Featuring the Florida Chiropractic Association

To give you insight into what is happening in chiropractic legislation on the state level and where we're heading nationally TAC likes to provide you with an annual update from one of the nation's most successful associations, The Florida Chiropractic Association. Florida Governor Signs Legislation Creating Nation's First Public Chiropractic College On March 11,2004, Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed into law Senate Bill 2002, legislation creating a variety of new health care initiatives including the au­thorization and funding to establish the nation's first public chiropractic college at Florida State University. Both the Florida Senate and House of Represen­tatives approved the bill previously in the opening days of Florida's annual 60-day legislative session. Senate Majority Leader Dennis L. Jones, D.C., (R-Treasure Island) and House Health Care Committee Chairman Rep. Frank Farkas, D.C.,(R-St. Pe­tersburg) were both on hand for the signing cer-emony. Jones and Farkas, both chiroprac­tic physicians and former presidents of the Florida Chiropractic As­sociation, were instru­mental in helping steer the issue through its legislative course over the past five years. They were flanked at the signing by the bill's prime sponsors, Sen. Durell Peaden, (R-Crestview), Chairman of the Senate Ap­propriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, and Bruce Kyle (R-Ft. Myers), Chairman of the House Ap­propriations Committee, as well as Sen­ate President Jim King (R-Jacksonville.) "This is certainly a momentous day for the chiropractic profession and for the citizens of our state," said Jones. "Today we are beginning a proud, new chapter in our history as we embark on an exciting new era of scientific-based education and research at one of the nation's pre-eminent research institu­tions." "Dream as we might, I'm not sure any of us realize how big this is going to be." added Farkas. "At a time when public demand for chiropractic care is growing. we will be training our newest genera­tion of practitioners in a place rich with the kind of resources you can only find at a major public institution." Creation of the college has a been a twenty-year project of the Florida Chiro­practic Association and a life-long dream of the association's long time CEO, now its CEO Emeritus, Ed Williams, D.C. FCA leaders have been actively pursuing the creation of the college ever since they joined hands in the late 1990's with the Lincoln Chiropractic Education and Re­search Foundation (LCERF) to fund a su­per-endowed research chair at FSU. With seed money from LCERF, the FCA ran a two-year campaign successfully raising the million-dollar en­dowment, ultimately matched with another $750,000 bv the state. to found the Lincoln Eminent Scholar Chair in Chiropractic and Biomechanics at the university. The university is cur­rently in negotiations with its chosen eminent scholar, and will soon begin planning the new research facility. It is expected the research program will rely heavily on the new college and its fac­ulty. Having established the chair, the FCA and its lobby team worked closely with legislative leadership, weathering both good and bad budget years, but never losing sight of the new college objec­tive. "There were a few bumps along the way but we never gave up hope. Today we have a long list of legislators, staff, chiropractic leaders, educators and oth­ers to thank for helping to achieve this success," said FCA CEO Debbie Brown. "This has been one incredible group ef­fort—and it will be one incredible cel­ebration heard around the world." Mark Your Calendars! August 26tn-29tn While the FCA has five state conventions throughout the year (this is a huge accomplishment alone!), their August Orlando convention is one that we're always excited about because it appeals to chiropractors nation-wide with over 40 speakers on a variety of topics, plus over 400 vendors to meet in the Expo area. Make sure to register now! Call 407-290-5883 for more information. We'll see you there! FCA Chiropractic Day at the Capitol Time to Celebrate! This year's annual FCA Chiropractic Day at the Capitol, on March 17, came close on the heels of the signing of Senate Bill 2002, a measure that allo­cates $9 million in recurring state dollars to fund a chiropractic college at Florida State University (FSU). It was a time of great festivity, with a record-breaking attendance of some 150 FCA members and staff. Participating DCs enjoyed an FCA-sponsored ori­entation regarding the Capitol complex, and received briefings on chiropractic issues, after which they de­scended in groups upon Tallahassee, spending the afternoon lobbying legislators regarding chiroprac­tic issues. The eventful one-day experience was concluded by the doctors' being transported to the University Center Club high atop Doak-Campbell Stadium at the FSU campus, for a grand celebration spon­sored by the Florida Chiropractic Foundation. Dr. Ed Williams emceed the event where some $50,000 was contributed by the Foundation and the FCA for chiropractic scholarship and research endeavors at FSU. Key legislative leaders and FSU leaders who made it all happen were welcomed and recog­nized with thundering applause. "It was a tremen­dously uplifting, high energy night for all of us as we witnessed and were a part of chiropractic history in the making," FCA President Dan Dodd observed. "What a night, and what a great crowning event for a successful Chiropractic Day at the Capitol!" For more information on current develop­ments at the FCA be sure to check out y/ww.fcachiro.org. E7T3 Florida Governor Jeb Bush signs legislation into law creating a new chiropractic college at FSU as legislative leaders look on. (left to right) Sen. Durell Peaden; Senate Majority Leader Dennis L. Jones, D. C., Senate President Jim King, Rep. Frank Farkas, D. C., and Rep. Bruce Kyle. The FCA delegations stand shoulder-to-shoulder, to get as many as possible into one shot! The House chamber was filled to overflowing as 150 FCA members and staff convened on March 17