As we work to live life on adjusted terms during the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) continues to act as a trusted source of information and a force for change on behalf of our members, the chiropractic profession as a whole, and the public. We deeply value the support and encouragement we have received as we navigate these difficult times.

ACA Missouri delegate Quinn James, DC, reached a milestone recently in his advocacy efforts on behalf of H.R. 3654, the Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act: He managed to get the last of all eight of Missouri’s members of the U.S. House of Representatives to become cosponsors of the legislation. Missouri is the first state in the U.S. with multiple representatives to get all on board. Earlier this year, at ACA’s annual meeting, Dr. James was awarded the ACA Political Action Committee’s F. Dow Bates PAC Bulldog Award, recognizing his outstanding contributions. ACA Blogs reached out to Dr. James to learn more about his effective approach for winning over cosponsors.

The death of George Floyd is inexcusable. At the same time our country struggles to heal from the primary and secondary effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the events surrounding Mr. Floyd’s death in Minneapolis force us to publicly face the harsh reality that minority groups are still burdened by racism and oppression, which destroys lives and well-being in a way that no virus can match.

The chiropractic profession has been working for some time toward increased integration in health care by seeking ways to become more involved within communities and on the national level, laying a foundation for doctors of chiropractic to collaborate more meaningfully with different types of providers for the benefit of patients. N. Ray Tuck, Jr., DC, and Steven J. Gould, DC, provide one example of chiropractors who are advancing integration and bridging the gap with their medical colleagues through volunteer leadership.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) has advocated on behalf of doctors of chiropractic and their role as essential healthcare providers who support many front-line workers by helping them to function under strenuous physical conditions and increased stress. ACA Blogs talks to one of those essential workers, ACA's Hawaii delegate Joseph Morelli, DC, who has been treating not only healthcare workers but also teachers and others who continue to provide essential services to the citizens of Hawaii.

Representing a new generation of researchers is no easy feat, but as the current research director at Parker University, Katherine Pohlman, DC, MS, PhD, is doing just that. Since joining Parker’s team in 2015, Dr. Pohlman has designed two entrepreneurial programs aimed at increasing the college’s research productivity. As a result, faculty participation in research activities increased from 10 percent to 65 percent. Earlier this year at ACA's annual meeting, Dr. Pohlman’s efforts were recognized by her peers when she received the association's prestigious Dr. George B. McClelland Researcher of the Year Award. In this Q&A, ACA Blogs finds out how hard work and good fortune contributed to her success. 

Coalitions are an often overlooked and commonly misunderstood aspect of the Washington D.C. advocacy fabric.  Just like associations, there are many kinds of coalitions, each with a unique mission, membership, strategy, focus and style.  Each brings together organizations, companies, associations and like-minded individuals to unite for a common goal. One influential and effective example is the Patients’ Access to Responsible Care Alliance (PARCA), a national coalition that represents the interests of millions of patients and non-MD/DO health care professionals. 

The first Faculty ACA Symposium takes place virtually on June 13, bringing together chiropractic college faculty members from around the country to learn and engage with their peers. The event – originally planned to take place at Keiser University in Florida – was transitioned to an online meeting to keep participants safe during the coronavirus outbreak. Organizers hope this will encourage more faculty to register and attend. ACA Blogs takes a moment to connect with Faculty ACA’s (FACA’s) president and vice president, Drs. Jennifer Illes and William Lauretti, respectively, to learn how the past few weeks have impacted chiropractic education, faculty members and students.

During the past few weeks, the American Chiropractic Association has been working to bring doctors of chiropractic information and resources that are crucial to navigating practice and business challenges presented by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Another area of our work is to expand access to CE credits on Learn ACA, our online learning platform, which offers a safe and affordable option for continuing education. 

Recently, Medicare providers, including chiropractors, who filed claims in 2019 discovered that funds were distributed automatically to their checking accounts. These are payments, not loans, to healthcare providers and will not need to be repaid. Since the payments began to appear in checking accounts, ACA has been receiving several questions, especially from chiropractors who have not received the payments yet. In some of these cases, people are not looking in the right places. Therefore, if you have not received a Medicare stimulus payment to date, here are some steps you can take to ensure you don’t inadvertently miss it.