revolutionary change and will have salu-tary consequences on virtually all aspects of the health-care system. The expansion of primary care is supported by govern-ment statements, including one by for-mer Minister of Health, George Abbott: “The greatest untapped resource in health care is the consumer. Well-informed pa-tients get better care from their doctors and provide better care for themselves. The issue at hand is to get the right infor-mation into the hands of the right person at the right time.” CHIROPRACTIC SAVES MONEY The enormous cost of health care in the United States and Canada constitutes an opportunity to identify strategies for real and immediate annual savings that contribute to economic recovery and sustainability. In order for these strategies to be considered as valid and helpful, they must demonstrate two ba-sic and essential attributes inherent to other goods or services sectors that are acknowledged and practised – namely, effectiveness and outcomes. The chiropractic profession is a lead-er by example, with unparalleled find-ings of facilitating fiscal stability and benefits for patients’ well-being that governments and public alike can rely upon. Little time need be spent on au-thoring new studies. Instead, members can simply update the data of previ-ous studies to reflect 2010 fiscal val-ues to engage media and public alike regarding the benefits to patients and the economy. For instance, if we scale up the sav-ings calculated by Manga and Angus in 1998 to 2010 proportions, by the rate of inflation alone, we are looking at an-nual savings, in Canada, in the ballpark of $4 billion dollars from substituting chiropractic for medical care of mus-culoskeletal conditions! This does not include other benefits of substituting chiropractic for other types of care for musculoskeletal conditions! As James Car ville, the American po-litical strategist, voiced, “It’s the econ-omy, stupid.” Indeed, along with the well-documented Canadian studies on c o s t s a v i n g s , A m e r i c a n h e a l t h -c a re d a t a equally documents substantial cost sav-ings when chiropractic is included in health-care strategy. In 2002, Donald M u s e , o f M u s e a n d A s s o c i a t e s , re p o r t e d a n a n a l y s i s o f M e d i c a re a n d M e d i c a i d patients who included chiropractic in t h e i r h e a l t h -c a re a n d s h o w e d a n n u a l h e a l t h c o s t s o f $ 4 , 4 0 0 c o m p a re d t o $8,100 per year for patients without chiropractic. The chiropractic profession, through individual doctors as well as provincial associations’ initiatives, can “take the stage” to advance discussion and formu-late submissions – repeatedly, if neces-sary – to all levels of health authority, employers, and the public, on the sub-stantive annual reduction in health costs that could be attained by including chi-ropractic in health-care strategies. MORE REASONS TO CONSIDER CHIROPRACTIC Improvements in safety of health care alone could contribute enormously to the economy. In Canada, the annual l o s s -o f -l i f e d u e t o p re v e n t a b l e m e d i c a l mistakes is 24,000 per year, and in the United States, this figure is 100,000 per year. S p i n e a n d re l a t e d c o n d i t i o n s re p -resent an estimated one-third of all daily office visits to physicians in both countries. Effectiveness and positive o u t c o m e s o f t h e s e c o u l d b e re a l i z e d from appropriate diagnosis and treat-ment. The chiropractic profession has i n c re a s i n g l y b e e n a c k n o w l e d g e d t o b e a m o n g t h e s a f e s t f o r m o f c a re t h a t a l s o provides optimum outcomes. The provincial, state, and federal economic emergencies that have con-stituted our current fiscal crisis, along with existing legislative initiatives, provide the chiropractic profession the opportunity, and the responsibil-ity, to focus on delivering information that will both contribute to economic solutions, and improve the health of the population. Chiropractic doctors and their provincial initiatives must n o t w a s t e t h i s c u r re n t o p p o r t u n i t y a n d must be bold and forthright with the fiscal ideas for reform. It will be im-portant to focus on the benefits to the population as a whole and the amelio-r a t i o n o f t h e c u r re n t e c o n o m i c c r i s i s w e a re f a c i n g . M a k i n g a l l i a n c e s w i t h o t h e r h e a l t h -c a re g i v e r s i s a l s o v e r y i m p o r t a n t because, politically, there is strength in numbers. Finally, fighting for reform that ben-efits the economy and public health, now, will also add measureably to chi-ropractic identity and unity. • news GERARD CLUM HONOURED WITH CHIROPRACTIC EDUCATION AWARD Dr. Gerard W. Clum, the first president of Life Chiropractic College West, has recently been presented with the Golden Achievement of Chiropractic Education Award. The award was created by Foot Levelers approximately 20 years ago, and has been bestowed to only a handful of individuals who have made significant impacts to better the chiropractic profession. “This achievement award is a once-in-a-lifetime recognition of exceptional contribution and dedication to different aspects of the chiropractic profession,” said Kent S. Greenawalt, President and CEO of Foot Levelers, who presented the award to Dr. Clum. “Chiropractic is part of Dr. Clum’s DNA – live, eat, breath, sleep, do, achieve for this fine profession.” Dr. Clum’s 30 years of serving the profession as president of Life Chiropractic College West has placed him among the most senior of chiropractic college administrators in the world. His contribution to the profession has also included being presi-dent of the World Federation of Chiropractic; president of the Association of Chiropractic Colleges; board member of the Inter-national Chiropractors Association for 20 years; and executive committee member of the Foundation of Chiropractic Progress. Dr. Clum’s recent retirement as president of the College allows him to pursue other areas of interest and need in the chiropractic field. When accepting the award at Parker Seminars, Las Vegas, he noted that he is “retiring from a position, not the profession.” RS Owens and Company, the same company that produces the Oscars®, constructed the Golden Achievement of Chiropractic Education award. It stands about 18 inches high and is plated with 24K gold. “The award is 24K plated – and although it is very valuable, it is incomparable to the priceless achievements of a chiropractic champion such as Dr. Clum,” said Kent Greenawalt. • www.canadianchiropractor.ca 16 • CANADiAN CHiROPRACTOR | FEBRUARY 2011
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