The Alabama State Chiropractic Association’s (ASCA) motto, “Stronger Together,” has added meaning these days, as the association’s membership has increased almost five-fold since February 2023. It was then that ASCA hired the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) to manage its day-to-day operations so Alabama’s leadership could focus on governance. The partnership has been a resounding success, resulting in not only increased membership but also more membership value thanks to several new programs and events launched in the past year.
“Partnering with ACA for association management of the ASCA has been a very positive experience! ACA provided us with a solid strategic plan that has grown our membership and improved our member operations and communication avenues,” said ASCA President Brad Frost, DC, CCSP. “ACA has garnered multiple corporate sponsors and is currently expanding ASCA’s in person and online education opportunities platform. The expert advice and effective strategic planning provided by ACA has enabled ASCA to build a solid financial foundation in a short amount of time and re-established excitement about the future of our association!”
“Everywhere you look, there’s progress,” agreed Brenda Toler, an experienced association executive who ACA installed as ASCA’s executive director at the start of the agreement. “There’s also a new sense of unity among the membership.”
Re-establishing Contact
Like many smaller state chiropractic associations, Alabama faced challenges previously in leveraging its available resources to create member value. Systems used to communicate with the membership and manage finances had fallen short, leaving the organization with just 35 paying members. When Toler began working with the state, she knew the first course of action was to launch an outreach effort to all chiropractors in the state. This included direct email outreach as well as the development of a monthly newsletter to keep members informed and engaged with the association.
Toler and ASCA leadership also organized in person events to bring the doctors together for networking, including educational events that included a dinner for participants and a new annual seminar in Orange Beach, Ala. Toler even found sponsorship for some of the events. She points out that many of the doctors who came out in those early days did not even realize they were not ASCA members or that they had fallen off the books. As a result, many rejoined on the spot. A year later, the association boasts more than 170 paying members.
“There’s definitely awareness now of the changes at ASCA in Alabama. New doctors are joining because they say, ‘We want to support you,” said Toler. “They know that there’s someone here [at headquarters] to answer their calls and to listen to their concerns or ideas.”
New Programs Enhance Member Value
ACA has been able to provide additional benefit to ASCA and its members by opening a new line of communication with the state licensing board. This resulted in an agreement allowing newly licensed ASCA members, who need two additional law-related CE credits per year (compared with the two that all Alabama DCs must already earn per year) to get them by sitting in on the licensing board’s annual meeting for two hours.
ACA’s connections across the country have also enabled Toler to keep ASCA leadership informed about developments in other states that could impact Alabama in the future. She regularly draws from ACA’s work in areas such as federal legislation and coding/documentation to enhance ASCA content.
“ACA is at the forefront of national legislative efforts to increase coverage in Medicare and to ensure that the chiropractic profession is represented in critical conversations around coding and documentation. As a partner with ASCA, we share relevant updates to keep Alabama doctors informed of developments that could impact their practices,” Toler explained.
A Stronger Financial Foundation
Between more members and new programs, ASCA is not only reaping the benefits of more member engagement, it is also enjoying greater financial stability. Toler points out that the association is operating in the black now as it continues to fortify its new financial foundation — supported by a new association management system (AMS) that will be implemented soon.
“We were confident from the start that ACA could make a difference in Alabama by installing a seasoned association executive to take a close look at ASCA’s operating systems and budget, and make improvements and upgrades where needed,” said ACA Executive Vice President Karen Silberman, “The results have exceeded everyone’s expectations and, as a result, Alabama doctors now have a healthy association representing their interests.”
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About Association Management Services from ACA
ACA currently manages operations for the Alabama State Chiropractic Association (ASCA) and Minnesota Chiropractic Association (MCA). If you’d like to know more about ACA’s services or talk about what we can do for you, please contact ACA Executive Vice President Karen Silberman at [email protected].
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.
