from an exclusively medical disease-care model to actual health care. Our govern-ments need to understand that this must involve other disciplines, such as chiro-practic care, where there is an abundance of positive healing outcomes. It is imperative that we develop a voice in the new Health Accord in 2014 – or in the new individual provincial constructs, if a federal accord is abandoned – if we are going to influence the federal and pro-vincial governments to look at other para-digms. To be seen as being different from the current medical model, we need to be sure that we have our chiropractic para-digm set towards the correction of prob-lems, at their roots, and the restoration of normal function, and not merely the relief of symptoms! Health is a manifestation of normal function that is independent of constant – and costly – intervention, not whether or not symptoms are controlled. Our patients are looking for this differ-ence in the services we provide and this is the paradigm we need to promote. Our strength, as a profession, is the fact that we have an excellent source of support from Canadians in all walks of life, espe-cially the trade and ordinary salaried work-ers. More than that, we have an abundance of satisfied patients who would be happy to see their chiropractic care included equally in a government-funded health-care pro-gram. It is their voice that will matter in the Health Accord discussions. All chiropractic provincial associations need to get involved in encouraging and supporting DCs in organizing their patients in positive political action. This could in-clude petitions or, even better, meetings where patients can voice their concerns to their MPs and/or provincial legislators. Be-cause, while petitions have an impact, the greater impact would be to have serious numbers present their concerns directly to their MPs and/or provincial leaders! Also, because this is, potentially, a national health event, the Canadian Chi-ropractic Association (CCA) needs to be involved in spearheading this process for the profession. This means doing what needs to be done to develop political strat-egies to support provincial associations to do the same in their jurisdictions. The CCA can concern itself with dealing more directly with the federal governments – should that remain necessary – while the provincial associations can deal with the local MPs and provincial representatives, as well as organizing patient events to urge the changes to transform the system. In short, we have to show that there is substantial support for a more holistic health-care system that includes chiro-practic among other health-care disci-plines that go beyond medical care. If we do not become active in doing this, statements by the CMA will be seen as representing us and our patients as well! The key to success in this endeavour is our ability to manifest a strong patient support base for a serious paradigm shift in our national health program. We can do it! We just have to commit ourselves and get on with it ASAP! • Part 2 of this article will look at a number of options for effective political action on the part of the chiropractic profession and de-scribe strategies for getting our patients fully involved to help bring about change. news CANADA’S NEWEST CHIROPRACTIC RESEARCH PROFESSORSHIP McGill University, one of Canada’s leading universities, has awarded the “Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation Professorship in Rehabilitation Epidemiology” to Dr. André Bus-sières, DC. This Research Professorship is funded with an initial invest-ment of $500,000 from the CCA/CFCREAB Clinical Practice Guidelines Project. The Project is a joint venture between the Canadian Chiropractic Association and the Canadian Federation of Chiropractic Regulatory and Educational Accrediting Boards. This investment represents the ongoing commitment of Canada’s chiropractic regulatory boards and associations to im-proving the health of Canadians by enhancing their process of guideline development with a university-based research position focused on the most current, scientifically sound approaches to Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) development. Dr. Bussières will complete his PhD training in Population Health, shortly, at the University of Ottawa, under the supervi-sion of Dr. Jeremy Grimshaw, Co-Chair of the Cochrane Col-laboration and Director of Cochrane Canada. His PhD research thesis focuses on Knowledge Transfer and Exchange (KTE) of clinical practice guidelines and the overall goal of his thesis proj-ect is to establish a scientific rationale for interventions to trans-late research findings into clinical practice. Dr. Bussières serves as a member of the JCCA Editorial Board and has written over 20 scientific and clinical articles and three book chapters. In addition, he was the principal investigator of three diagnostic imaging practice guidelines for musculoskeletal complaints in adults. Dr. Bussières was the recipient of the 2009 CCA Young In-vestigator Award, and has won a prestigious CIHR Fellowship Award in the Area of Primary Care as well as the distinguished KT Canada Fellowship Award. He is also a full professor at UQTR. McGill University is one of Canada’s best-known institutions of higher learning and one of the leading research-intensive universities. The University partners with eight affiliated teach-ing hospitals to graduate over 1,000 health care professionals each year. Currently, 163 Canada Research Chairs are allot-ted to McGill faculty. Canada’s largest hospital-based research facility is located at the McGill University Health Centre, with more than 500 researchers and clinicians, nearly 1,000 gradu-ate and postdoctoral students, and close to $100 million re-search funding. The new McGill CCRF Research Professorship in Rehabilitation Epidemiology will have its home in the Faculty of Medicine. The CCA/CFCREAB Clinical Practice Guidelines Project has published five evidence-based chiropractic guidelines since 2004, the most recent being the Headache Guideline published in JMPT in June 2011. Practice Guides accompany each guide-line for use by clinicians to translate the research into improved care for the Canadian public. The CCA/CFCREAB Clinical Practice Guidelines Project is grateful to the Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation and its Executive Vice President, Dr. Allan Gotlib, for negotiating this Research Professorship. This is a historic partnership between the CCRF and McGill University and builds on CCRF’s research capacity program which establishes Research Chairs and Profes-sorships in universities across Canada. Congratulations to Dr. Bussières! www.canadianchiropractor.ca 10 • CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | FEBRUARY 2012
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