Message from the Executive Director - 9/2019

Executive Director’s Message

As Executive Director of the Texas Chiropractic Association, my primary job is managing the operations for your state association, but another part of it is membership recruitment. Actually, as I frequently tell our TCA staff, Board of Directors, committee volunteers and, really, ANYONE who will listen, “Membership is everyone’s job.”

Over the past nearly five years, I’ve made over 1,000 phone calls, sent out more texts and Facebook messages than I can remember and visited hundreds of chiropractic offices. Every once in a while, a doctor will challenge me and ask, “Why should I join? What does TCA do for me?”

As someone who is in the chiropractic trenches 24-7, you think you know what the organization is doing, but you forget it’s not always obvious to an outsider. It’s a fair question and I will do my best to answer it. For those who already drink the TCA Kool-Aid, I apologize in advance. You may have heard it before, but it’s worth repeating (or sharing with a prospect – a future TCA member).

1) TCA is making inroads at the State Capitol – I’ve heard a few times by the skeptics about how much ground TCA has lost, but that’s simply not the case. During the last two legislative sessions, TCA has racked up a number of important victories that positively impact your practice.

In 2017, TCA clarified your right to diagnose, opened doors for you to be a majority owner in an integrated practice with other health care providers and gave you the authority to remove a student-athlete from University Interscholastic League competition due to a concussion. You might have forgotten, but, a few years back, TCA even saved you a couple hundred of dollars with the removal of the facility licenses with the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners (TBCE).

In 2019, TCA was responsible for the passage of a bill that penalizes an HMO or PPO for discriminating against a chiropractor and also provided valuable input on another bill that limits an opioid prescription for acute pain to an initial seven-day supply while promoting conservative care options such as chiropractic. Meanwhile, TCA has defeated a number of bills that would have threatened the profession or limited patient access, including chiropractic acupuncture.

Above all, TCA has forged stronger relationships with state senators and representatives and their legislative offices, thanks to your connections. We’ve spent countless hours educating officials about chiropractic and, finally, many are getting it.

2) TCA is the leading defender of chiropractic in the courts – TCA has spent a lot of time in the courts fighting for your rights. Over the last four years, we’ve fought to protect your right to treat nerve-related conditions (such as the subluxation complex) in both the Travis County District Court and Third Court of Appeals. While TCA and TBCE didn’t receive a favorable verdict, we expect to take this battle against the Texas Medical Association (TMA) all the way to the Supreme Court of Texas. Stay tuned for updates! Regardless, TCA has invested thousands of dollars and countless resources into this fight, but we have no choice; you and your patients are too important. No other association in Texas can say that!

3) TCA is your best source for referrals – If you’ve spent a minute on the Texas Chiropractors Facebook page, chiropractors are always looking to refer patients, colleagues and friends to other doctors. And TCA members make referrals to other TCA members through the Find A TCA Chiropractor directory on the TCA website. You can a find a doctor by location or specialty. And TCA members will refer to their fellow members first. It’s an easy way to gain new patients … just by being a TCA member.

4) TCA has added new benefits – Doctors want tangible benefits and TCA has tried to deliver by offering group health insurance through the TCA Lifestyle Health Plans, 401(k) through The Chiropractic Retirement Plan and member-only discounts through our network of TCA Partners. You will save on everything from office supplies and payment processing to website design. If there’s another benefit you’d like to see, reach out to the TCA office at [email protected] with your idea.

5) TCA is for ALL chiropractors – Forget the labels: “straight,” “mixer,” whatever. One of TCA calling cards is inclusivity. We’re for ALL Texas chiropractors, regardless of how you choose to practice, whether you take insurance or cash only, no matter how long you’ve been a DC, where you went to chiropractic college, etc. Being inclusive makes us all stronger and it will lead us to a new era of success.

For those of you questioning why you became a TCA member or why you remain involved, I hope this reinforces the value of your TCA membership. I also hope it inspires you to become a membership recruiter. The bigger TCA is, the louder our voice is amplified at the State Capitol and the more effective we can be as a profession. So, reach out to that chiropractor down the street, your former classmate or someone in your inner circle and ask them to join today. All are welcome!

Jeffrey S. Jenkins, CAE
TCA Executive Director