Steering in the Right Direction
The National Quality Forum has appointed John Ventura, DC, DABCO, to serve on the nonprofit organization's Musculoskeletal Steering Committee for the Musculoskeletal Measure Endorsement and Maintenance Project. Dr. Ventura will serve a two-year term on the committee, described by the American Chiropractic Association in a press release announcing the appointment as follows:
"The project will review endorsed maintenance measures and solicit new measures encompassing all aspects of musculoskeletal health for review and endorsement, with an emphasis on disparate and vulnerable populations. The steering committee will evaluate newly submitted measures and measures undergoing maintenance review, and make recommendations for which should be endorsed as national consensus standards."
A 1983 graduate of National University of Health Sciences, Dr. Ventura also serves on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' technical expert panel charged with writing the quality metrics for the Physicians Quality Reporting System; and is a board member on the U.S. Bone and Joint Initiative.
Parker Establishes College of Business and Technology
Parker University is launching a College of Business and Technology to provide interested students with undergraduate and graduate degree programs in health care business administration and technology. Degree programs include an associate of applied science degree in health information technology; bachelor's of science degrees in health information management and computer information systems (concentrations in cybersecurity and information technology); and a master's degree in business administration (concentration in health care management).
Dr. Charlene Conner, former dean of the College of Business and Graduate Programs at Dallas Baptist University, has been named founding dean of Parker's new college.
World Spine Care Announces Volunteer Opportunity
World Spine Care, a multinational nonprofit organization led by Scott Haldeman, DC, MD, PhD, is soliciting "a volunteer to assume the role of primary spine practitioner" at the WSC clinics in Botswana between July 2014 – July 2015. For additional information about the volunteer opportunity, contact Dr. Geoff Outerbridge at geoff.outerbridge@worldspinecare.org. For background on World Spine Care, visit the WSC website and read our interview with Dr. Haldeman in the May 6, 2011 issue of DC: "Bringing Primary Care Chiropractic to the World."
Straighten Up Finalizes Latest Activity Modules
Straighten Up has released its latest two activity modules, "Backs and Bellies" (for expectant mothers) and "Balance." It is anticipated that the free modules will be available for download / use on the Straighten Up website, soon, adding to a growing collection of resources that includes a number of handouts and PowerPoints designed to promote spinal health and wellness.
Straighten Up America launched in 2004 with a training session at the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations convention in New Orleans. Since then, the initiative has spread worldwide to Australia, England, Sweden and India, among other countries. Straighten Up activity modules / guidelines have been translated into numerous languages, and Straighten Up has been adopted as a key component of World Spine Day.
According to Ronald Kirk, MA, DC, Straighten Up coordinator, the goal of the program is simple: "to empower the public to take a little time each day to proactively care for their spines." To learn more, read Dr. Kirk's 2005 article in DC: "Beginning to 'Straighten Up America.'" (July 29, 2005 issue) and click here.
Sherman College has signed transfer agreements with two Puerto Rican schools this year, the latest involving Universidad Central de Bayamón. Under the agreement, prospective chiropractic students can complete their prerequisite 90 semester hours at UCB and then transfer into Sherman's DC program after three years. In March, Sherman signed a similar transfer agreement with Pontifica Universidad Catolica de Puerto Rico.
Many relevant diagnostic signs are not performed deliberately by the examiner or by the patient at the examiner’s direction. They are observed as the patient reacts to their condition. Fortin’s finger sign, Minor’s sign, and Vanzetti’s sign are three examples of this principle.
Spearheaded by burgeoning scientific and clinical research literature, psychedelics have reached a level of media coverage and popular interest that has not been seen for over half a century. By “psychedelics,” we are referring to the unique class of substances that includes psilocybin (the active compound found in so-called “magic mushrooms”), LSD, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), ayahuasca, 5-MeO-DMT, and mescaline – each of which occurs in the natural world (except for LSD, which is a semi-synthetic compound).
While working at the Lovelace Medical Center in Albuquerque, N.M., one of the primary care physicians stated that imaging every patient prior to receiving chiropractic was not medically necessary. It was at that point I reconsidered the need for the imaging of every patient to avoid malpractice.
