The NYCC Admissions Department welcomed 208 new students in its September classes: 122 students representing 23 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and South Korea in the chiropractic program, 32 in the acupuncture master’s programs, 29 in the on-line Master of Science in Applied Clinical Nutrition (MSACN) program, and 25 in its on-line Master of Science in Human Anatomy & Physiology Instruction (MSHAPI) program.

National Government Services Upcoming Webinars on Chiropractic Services

On Sept. 3, The New York Times printed "Too Young to Have a Stroke? Think Again," about the risk of stroke among younger people, which stated that "Other activities that can cause a carotid tear are those that involve sudden neck jerks, including scuba diving, golf and tennis, as well as chiropractic manipulation and bending the head sharply back (the so-called beauty parlor stroke)." ACA President Keith Overland, DC, quickly responded with a letter to the editor that was printed on page 4 of the Science Times section of the Sept. 11 edition. Dr. Overland's response highlighted research published in the medical journal Spine, which concluded that the risk of vertebrobasilar artery stroke associated with a visit to a chiropractic physician is no different than the risk of stroke following a visit to a primary care physician, and that any observed association between stroke and cervical manipulation or primary care visits is most likely linked to patients with undiagnosed vertebral artery dissections seeking care for neck pain or headaches prior to their strokes.

The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) today filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief in the New Mexico Court of Appeals, supporting the expertise of chiropractic physicians in that state and their right to self-determination.
 
ACA was compelled to file the brief after the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) joined forces with the New Mexico Board of Pharmacy and the New Mexico Medical Board in a December 2011 memorandum to the court, requesting a halt to efforts by the New Mexico Board of Chiropractic Examiners to create an advanced practice training and certification program for chiropractic physicians.
  
In making its argument in favor of allowing New Mexico chiropractic physicians to chart their own course in this matter, ACA's brief informs the court about the extensive educational background and training that chiropractic physicians receive today from accredited U.S. chiropractic colleges.
 
The brief also points out that ACA is the nation's largest and preeminent chiropractic professional association, and that its long-established policy has been to recognize that local doctors are best equipped to determine matters of scope.
 
"It is ACA's opinion that the New Mexico Board of Chiropractic Examiners should be given the same respect as other state boards and allowed to determine what is best for chiropractic physicians and patients in that state. We object in particular to actions by the ICA, as well as the state's pharmacy and medical boards, to interfere with the will of chiropractic physicians in New Mexico and the needs of their patients," said ACA President Keith Overland, DC.
 
It is uncertain at this time when the court will make its final ruling on the issue.

For more information, visit www.acatoday.org/NMbrief.

Seneca Falls, NY: New York Chiropractic College employees know the College is a great place to work, and the Chronicle of Higher Education agrees! For the fourth year running NYCC earned a place on the Chronicle’s roll of “Great Colleges to Work For” alongside such notables as Duke University, University of Michigan and Notre Dame. Qualifying marks in more than four categories merited placement on the Chronicle’s select “Honor Roll” for the third year in a row. NYCC excelled in ten of the eleven available assessment categories - adding collaborative governance, teaching environment and senior leadership to last year’s seven winning classifications.

The program - nowone of the largest and most respected workplace-recognition programs in the country - distinguishes colleges for best practices and policies. After reviewing 46,946 surveys submitted by administrators, faculty members, and professional support staff members from 294 participating institutions, only 42 make it to the Honor Roll.

“To earn a place on the Chronicle’s select ‘Honor Roll’ for three consecutive years is truly an outstanding distinction! Students unquestionably benefit whenever quality instruction is delivered by satisfied faculty members and a customer-oriented staff,” said NYCC President Dr. Frank J. Nicchi.

More about NYCC and its graduate programs is available at www.nycc.edu

This past month in the United Kingdom, physical therapists gained the right to prescribe medications independently.

There are a number of considerations of which you should be aware when performing independent chiropractic examinations (ICE):

The health care professions constantly evolve. A variety of forces, sometimes in competition with one another, continue to shape and reshape the methods, procedures and the manner in which health care is provided to the public.

As Medicare Contracted Advisory Committee Representative for NY, Dr. Lupinacci and I have been receiving many complaints regarding Medicare. As CAC reps, we work closely on these issues with the ACA. We also get many questions as to what we are doing to stop some of the unfair treatment we receive in Medicare. Dealing with CMS and the rules and regulations governing Medicare is a national issue, we wanted to share a communication from ACA with you:

With a little more than 24 hours until the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games, it's worth remembering that in 1979, track and field star Dwight Stones broke barriers and thrust chiropractic care into the Olympic spotlight in an interview on national TV, where he spoke about the important work being done by Leroy Perry, DC.

The District Court of Travis County, 250 Judicial District withdrew its opinion and judgment dated April 5, 2012, and substitute the following in its place. The motion for rehearing filed by appellee Texas Medical Association is denied.

Arlington, Va.- On June 28, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a controversial 5 to 4 decision, declared the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to be constitutional, including the much disputed "individual mandate" provision which requires individuals to purchase health insurance coverage. According to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), the long-awaited court decision removes legal obstacles to the full implementation of the law on a timeline very close to what was planned when PPACA was signed into law in March 2010.

The following link is a chiropractic public service announcement produced by the WestHartford Group, a chiropractic think tank dedicated to the advancement of the chiropractic profession.

Are You Suffering from Back Pain?

An unusually broad collaboration of health professionals from the greater Rochester area has been selected by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to help lead the nation’s assault on pain.

Members of the House Armed Services Committee have approved the inclusion of a strong, pro-chiropractic directive in their official committee report accompanying the FY 2013 National Defense Authorization Act. The committee language asserts that services provided by doctors of chiropractic (DCs) for our nation's men and women in uniform is of "high quality" and has become a "key" benefit within the military health care system. Read relevant pages from the committee report here.

Sexual misconduct can be the basis of a charge of professional misconduct. Increasingly across many health professions, including chiropractic, patients are filing complaints alleging that licensees have engaged in some form of sexual misconduct. Since the primary techniques of chiropractic care are "hands-on" requiring the practitioner to be in close proximity to the patient's body, you should be aware of and anticipate situations that could be perceived as sexual misconduct, and take measures to prevent them.