He was an older gentleman with a full head of strikingly white hair. The twinkle in his eyes revealed a deep understanding and wisdom. His energy and vitality disguised his 72 years. That he was still practicing was even more affirming. I had the good fortune of sitting next to Dr. Stephen Owens at a pre-convention dinner meeting Friday evening.
I had been invited to deliver a talk the following morning entitled “The Post Insurance Practice.” The dinner invite was promoted as an intimate conversation with yours truly, offering suggestions on how the association could support their membership in making the transition from a reimbursement dependent practice, to cash. But after a couple of opening remarks, I think I was the one who benefited the most.
Turns out our chiropractic associations are in deep trouble. Membership is waning at a time when the shenanigans at the state capitol are increasing and vigilance is more important than ever. Yet with dwindling resources, and a profession of fearful chiropractors, state associations are finding it hard to read the changing practice environment and offer leadership. This is further compounded by the fact that many states have two (or more) organizations that reduce the membership numbers, duplicate overheads, divide limited leadership potentials, blunt lobbying efforts and generally sabotage chiropractic. In other words, it’s business as usual.
Not to worry. This is merely a transition phase as we move from a “good-old-boys” trade group to a structure more relevant for the 21st century practitioner. I previously outlined some suggestions in “How to Fix Our State Associations” so I won’t go into that here. But here’s what I learned Friday evening:
1. Chiropractic associations must reinvent themselves. As most chiropractors’ incomes drop due to the erosion of third-party reimbursement, membership dues are increasingly seen as a needless luxury. The notion of some “duty” to support their association is as old fashioned as $100 deductibles. This is often lost on the few successful practitioners who run for association positions, sit on committees, attend meetings and fill leadership roles.
2. Chiropractic associations must harness the power of their constituent’s patients. When chiropractors or the hired lobbyist makes their pitch at the statehouse, they’re seen as merely one more in a parade of special interest groups with their hand out. Get a couple thousand patients (voters) to make the case for chiropractic and an entirely different dynamic will result.
3. Chiropractic associations must plant a flag. Ironically, in an effort to be inclusive, most associations have watered down chiropractic, excised anything that might be perceived as politically incorrect and have reduced chiropractic to a beige, lukewarm, wishy-washy therapy for neuromuscular-skeletal complaints. No wonder there’s often a competing organization! By trying to be all things to all chiropractors you end up appealing to the least discerning chiropractors. Worse, being “against” the other association is a strategy doomed for failure.
When the conversation turned back to the subject I was going to address the following morning, I observed that those like Dr. Owens who practiced long before third-party reimbursement had a distinct advantage. I think Dr. Owens summed it up best when he offered this short, but pithy observation: “Back then we knew who we were.”
Amen.