Following elections at ACA Engage, our annual meeting in January, I am pleased to serve the American Chiropractic Association as president for the 2024-25 term. Special thanks to our Board of Governors and our members for this opportunity and for your ongoing support.
We saw many engaged ACA members at the annual meeting. All of you regularly give of your time and talents, and the Board appreciates each one of you, along with our wonderful ACA staff.
I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome Dr. Kris Anderson and Mr. Adrian Stratton to the Board of Governors. Kris serves with me on the ACA Health Policy and Advocacy Committee, so I know firsthand the knowledge and energy that he brings to a project. He is one of the most informed chiropractors regarding coding issues, so he is a great asset to us. Adrian is also new to the board, and brings a global perspective to our organization, based on his work as a business consultant and parliamentary expert. Kris and Adrian are strong additions who will complement the existing expertise of board members Drs. Eric Benson, Marcus Nynas and Maithy Ta.
I am encouraged that, together – including all of you – we are leading our profession forward. This effort requires a vision for volunteerism and collaboration as we work hand in hand with other healthcare professionals, lobby for pro-chiropractic legislation and policies, support meaningful research, and use that research to inform our treatment practices. In addition, as an association, we are committed to providing professional and educational opportunities for all our members.
We had some great education programs at Engage 2024, many of which were sponsored by ACA’s specialty councils. If you missed Engage, please note that some of those education programs will be featured on Learn ACA, our online learning platform. For those who have an interest in a specialty area of practice, let me also encourage you to explore membership in the specialty councils. Members who join the councils often make meaningful connections with other doctors and students who share their interest. It’s a great way to grow your network and continue to learn.
As chair of the Health Policy and Advocacy Committee, and someone who has worked across the aisle with other provider groups, I’m especially pleased that ACA launched the Health Policy Fellowship last year and is training the next generation of advocates who will be prepared to dig into complex topics impacting our profession. I’m delighted to announce the first cohort of ACA fellows: Cynthia Chapman, DC MPH, of Occoquan, Va., Della M. Schmid, DC, of Newtown, Conn., and Morgan Price, DC, of Seattle, Wash. My congratulations to these three, who I am excited to get to know better and to work with in the future.
This year is going to be a pivotal year for ACA. We have an election coming up in November, so our ACA-PAC is working hard to find and support candidates who are pro-chiropractic and who will work with us on issues important to our patients and the profession, such as access to chiropractic services. Our Medicare bill, H.R. 1610/S. 799 – the Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act – has now achieved more than 150 cosponsors in the House of Representatives. It’s not an overstatement to say that the congressional meetings ACA members participated in during Engage 2024 have given the bill added momentum.
The result of these combined efforts – in leadership, health policy and legislative advocacy – is that we as an association are stronger as we continue to lead as a positive and unifying force for the practice of modern chiropractic. Fulfilling this vision requires insightful leadership and broad-scale participation. It takes a community of informed and dedicated members. It takes you.
Together, we are moving our profession forward in constructive and far-reaching ways. Here’s to a great 2024!
Dr. Bronston is president of the American Chiropractic Association.
