August 2004

COCSA may attempt to revive Leadership Forum

The Board of Directors of the Congress on Chiropractic State Associations (COCSA) met in San Francisco earlier this year to establish goals and objectives for 2005. One of those goals was, in the words of the COCSA announcement, to "get the National Chiropractic Leadership Forum effort back on track."

The National Chiropractic Leadership Forum (NCLF) was formed by COCSA in 1998, when they invited several national organization leaders to meet with state association leaders and discuss the future of the profession.

According to COCSA, "Two messages that rang out loud and clear were: 1) the lack of a shared vision for the profession; and 2) the fact that, despite the differences between the various chiropractic groups, all seem to be working towards the same goal ‑‑ the advancement of the profession."

In time, the group expanded to include representatives from the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), Association of Chiropractic Colleges, Council on Chiropractic Guidelines and Practice Parameters, Council on Chiropractic Practice, Congress of Chiropractic State Associations, Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research, International Chiropractors Association (ICA), National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, and the World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA).

For three years, 2000‑2002, the group met to discuss areas of shared interest and members were able to agree on several major issues, including joint legislative efforts. Internal disputes, however, began chipping away at the precarious peace and a seven‑point "code of conduct" called the St. Louis Principles was developed to try to maintain a cooperative atmosphere.

Among the rules were that each member was to "respect personal differences in style and substance," "respect the professional differences that can exist within the chiropractic scope and practice as outlined in the ACC paradigm," and "air our differences inside this forum (and not in public)."

Controversy over the Veterans Affairs bill ‑‑ and the makeup of the VA committee ‑‑ brought the conflict to a head and representatives began trading accusations and recriminations. Although some NCLF members tried to carry on a dialogue within the framework of the St. Louis Principles, tempers flared. The final rift occurred when the ACA published a lengthy attack on the ICA and WCA in Dynamic Chiropractic, published by Mr. Don Petersen, a "supporting member" of the NCLF.

The ICA and WCA protested the violation of the code of conduct that prohibited "airing our differences" in public. The ACA, in turn, walked away from the table, declaring that it would "forego further joint legislative efforts" with other organizations. The group has not met since.

In a recent meeting of the Chiropractic Coalition, founded by the ICA, WCA and Federation of Straight Chiropractors and Organizations, Board members voiced unanimous support of the COCSA goal to get the NCLF "back on track."

The ACA declined an invitation to join the other three groups at the Coalition's founding meeting. The other three groups have worked cooperatively on several important legislative issues and, in April of this year, held the first annual Coalition Legislative Day in Washington, DC, drawing more than 600 participants.

"We applaud COCSA's determination to resurrect the NCLF and we look forward to working with them to bring all organizations together at the table, guided by the St. Louis Principles," said Terry A. Rondberg, DC, WCA President.

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