DR. ANDRE-MARIE GONTHIER DELIVERS JANSE LECTURE This year, Dr. Andre-Marie Gonthier, president of the Ordres des Chiropraticiens du Quebec, was selected to deliver the 20th Annual Joseph Janse Lecture at the 84th Federation of Chiro- practic Licensing Boards (FCLB) Educational Congress on April 30, 2010. Speakers for the Janse Lecture series are chosen by a com- mittee of the FCLB board based on their oratory skills, ability to envision future possibilities, and to encourage the audience of regulators to consider new points of view and new perspectives in their approaches to public protection. For his “once in a lifetime career honour”, Dr. Gonthier titled his presentation International Development of Chiropractic: The Im- portance of Standardization of Chiropractic Education and Practice. He began by speaking of his personal encounter and admi- ration for Dr. Joseph Janse. This was followed by a passionate speech that emphasized the need to harmonize regulation and outlined the positive impact that our current system of accred- iting chiropractic programs has had on government decision makers. He discussed the health of our profession, highlight- ing the challenges placed before regulators, as well as external forces that have a negative impact on public perception. For his conclusion, Dr. Gonthier further stressed the need to work cohesively towards improving the face of chiropractic. He stated, “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.“ Dr. Andre-Marie Gonthier with president of the FCLB, Dr. Daniel Saint-Germain from St-Hyacinthe, Quebec. BACK HEALTH ADVICE FROM DCs IN CHATELAINE AND CHATELAINE.COM The June issue of Canada’s leading women’s magazine, Chatelaine, will be the country’s newest source for back health information from the nation’s chiropractors. Chatelaine is read by more than 3.5 million women in Canada every month, its English-language website en- joys 2.2 million hits in that period of time, and 100,000 monthly visits to its French-language website demonstrate that the publication is, indeed, read nationwide. Most of these readers/visitors are adult women ranging from ages 25 to 54 years. The country’s chiropractors have harnessed this audience of health-care decision makers through a promotional partnership with the publication. The Canadian Chiroprac- tic Association (CCA) together with the Ontario Chiroprac- tic Association (OCA) and other provincial associations are entering into an initiative to sponsor a back health advice column – both in print and online – to educate Chatelaine readers on good spinal and overall health. The CCA and provincial associations have pooled their resources to ne- gotiate a nine-month presence within the magazine’s print and online venues. The June print issue of Chatelaine, containing its first back health column, is available at newsstands. Visit www. chatelaine.com/backhealth to view the web presence. OCA HOLDS ADVOCACY DAY WITH ONTARIO LEGISLATURE On April 20, the Ontario Chiropractic Association (OCA) hosted an Advocacy day at Ontario’s legislative building. Meetings were held between OCA members/riding designates and provincial parliamentary staffers and MPPs, with the goal of establishing chiropractic as an active and integral player with- in the collaborative system that is becoming characteristic of Ontario’s health-are delivery. The main focus of these meetings was to encourage a pa- tient-centred approach that includes removing barriers that cur- rently prevent DCs from utilizing their skills and knowledge to enhance health care delivery within the province. Specific items that were brought forth by OCA representatives included: • authorizing DCs to order MRI, diagnostic ultrasound and 20 • CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | JUNE 2010 specific laboratory tests in keeping with the chiropractic scope of practice, • extension of current policy for DCs to requisition X-rays through Independent Health Facilities to include public hospitals, • enhancing the contributions of chiropractors in primary care settings such as Family Health Teams, and • creating patient access to DCs in a variety of secondary/ tertiary health-care settings including public hospitals and nursing homes. The event ended with a cocktail reception at which represen- tatives of the three provincial parties confirmed the profession’s important role in the province’s health-care system. www.canadianchiropractor.ca news
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