Coalition condemns ACA policy against cooperation

The Chiropractic Coalition -- comprised of the World Chiropractic Alliance, the International Chiropractors Association, the Federation of Straight Chiropractors and Organizations and numerous affiliated groups -- has issued a statement condemning the American Chiropractic Association's official policy not to engage in any joint legislative efforts with other groups.

The ACA's new policy was delineated in an article titled, "Refusing to Take 'No' for an Answer," by ACA Chairman of the Board James D. Edwards, D.C. It stated that the ACA will "forego further joint legislative efforts," with the ICA, WCA and other chiropractic groups.

Dr. Edwards said the reason for the policy was to "stop masking and stop perpetuating the real problem...disunity." He argued that previous attempts at joint legislative efforts have not succeeded because of "inconsistency" on the part of the other organizations, noting "how difficult it is to coordinate and sustain a joint legislative strategy." He repeatedly blamed the other groups, particularly the ICA, for failing to work cooperatively with the ACA.

The Chiropractic Coalition leaders strongly disagree.

"Dr. Edwards is trying very hard to put a spin on this situation and make it seem as though the ACA is the wronged party," stated Terry A. Rondberg, D.C., president of the World Chiropractic Alliance. "The fact is, the ACA has had lamentably poor results in many of its lobbying efforts and is trying to shift blame on everyone else. Most doctors have no trouble seeing through the smoke screen. They don't believe that only the ACA was right and everyone else in the profession wrong. You can't say you're for unity, then refuse to work with people."

Edwards said the solution to the disunity problem would be a merger of the ACA and ICA, an action that has been vehemently opposed by many in the ICA for decades. Even Edwards admitted, "The October 2000 official ICA news release rejected the ACA's invitation to hold (merger) discussions not once...not twice...but seven separate times! In fact, the ICA stated three separate times that merger was 'not on the table' as a possible option or even for discussion!"

Despite this clear and repeated message of rejection by the ICA, Edwards warned that the ACA will continue its campaign to force such a merger. "Unity is of paramount importance to the chiropractic profession, and for that reason the ACA will not accept ICA rejections nor quit until that goal is ultimately achieved," he declared.

D.D. Humber, president of the ICA, said he sees no chance of that ACA goal ever becoming reality. "Evidently, so intent are they to merge with the ICA, the ACA has totally forgotten they agreed to the St. Louis Principles," he commented. "Shame on them. Unified action, yes. Merger, no."

Dr. Rondberg agreed. "The arrogance of the ACA statement is overwhelming," he observed. "The ICA has a long and honored history as a staunch supporter of traditional, conservative chiropractic, and its disappearance would be a terrible blow for the profession."

In late 2002, the ACA rejected an invitation to meet in Washington with the WCA, ICA and FSCO to work in unity toward common legislative goals. In his article, Edwards asked -- and answered -- the question many doctors were asking: "why wouldn't the ACA accept the ICA's invitation to work together on joint legislative issues? The answer is simple: 'Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.'"

The ACA's unwillingness to work with other chiropractic organizations on joint legislative issues aside, the other groups said they were reaffirming their own commitment to chiropractic unity. In fact, the Chiropractic Coalition was formed to foster that very unity between organizations sharing a dedication to subluxation-centered chiropractic.

In announcing its formation in November 2002, the Coalition noted that "chiropractic is in danger of being taken over by a group of medically oriented chiropractors and organizations who are trying to change the very nature of the profession, and in the process minimizing the profession's unique role in health care and possibly placing the public at risk." It cautioned that "several rogue groups are trying to position chiropractors as quasi-medical doctors, unnecessarily and irresponsibly blurring the boundary lines between the professions and confusing the public."

Among the groups it targeted for special scrutiny are the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) and the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB), both of which the Coalition sees as overstepping their authority in an attempt to control the direction of the profession.

The Coalition's mission is "to protect and support the interests of chiropractic consumers and chiropractors through effective and aggressive unified legislative and regulatory efforts, legal action, and public education" and to "promote chiropractic worldwide as a clearly defined, separate, and distinct profession while protecting the chiropractic consumer's right to have full and direct access to chiropractic care for the correction of vertebral subluxation."

As soon as the three founding organizations announced the formation of the Coalition, other chiropractic groups throughout the world began joining them.

Among the affiliated organizations now in the Coalition are the Chiropractic Fellowship of Pennsylvania, Santa Clara District of the California Chiropractic Association, Colorado Chiropractic Wellness Alliance, Oregon Doctors of Chiropractic, and Israel Doctors of Chiropractic. Other groups have expressed interest and say they will be joining shortly.

Coalition Statement on ACA Policy

The Chiropractic Coalition wishes to express its regret and serious concern that the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) has instituted an official shift in policy and will no longer participate in joint legislative efforts with other national chiropractic groups.

In addition, in announcing the policy, James D. Edwards, D.C., ACA Chairman of the Board also stated that, "... the ACA will not accept ICA rejections [of a proposal to merge with the ACA] nor quit until that goal is ultimately achieved."

The ACA's new policy and actions totally disregard and violate the principles agreed upon by the ACA and all other members of the National Chiropractic Leadership Forum. According to NCLF's official statements made after its meeting in May and November 2001, all members of the NCLF "agreed that the quest for unity does not require sacrificing institutional autonomy."

The ACA's policy is detrimental to the welfare of the chiropractic profession, clear evidence of the organization's disrespect for other chiropractic associations and, in fact, all members of the profession itself.

While condemning the ACA for its self-serving, arbitrary and destructive action, the Coalition reaffirms its dedication to intra-professional cooperation and unity, and its respect for the autonomy of other organizations representing the profession.