Advancing Chiropractic: The Portland Project

BACKGROUND: The history of the chiropractic profession has been marked by competition and conflict with the medical profession. This has had an affect on the chiropractic profession and contributed to the establishment of a major divergent ideology based in the therapeutic (medical) model. The internal strife and the external confusion has caused a division within chiropractic and has led to diminished trust and respect within our profession and a lack of scientific and social advancement of the profession. This has threatened our autonomy and the very future of the profession. It detracts from efforts to promote the benefits chiropractic has to offer to individuals seeking greater health and a better quality of life. It is our intent for Advancing Chiropractic to exist as a “living document”. All aspects of the philosophy, science, and art of chiropractic that promote understanding of the vertebral subluxation are to be explored.

IDENTITY: The Portland Project is comprised of chiropractors from around the world whose role is to contribute to the health and life of our patients through the correction of vertebral subluxations. As chiropractors, we share the core objective of correcting vertebral subluxations because a vertebral subluxation in and of itself is a detriment to the fullest expression of health.

As practitioners and educators, community leaders and agents of change, we are motivated by the knowledge of the benefits of the chiropractic adjustment. Our training and experience brings understanding of the importance of chiropractic's focus on vertebral subluxation correction to promote health and improve the quality of life of our patients.

• MISSION: To unite chiropractors desiring to protect and support the rights of all doctors of chiropractic to provide vertebral subluxation correction and of all people who choose to receive such care.
• To advance and promote vertebral subluxation centered chiropractic to all people, including the public, the media, legislators and those directly or indirectly associated with the chiropractic profession.
• To support evidence-based practice guidelines which protect the right of patients to receive chiropractic care for the analysis and correction of vertebral subluxations.

 OBJECTIVES: To advance the chiropractic profession by being focused on detecting and correcting vertebral subluxations to enhance the expression of the body's inherent capacity to be healthy.

• To continue to build the philosophic, scientific and artistic foundations of chiropractic based on the professional focus on the negative effects of the vertebral subluxation evolving through the critical study of contemporary thinkers and practitioners.
• To advance research relevant to the vertebral subluxation.
• To support impartial and transparent regulation of the profession relevant to the practice of chiropractic, while insuring the safety of health care consumers.

STRATEGIC PLAN: To fulfill our mission and advance the chiropractic profession, we commit to the following:

• Communication: Make communication a priority by forming a broadly constituted Task Force charged with increasing awareness and understanding of the role of vertebral subluxation correction inside and outside the profession. This will benefit the profession as a whole, reminding members of chiropractic’s roots and clarifying for consumers what makes chiropractic unique and their expectation from chiropractic care. To further this end, chiropractic colleges will be encouraged to provide courses on the philosophy of chiropractic based on its philosophy, science, and art
• Research: Create a vertebral subluxation centered research culture within the profession. This in part will involve equipping doctors of chiropractic to collect data on vertebral subluxation correction, supporting the development and application of subluxation centered guidelines, encouraging practice-based health outcomes research, increasing subscriptions to subluxation centered peer reviewed journals, and exploring ways to involve all stakeholders in this process.
• Governance and accountability: Enhance the internal accountability of the profession by creating a network of active vertebral subluxation centered practitioners who can monitor national and local regulatory agency actions, serve on licensing and regulatory boards, take leadership roles in professional organizations, host local leadership development workshops, and participate in inter- and intra-disciplinary forums.
• Licensure requirements: To initiate a targeted campaign to remove any adjunctive therapy as a mandatory requirement for chiropractic licensure.
• To safeguard the right to practice vertebral subluxation centered chiropractic, and support those chiropractors that choose  not to include therapeutic approaches in their scope of practice.
• To assure relevance in assessing clinical competency on the negative effects of the vertebral subluxation.
• To assure that the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners also test on the basic chiropractic tenets of Philosophy and Principles provided by appropriately credentialed chiropractic philosophical instructors, i.e. PhC or Diplomate of Philosophy.

 Model practice act: Develop a model chiropractic practice act that strengthens the legal status of vertebral subluxation centered chiropractic, clarifies its scope of practice, and allows for differentiation from chiropractors wishing to obtain optional certification outside of this model.

• Mutual support: Assist vertebral subluxation centered chiropractors to develop effective practices based on specificity of analysis and correction, the best possible chiropractic patient care, high ethical standards, sound business and financial principles, and modern marketing of themselves to their patients and community. This will be accomplished through mentoring and coaching programs, business training, and the development and provision of information and resources for chiropractors wishing to maintain a vertebral subluxation centered practice.

If you are one of the silent majority of chiropractors who wants to preserve the Chiropractic Philosophy and Principles and recognizes the need to locate, analyze and adjust vertebral subluxations because they are detrimental to the health and well-being of a patient, please register your name on the web site www.advancingchiropractic.com in support of our mission, goals and objectives. We depend upon you to help us promote the Portland Paper by telling your fellow colleagues and state organizations about the Advancing Chiropractic web site, and asking them to register their names in support of preserving chiropractic.

When the Silent Majority becomes the Voice for Chiropractic, then the direction of the chiropractic profession will shift its focus to vertebral subluxation correction and the benefits this offers to individuals seeking health and a better quality of life.

Let’s become Proactive,

The committee to finalize the Mission Statement:

Harold (SKIP) George, Jr., D.C.,L.C.P., Peter Kervorkian, D.C., Terry Rondberg, D.C., Richard Plummer, D.C., David Koch, D.C., Yannick Pauli, D.C., Marshall Dickholtz, Sr., D.C., Matthew McCoy, D.C., Brian Mikula, D.C., Donald Olson, D.C., Christopher Kent, D.C., Peter Morgan, D.C., Cheryl Langley, D.C., Judy Campanale, D.C., Brian Stenzler, D.C, Thomas A. Gelardi, D.C., Bill Decken, D.C.,L.C.P., Heather Rice, D.C., Veronica Gutierrez, D.C.,