Category: Philosophy

Building Social Equity to Expand Your Practice

by Jeffrey Slocum, D.C.

If you have never heard the term social equity, you are not alone. The concept or term was originally developed primarily to address the needs of certain “protected classes” and has been widely addressed in public policy and applied extensively in the dialog of affirmative action initiatives. The National Academy of Public Administration defines Social Equity as; “The fair, just and equitable management of all institutions serving the public directly or by contract; the fair, just and equitable distribution of public services and implementation of public policy; and the commitment to promote fairness, justice, and equity in the formation of public policy.”

As chiropractors and leaders in our communities, I believe that it is time for us to make sure that we begin to assert our position as valuable, responsible, compassionate, and respectful contributors to the distribution of public health services in our communities. I believe that, in many cases, we are the most valuable and least recognized contributors to the public health delivery system. This is a position of negative social equity and is primarily the result of an isolationist attitude that we have developed as sole proprietors and individuals in the market place.

The first part of the definition recognizes the management of institutions. It is important that we begin to look at the way we manage expectations, perceptions, and accessibility to chiropractic, not only the way we manage the day to day functions of our delivery of services and practice procedures. We need to become better connectors with people and more willing participants in the global discussion of what it means to be whole, complete, and well. If we hope to see chiropractic become the leading model of health care, we must be willing to build social justice through our commitment to share our vision and values with more people more often.

The second part of the definition recognizes the “fair, just and equitable distribution of public services and implementation of public policy.” There appears to have been a turn in policy as far as the distribution of chiropractic in the military with the recent news about greater access; but will there be equal compensation and fair, just, and equitable distribution? It is not enough to wait for policy makers to open a free market for chiropractic wellness services; we must make it happen ourselves while the rusty cogs of government policy grind through the process of change! The second issue that we face if we wait for public policy to create distribution channels is one of probable incongruency between public policy and the chiropractic wellness paradigm. Is the policy that will support the distribution of chiropractic going to be aligned with the paradigm with which we implement our services? I believe that implementation is equally or more important to the success of public health as is the distribution. Do enough people in our communities understand the difference in the value to their experience in life between the delivery of chiropractic in a vitalistic sick care model versus the value they will derive from the application of chiropractic in a holistic wellness model? If not, whose responsibility is it to create that awareness, policy makers or ours?

The last segment of the definition above introduces “the commitment to promote fairness, justice, and equity in the formation of public policy.” I believe that for public policy to be fair, just, and equitable, it must reflect the will of the people. And the will of the people is dictated by their concept of what is valued and meaningful. From that, I have to assert that, statistically speaking, there are not enough people that comprehend and engage in a chiropractic wellness lifestyle today to effectively cause a shift in public policy which would dictate fair, just, and equitable distribution and implementation of true chiropractic. If you agree with my assertion, and you want to help build social equity and lead public awareness in a direction that will ensure there are enough educated, inspired, and fully engaged individuals that understand the value of and meaning of a chiropractic wellness lifestyle, then let’s join together. Let’s become the voice and movement that will create social equity on the health care front. Together we can make a tremendous difference and forever change the direction and momentum of health care and stand tall as the leaders of a new paradigm that creates opportunity for others, and expands their possibilities for living a full and abundant life in a chiropractic wellness lifestyle. I believe that it is only through our leadership and the relationships of trust and respect we build with those in our community that we can or will develop the social capitol we need to create the social equity that is required to make an impact that will change the course of human potential forever.

This is not only about feeling well, it is about being well and chiropractic can and will be well if we commit to individually and cumulatively creating the foundational success system we call the success triad. Thank you for your love of chiropractic and your commitment to leadership! “Be Genuine, See Clearly, Act Purposefully”!

Priorities

by Shane Amburgey

I once felt bad because I had no shoes, until I saw a man who had no feet. – Unknown

A phenomenal quote, because it prioritizes how important your feet are compared to your shoes. We are all challenged in a variety of capacities to realize and recognize what our priorities are and what constitutes our personal and professional priorities. Something as simple as justifying your feet over your shoes is a proverbial no-brainer. However, why is chiropractic care not perceived as a no-brainer among the people living in our communities, running our municipalities, and working for or owning the businesses that make up the fabric of our towns or cities? Although the reason may be complex on the surface, it is simplistic in principal: “It is not a priority.”

Depending upon the statistic you choose to believe, between 3.3 percent and 6 percent of the American population is currently receiving care from a Doctor of Chiropractic in the days before or after you read this article. This should be unbelievable to you given the fact that, as I write this, the population of the United States is 305,198,883 and growing, with a net gain of one person every 9 seconds. I will never claim to be a mathematician, but these numbers indicate between 9 and 18 million people are actively engaged in chiropractic care. That is not a case of radiculopathy, but it is a serious case of ridiculous! I believe you would agree that we all know how to take care of radiculopathy, but we have done a poor job of addressing the ridiculous.

Unfortunately, just like degenerative lumbar-disorders, there is no quick cure for a bad case of ridiculous. However, each of us has numerous resources available to address this Chiropractic Awareness Campaign we are constantly promoting, whether that consists of practice management groups, technology for health screenings, or a multi-tier community education program. All of these resources will enable you to instill monetary value (relative worth, merit, or importance) to your quality of chiropractic care; however, it can remain incomplete, if you fail to acknowledge personal values (imply intrinsic excellence or desirability) to why you chose to make a difference in the quality of life for human beings. Identifying or redefining these personal values can ultimately lead to increasing the credibility of your chiropractic services to your communities, local civic organizations, and greater municipalities who are waiting to discover a natural truth—chiropractic.

How often has a patient or a prospective patient said, “Doctor, I can’t afford that.” What they are actually saying is, “Doctor you have not shown enough value in the product/service to warrant the investment.” This has nothing to do with the quality of your care, but more to do with the quality of your communication and your ability to connect with your community in ways that are meaningful and engaging. When you become very certain about the values of your practice and you develop a clear vision of what you want, you will see it come to be for yourself, your patients, and your community. You will be able to communicate more effectively and connect the deeper value and the true meaning of what you do with why you do it. When the message you are conveying is truly meaningful and engaging to your audience, you will be able to help them connect to it emotionally and, therefore, engage energetically!

We are all consumers in different capacities, and the psychology of purchasing suggests that we have a propensity to buy something from those we trust, and we trust those we find credible; and the credibility stems from the fact that the intentions our seller has are truly purposeful towards benefiting the consumer. The consumers for a Doctor of Chiropractic are current and prospective patients that are in need of powerful, certain, and consistent leadership—leadership that will help them move from the unconscious life of sickness and disease to the conscious awakening of what is possible in a chiropractic wellness lifestyle.

Ultimately, getting “stuck in the process” prevents all of us from fulfilling our absolute potential. By reevaluating and stimulating your consciousness, you allow yourself the “process” to take on a transformational discovery of becoming more purposeful toward the goals you want to accomplish—essentially, creating a higher level of efficiency, engagement, fulfillment, and profitability for yourself and those you work with and serve. This will have a residual effect on your ability to treat ridiculous with more success and purpose and facilitate chiropractic’s shift from “only if needed” to a Priority in mainstream society.

Shane Amburgey has worked within the Chiropractic profession for the past 4 years, and is currently the National Sales Director for Learning Curves; an essential component to experience purpose in your practice. For more information, visit www.learningcurves.us. He can be reached at 1-800-613-2528 or at  [email protected].

In the last two weeks, I have witnessed several different events that have moved a spirit in me to quicken my resolve to be a difference maker, to affirm my commitment to be a creator of change and to serve at a higher level. One of the events was the performance of Sayesha Mercado on “American Idol” when she sang the song “A Change Gonna Come.” The words in that song and her performance struck a chord. For me, watching her performance and connecting to the powerful message of the song brought to the forefront my knowing that chiropractic as a whole along with individual chiropractors have had many struggles, faced many adversaries and, through it all, we are still here. The words of the song affirmed a belief that, through it all, with the changing tides of legislation, the division in our leadership and the philosophical differences that have split the “few,” we are here, at a point where the majority of chiropractors believe that, through our commitment to service and our compassion to see chiropractic thrive, a change is gonna come.

I believe that there has never been a better time to share our truth or to assert our leadership. If we make a strong and certain statement of the value and meaning of the application of the chiropractic principles in living consciously, no one can stop the change or what, I believe, is inevitable: the transformation in the way people think and act on a global scale. So, when I heard her string together these words, “It’s been a long, a long time comin’ and I know, I know a change gonna come,” it resonated with me in a profound emotional way. The question that I was left with was, am I gonna be the change?

The second instance that I witnessed was in the movie Speed Racer. Let me preface the scene first. It was my daughter’s ninth birthday and I took four beautiful, energetic and vibrant little girls to Speed Racer—strange pick for nine-year old girls, I thought, but nonetheless, there we were watching a movie that was apparently about racing, but was really a contrast between good and evil or right and wrong. It was a story of one family’s struggle to remain committed to their values in the face of extreme pressure to give up their values and succumb to the “rules” or values of the racing conglomerate’s machine. It was a story of false truths that were propagated to devalue and demean the hard work and commitment of the “small.” It was a classic story of David and Goliath and a great analogy of the false truths and propaganda that have been waged by the allopathic machine against chiropractic.

As I sat there and listened to the girls laugh and giggle through the movie and I looked around at all the families watching the movie, I wondered if I was the only one that was keyed into the real message in the story. I was wondering how many of the parents were thinking about the lesson that could be learned from the story and the power that could and would unleash in their lives and the lives of their children, if they saw beyond the story of Speed Racer and used the lessons they were receiving to shift their thoughts and actions in the race of life.

Then I began to think about chiropractic and the thoughts and actions that affect our profession. I started to think about the power that comes from the conscious thoughts we have as individuals and the change that can and will occur if we stand for our beliefs, declare them with pride and confidence and become willing to stand up for what is right. I began to look at my life and the incredible opportunity chiropractic has provided for me and my family and the endless prospects for change that have been opened up for me to express my potential for personal and professional growth.

I wondered how many of those men, women and children in the theater would ever receive even twenty percent of the potential in their lives from chiropractic that I have. I realized that, if I wanted for them to have that opportunity, it was up to me. One of the lines that struck me in the movie was very near the end, in the heart of the struggle when it looked like the “machine” was going to prevail. It is a scene where a mentor of Speed Racer is trying to rally Speed to stay the course, not give up, and fight the good fight. Speed is expressing his desire to give up because, “Racing has always been this way and I will never change it.”

This is where the most important line in the movie comes out. His mentor says, “The question is not whether you will change racing; the question is, will racing change you?”

I believe what he is asking is, has racing jaded you, has it taken away your will to fight for what is right, has it diminished your capacity to dream, and will you allow it to create a fear and doubt that will paralyze you? Or are you ready to prevail, to declare your right to be free of the bonds that will try to bind your freedom? Will you allow someone else’s values to define you and diminish the opportunities for you and those you represent? Long story short: Speed takes all the lessons from the movie and his life of struggle and uses them to create a wellspring of energy and emotion that changes the course of racing forever and unites a global community of race fans with an inspired and renewed belief that there is hope—that there is justice and fairness in racing.

Are you ready to take that message and share it in a chiropractic wellness perspective and affirm that there is justice and fairness in health care; there is hope and freedom from sickness; that people in your community have a choice? You and I know that they do not have to literally suffocate in negative thoughts and uninspired action but they can learn to live consciously, but they don’t. If the answer is yes, it is time to declare with resounding energy, enthusiasm, and passion that you want to be on their pit crew to success in health and life! Don’t worry, if you need refueling, a new set of tires, or a tune up I am here for you and I will do anything to help you be the leader your community and our profession desperately need. Just ask and I will answer the call!

Dr. Slocum is a 1993 graduate of Logan College in St. Louis, Missouri. He is a fourth generation chiropractor, the eleventh member of his family to practice chiropractic.