Arlington, Va. – Doctors of chiropractic are part of the essential critical infrastructure workforce, according to an advisory memorandum released on March 28 by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The memo aims to give state, local, tribal and territorial governments guidance as they consider what actions to take in their communities to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) while still maintaining critical industries and the workers who support them.
Authored by Christopher C. Krebs, director of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the memo lists specific workers in industries ranging from health care/public health, transportation, food and agriculture, information technology and more “who conduct a range of operations and services that are typically essential to continued critical infrastructure viability.” The memo notes that the list is advisory in nature and should not be considered a federal directive or standard. CISA developed the list in collaboration with other federal agencies, state and local governments, and the private sector.
The news comes on the heels of a letter the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) wrote to Homeland Security earlier in March, urging the agency to include chiropractors in the list of essential healthcare providers. In it, ACA emphasized that, “Chiropractors are primary-contact healthcare providers who provide essential care, including (but not limited to) managing acute and urgent musculoskeletal conditions.…These services are critical for managing cases that otherwise could end up in emergency rooms, worsening an already difficult situation.”
“Homeland Security’s decision to include chiropractors on the list of essential healthcare workers is validation of the important role they play in enhancing the health and function of their patients, who in turn often work in industries that are critical to local communities,” said ACA President Robert C. Jones, DC.
(Note: The March 28, 2020 memo has since been updated by CISA. The latest version is available here.)
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About the American Chiropractic Association
The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) is the largest professional chiropractic organization in the United States. ACA attracts the most principled and accomplished chiropractors, who understand that it takes more to be called an ACA chiropractor. We are leading our profession in the most constructive and far-reaching ways — by working hand in hand with other health care professionals, by lobbying for pro-chiropractic legislation and policies, by supporting meaningful research and by using that research to inform our treatment practices. We also provide professional and educational opportunities for all our members and are committed to being a positive and unifying force for the practice of modern chiropractic. To learn more, visit www.acatoday.org, and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
