With our 2024 SACA Leadership Conference fast approaching, I’m struck with nostalgia regarding my own leadership journey at ACA. It was just shy of seven years ago that I found myself at Logan University, during my very first SACA Leadership Conference, listening to Dr. Anthony Lisi speak about his dedicated work within the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). In between all the new connections I made, the comfort zones I pushed, and the clinical growth I achieved, I never could have guessed that this one weekend would impact me in such a life-changing way. Upon returning to Cleveland University, our Student ACA (SACA) chapter was inspired to create new fundraising events, recruiting initiatives, and PAC campaigns that culminated in our winning Chapter of the Year—which remains one of my core memories, involving some of my closest friends to this day.
Fast forward to the present day: I serve as the youngest ACA Board of Governors member, a feat that would not have been possible without the mentorship and support I received over the past influential years. As a student, the chiropractic landscape can feel so vast, and at times, so volatile. With so many techniques and contradicting philosophies, it’s no wonder students can feel so directionless early in their careers.
In my case, I truly found a home within ACA, an association with a mission, vision, and values that I could admire. The brand slogan, “Hands Down Better,” still rings in my brain, and the ACA Pledge of Professional Values that I signed is still tucked away in one of my desk drawers. ACA is a volunteer organization that promotes servant leadership by those who care and dedicate their limited free time to advocating for the chiropractic profession. These tenants truly resonated with me, leading me to dive head-first into serving in any capacity I could.
Before I knew it, graduation was upon us, and I was saying goodbye to SACA and entering a new chapter. First came the Millennial Think Tank, founded by former SACA leaders looking for a landing pad following graduation. This evolved into NextGen ACA, our current group for doctors of chiropractic within their first five years of practice. This group not only served as a place for my leadership development, but it also kept me grounded. During this period, I found myself in uncharted waters professionally, learning on the go what it meant to be a successful clinician while also trying to steer away from the dreaded “Chiro Island” of isolationism we’ve all heard about.
To make matters worse, I was in practice just a year when the pandemic hit and the threat of isolation amplified. If it had not been for the monthly calls within ACA committees I had the privilege of serving on, the virtual social calls planned by NextGen, and the opportunity to do good work that aimed to move the profession forward, it’s no exaggeration to say that my burn out would have been imminent. However, through ACA’s quick leadership and resourcefulness, we pivoted Engage and Advocacy Day to fully virtual platforms. NextGen ACA and the Faculty ACA (FACA) followed, with their own virtual events. Despite the miles of distance between my ACA colleagues and me, these virtual connections kept me energized, fulfilled, and motivated even in our darkest times.
I will always be grateful to ACA for its accomplishments benefitting the chiropractic profession, but in some ways they pale in comparison to how ACA benefitted me in my personal development and relationships—which includes providing me with world-class mentors and professional colleagues as well as a number of my bridesmaids! From connecting me with my first job practicing in a hospital-based clinic, giving me the opportunity to collaborate in student-enrichment programs during COVID, and allowing me the honor to serve on committees that I’m passionate about such as Membership, EDI, Legislative, and more, I have a lot of gratitude and thanks to give.
One of my favorite sayings I’ve heard time and time again within ACA is, “I stand on the shoulders of giants.” ACA’s leadership pipeline was developed and made possible by our past and current ACA leaders, and carried on year after year through the efforts of our hardworking and dedicated staff. Many before me and many after me have participated in this pipeline, preparing us for leadership not only within ACA but also within our communities and beyond. Whether we went on to become clinic owners, faculty and clinicians at chiropractic universities, researchers, or associates in our hometowns, the hard skills we obtained paved the way for our future success.
The future of ACA and chiropractic is bright as more and more continue the path so many of us have walked, cultivating their own leadership abilities in their own way. My story is like so many others who had their start as SACA students, brave enough to chart into unknown territories.
Dr. Ta is a member of the ACA Board of Governors.
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Insights from Other ACA Leaders
Two of Dr. Ta’s close colleagues share thoughts on their own leadership journeys below:
• Stephanie Halloran, DC: serves as co-chair of the ACA Residency Accreditation Task Force, a member of the ACA Editorial Review Advisory Board, and a previous member of the ACA Professional Development Advisory Board.
• Morgan Price, DC: serves as an ACA Health Policy Fellow and a member of the Code Development Valuation Subcommittee, Code Utilization and Application Subcommittee, and Health Policy and Advocacy Committee.
Q: What has been most rewarding to you about your ACA leadership experience
Dr. Halloran: The most rewarding part of my time in leadership with the ACA is learning from other people in the profession. Being on committees, task forces and
the like allows me to interact with providers from various backgrounds and experiences — academics, new graduates, researchers, health administrators, entrepreneurs, and more. It allows me to have a bird’s eye view of the profession as a whole and expands my knowledge of the various challenges that the profession faces individually and together.
Dr. Price: The importance of giving back to organizations like ACA cannot be overstated. So much has been done to advance the profession to the current state, and knowing that you can be a part of continuing that push is the most rewarding thing. I enjoy volunteering my time not only with ACA, but also with the American Public Health Association (APHA), Clinical Compass,
North American Spine Society (NASS), National Quality Forum (NQF), and internally on the VA Field Advisory Committee. All organizations have the shared goal of improving care for our patients through advocacy, policy, research, and education efforts that cross collaboration can only enhance. Recently having the opportunity to listen to giants in the field such as Drs. Scott Haldeman, Louis Sportelli, and Ian Coulter at the 2024 ACC-RAC Conference and Dr. Valerie Johnson, the chiropractic residency director for the VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System, at the 2024 American Black Chiropractic Association National Convention, you realize that not that long ago the state of the profession was much different. To think about the next 50 years, what your mark on chiropractic will be, and the opportunities for the future, should inspire you.
Q: What is your advice to others who aspire to ACA leadership positions?
Dr. Halloran: Have an open mind and go slow. There are many times I have left a meeting with my mind changed or having a slightly different view on a topic. You can provide valuable insights based on your training and clinical experiences; others can do the same. If you come to each meeting and interaction with an open mind, versus presenting with a point to prove or defend, there is a greater opportunity for collaboration and advancement of the profession globally.
Dr. Price: Keep showing up. Be a sponge. Everyone starts somewhere so enjoy the time you spend on committees and value the learning opportunities from the peers around you. You don’t know what you don’t know.
