Call of Duty!!

[Guest guest]

"Call of Duty" "Call to Arms!"

Tonight's "Coordinated Care Organizations" meeting!!

No Discrimination - Level Playing Field - It is Our Time!!

Colleagues the profession needs you to make tonight's meeting in Portland

6pm - 8pm, University Place Hotel & Conference Center

310 SW Lincoln Street, Portland

We as a profession must "stand and deliver" the message that if we are going to have any chance of changing how we deliver health care in Oregon we must move away from the medical model of health care with its counterproductive over-reliance on pharmacology and surgery not the least of which is spinal surgery.

Prepare to have a 30-60 second sound bite that you can stand and voice to the group as this is all you will have with the format of the meeting. They start out with a presentation, go to tables in the room for "roundtable discussions" then at the end ask if any one has any burning questions or comments they would like to make and that dear colleagues is your time to "stand and deliver" for the profession. Here are some ideas as per sound bite talking points to present to the crowd and during your roundtable discussions.

Governor Kitzhaber has said repeatedly that he values the services of chiropractic and naturopathic physicians as sees us as instrumental in helping to fill the primary care shortage for those of us who wish to practice to the top of our licensure and training. How is the Governor going to ensure that we are not discriminated against by the coming "Coordinated Care Organizations?"

Would you not agree that if we are going to really change how we deliver health care we are going to have to include CAM providers with their evidence based interventions and superior outcomes?

Isn't there room under the "healthcare tent" for all provider types provided their interventions are evidence based and produce positive outcomes, in short is it not time for the "turf wars" to end.

A recent 7-year prospective study and analysis of some 70,274 member-months revealed that when consumers could select a chiropractic or naturopathic physician as their primary care provider vs. a medical doctor there was a 85% reduction in drug costs, 62% reduction in MRIs and surgeries, 60.2% reduction in in-hospital adminissions, and a 59% reduction in hospital days! Is it not time to put us in the game if you really want to reduce costs and improve outcomes, in short if your serious about changing health care here in Oregon PUT US IN THE GAME!

Oregon is now third in the nation as per prescription narcotic abuse and first in the nation for spinal surgeries many of which are both unnecessary and unsuccessful resulting in a tremendous cost in both financial and human terms. You must fully include CAM providers and their evidence based natural interventions chiropractors, naturopaths, acupuncturists, massage therapists, etc. What are you going to do to ensure CAM providers are not discriminated against??

Prevention to doctors of chiropractic means health promotion and wellness instructing our patients in lay terms they can understand not just the why to make positive life style changes but the how to get started, how to "eat well," "move well," and "think well." We as a profession for over a 100 years now have the goal of pushing our patients toward optimum health to a state of "wellness" so they are less likely to fall prey to acute and chronic illness in the first darn place. If you really wish to achieve the Governor's "triple aim" and fundamentally change health care in Oregon you must put us in the game!

The chiropractic profession was preaching "wellness" and "prevention" for many, many years prior to medicine starting to find it fashionable. But "screening" is not true prevention which is the medical model, screening consumers with known chronic diseases to ensure they are being managed properly so they don't fall into crisis and end up in the ER is a good thing but its not really true prevention. Or screening asymptomatic consumers to capture unrecognized diseases so they under go treatment is also a good thing but it isn't true prevention either. True prevention to us chiropractors is taking our patients to a state of "wellness" optimum health so they don't get sick in the first place. We do this through educating them in lay terms how to eat proper nutrient dense clean foods, the need and how to get started with aerobic and strength exercises, and how to decompress, de-stress to "think well" breathing and relaxation techs. If you want to change health care we must be equal players in the game.

Chiropractic is not a "service" it is a profession and we have many evidence based services to offer which result in positive outcomes if you want to change healthcare in Oregon you must include us.

CAM providers can deliver the Governor's "Triple Aim" 1. Improved health of a defined population. 2. Reduce the per capita costs. 3. Improve consumer satisfaction and safety. You must not discriminate against us.

There are so many evidence based natural remedies that work and so many drugs that don't we need the CAM providers, Oregonians love their CAM. What are you indeed going to do to ensure CAM providers are not discriminated against.

Ok, so that should give you some ideas....doctors please, please attend this meeting we have but two left after this meeting Eugene on Wed., and Astoria on Thur.....please report back to the group the positive outcomes of the meeting help inspire the Eugene area doctors and the North Coast colleagues with your stories....

To The Continued Good Fight - It Is Our Time Colleagues the 100th Monkey be Humming Real Loud We are About to Hit Critical Mass and Achieve That Level Playing Field in Health Care, Will It Be your Comments Tonight That Send Us Over the Top????

Blessings to you all...

Vern Saboe...questions call any time 541-231-4528 Cell