InTouch: Association news July 2021 Chair's message
Dear Colleagues,
Council has made some significant decisions to respond to government legislation and policy changes and to best prepare our organization, and our profession, for the future.
As part of implementing changes required from Bill 30 and Bill 46, Council approved the introduction of a competency-based evaluation requirement into the nomination process to determine the eligibility of regulated members interested in running in the election. Adopting this model was also future-focused. With the mandated separation of college and association functions, this is an opportune time for Council to consider and implement measures that will have the new College of Chiropractors of Alberta functioning at the highest standards for regulatory bodies.
We also responded quickly and effectively to the government’s policy changes related to COVID-19 while keeping our focus on the protection of the public, patients, staff, and chiropractors. Council approved new direction on delivering chiropractic services to patients within the revised provincial restrictions, which took into consideration the existing directives and policies from Alberta Health and the Chief Medical Officer of Health. We will review this direction later in August.
I want to thank our Registrar, Dr. Halowski, for his work on preparing this and I am pleased to share with you that his work is once again being used as a basis for planning by other chiropractic regulatory colleges in other provinces, as was our original pandemic practice directive. Chiropractors have been leaders in ensuring public safety throughout this pandemic, and our efforts from the beginning are recognized by Alberta Health. You should all take immense pride and satisfaction for that achievement.
And with renewal completed for another year, I would like to extend my thanks to all of you for your renewal and to the ACAC staff for their efforts to make the process go smoothly.
I would also like to recognize a very significant milestone that will occur in August. Debra-Lynn Clouthier, our COO, will be celebrating 20 years of work with the ACAC. Congratulations, best wishes, and thank you for your remarkable service to the organization and the chiropractic profession these past two decades.
Given the challenges of the last year, and the opportunities that lay before us in this coming year, it is incredibly important to get some recharge time. I hope you can make this a priority for yourself, your families, and your staff during our wonderful, yet fleeting, Alberta summer.
Yours in health, Dr. Brad Kane ACAC Chair
A message from your IBC Co-Chairs Happy summer, everyone!
As we reach into the dog days of summer, your Inaugural Board Committee has achieved significant progress toward setting up the new Chiropractic Association of Alberta.
As you would have seen in the Notice to Members sent out July 7 by the ACAC, we have adopted a logo for our association that is in harmony with all other provincial chiropractic associations and the Canadian Chiropractic Association. The familiar spine motif provides both brand and professional consistency across Canada and has inherent recognition and credibility with other medical and non-medical stakeholders. Also, from the public’s point view, it is a symbol of health that represents the important role chiropractic care plays in people’s health and wellbeing. Additionally, we welcome and are thankful for the significant supports ACAC Council is providing to your Inaugural Board Committee to help ensure a strong, sustainable, professional voice for chiropractors in Alberta.
From an organizational perspective, we have met some major milestones including the submission of required materials to the Alberta corporate registry to incorporate the Chiropractic Association of Alberta as a not-for-profit organization, and determined the parameters for the recruitment process for our new Chief Executive Officer to begin.
We also continue to work on the development and refinement of key strategic ideas and thinking that will help guide our new association’s mandate and activities. Please know the input you provided in the recent ThoughtExchange has been very helpful as we think on what and how the association should support chiropractors in Alberta. In the coming months we will have other opportunities for you to provide your valuable input.
We will continue to provide updates through this monthly article as well as posting information on the ACAC members’ webpage for the association.
Sincerely, Dr. Natalie Carrington Co-chair, Inaugural Board Committee Dr. Kelly Fleck Co-chair, Inaugural Board Committee
Attend the ACAC's last AGM Members are invited to attend the ACAC’s last AGM, held on September 19, 2021, at 1 p.m. on Zoom. The meeting is expected to run for approximately 30-35 minutes with reports from Council Chair Dr. Brad Kane, CEO Sheila Steger, Registrar Dr. Todd Halowski, and a presentation by the Inaugural Board Committee for the new association.
Members who are confirmed to attend the full duration of the event are eligible to receive two CC credits from the College.
More information can be found on our website.
Help promote World Spine Day for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card World Spine Day, held annually on October 16, is right around the corner, and to celebrate, members are invited to share why they stretch. Between now and September 1, 2021, members and their clinic can submit a photo or video of you performing a stretch in a recognizably Alberta location, with an explanation of why you stretch for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card!
The contest closes on September 1, 2021, at 4 p.m., and the winner will be contacted on September 8.
Submitted content will be featured in ACAC World Spine Day promotion, on our website, across our social media, and in our newsletters.
Join us for next month's member meeting to hear updates on Bill 46, advocacy efforts, and more Watch the recording of the July member meeting above. At this month's member meeting, organization highlights, delivered by Chair Dr. Brad Kane, CEO Sheila Steger, and Registrar Dr. Todd Halowski, discussed the key themes and questions members indicated they wanted addressed in the June ThoughtExchange.
33 members participated in the ThoughtExchange, shared their thoughts, and ultimately rated topics related to:
Members in attendance at July's member meeting also asked questions regarding the new Y-strap directive, direction on enforcing masking in their clinics, and the separation of the College and Association.
Thank you to every member who participated in the ThoughtExchange, as this gave the presenters valuable feedback on what topics members were most interested in hearing about.
Tell us how we can better address complicated Association and College changes
With the end of the fiscal year and the beginning of the last six months of the joint regulatory-association, the ACAC is working on ways to make this transition as smooth as possible. The key to this goal is through encouraging a high level of comprehension of changes in processes in both and either organization, and what it means for members.
In the last few weeks, the ACAC announced a series of significant changes related to Bill 46 – all of which have a significant difference from our usual proceedings.
This includes:
More details can be found on all of these changes on the newsletter archive, but we encourage you to share your thoughts and questions with us in this ThoughtExchange. All questions are good questions, and provide an important opportunity for the ACAC to clarify and communicate with you and other members. And, as always, questions in the exchange are all anonymous.
Your guide to supplementary health insurance The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) and Extended Healthcare Professionals Coalition (EHPC) have put together a resource that explains supplementary health insurance for health-care providers. You can find more information on our website.
The CCA wants to hear from you! Submit your thoughts and rate your colleagues’ thoughts in this second of four ThoughtExchanges. Central to this next ThoughtExchange is the relationship DOC’s have with other licensed medical professionals. If you haven’t already participated in one of these exchanges, we think you’re going to enjoy this one.
Your answers will help inform the CCA how they can better support you.
Management of knee and hip osteoarthritis: an opportunity for the Canadian chiropractic profession Knee and hip osteoarthritis is the 12th leading cause of global disability and places a significant burden on the Canadian health system. This commentary discusses the recently published Osteoarthritis Research Society International guideline and the American College of Rheumatology guideline for the management of osteoarthritis. This article focuses on the role of manual therapy, exercise, and patient education for the treatment of knee and hip osteoarthritis.
On the blog: a chiropractor's guide to safely returning to activity Summertime is here and with restrictions lifting, many of us are returning to the gym or getting outside to enjoy the weather.
Whether you’re starting a new activity or returning to an old one, the tips in this month’s blog from chiropractor Dr. Giancarlo Carpino will help ensure you return to activity safely and pain-free.
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