wellness clinic, providing chiropractic care for anyone who comes through his doors – and has never turned down a patient, especially not because of money. “To some patients, [chiropractic care] is expensive nowadays, but I don’t compromise what we do here. I never say no,” Rosen says, who sees a wide range of patients and conditions, from sports injuries and workplace-related injuries to pediatric and family care and of course, the celebrities. He even set up a small arcade in his office to keep the little ones entertained. Many of his patients grew up in his practice. He counts at least 11 of them even who went on to become chiroprac-tors themselves, following in their doctor’s footsteps. One of them is now the chiropractor for the PGA Tour and the Dallas Stars. One of Rosen’s asso-ciate chiropractors at the clinic now had been a patient since the young man was seven years old. The ability to influence others to pursue a profession that he cares deeply about, the opportunity to meet and provide treatment to some of his idols in the entertainment field – and know-ing that they are “huge chiropractic supporters,” witnessing how chiroprac-tic has made and is making a difference in the lives of his patients – these are just some of the reasons why, even after more than three decades in practice, Rosen still goes to work every day as excited about his chosen vocation as he was the first day he opened the doors to his clinic. He recalls a recent patient – a six-month-old baby who was pooping only once every nine days. “The pediatrician told the mother that’s totally normal in a little baby. And the baby was cranky, not feeling good. I started adjusting the baby. The mother was just in on Wednesday, she says now every day the baby poops. That’s why I come to work every day.” Rosen was not hesitant to express his opinion on the current state of the profession as well. He believes the chi-ropractic profession might be in danger of “losing its identity,” and fears there are too many “incongruities and incon-sistencies” in practice, that it’s making the public “even more confused.” He cites the recent decision, through a democratic vote, by members of the Alberta College and Association of Chiropractors, to initiate a move for the province’s chiropractors to petition to have limited drug prescription rights. “We’re a drugless, surgery-less pro-fession,” Rosen notes. “We’re very good at what we do in removing the nerve interference. We do not need drugs. Drugs killed 20,000 Canadians last year. I don’t want that on my resume.” www.canadianchiropractor.ca
Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor April 2016: Page 22
