The World Chiropractic Alliance

► Government service and public policy. WCA members have served on important health-related government committees and panels, including:

·  Veronica Gutierrez, DC, a member of the WCA Board of Directors, the only chiropractor to serve on the White House Special Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine;

·  Christopher Kent, DC, a member of the WCA Board of Directors, chairman of the NGO (Non‑Governmental Organization) Health Committee, affiliated with the United Nations;

·  Kristina M. Collins, DC, a member of the WCA International Board of Governors, one of six members appointed by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine to its National Advisory Council on Complementary and Alternative Medicine;

·  Leona Fischer, DC, a member of the WCA International Board of Governors, served on the Veterans Affairs Chiropractic Advisory Committee and was one of only two members to vote against a medical gatekeeper system;

·  Terry A. Rondberg, DC, WCA President, member of the Department of Defense Chiropractic Advisory Committee.

► Lobbying and legislative efforts. The WCA was instrumental in having pro-chiropractic legislation introduced into Congress and passing bills such as House Concurrent Resolution 46 that states: “Chiropractic care includes diagnosis, correction, and management of either vertebral subluxations or neuromusculoskeletal conditions performed by a licensed doctor of chiropractic, and should not include the use of drugs or surgery.” We lobbied for: House Resolution 2560, The Medicare Freedom bill; HR 3476, the Tricare Bill that would provide chiropractic care to US military dependents and retirees through the “Tricare” program; and other bills to protect and promote chiropractic.

► Top lobbyist. We retain one of the capitol’s most influential professional lobbyists, a member of the Board of Directors of the American League of Lobbyists.

► Public and Media Relations. The WCA has consistently responded to negative depictions of chiropractic in the media, including newspapers, magazines, syndicated columnists, and television shows. We retained top attorney Carlos Negrete to evaluate all possible legal actions against organizations that use misinformation to defame chiropractic.

► Patient Education. More than two million copies of WCA patient education books have been printed and distributed under the titles "Chiropractic First," “Chiropractic Works,” "Chiropractic: Compassion and Expectation," and "Under the Influence of Modern Medicine."

A global outreach to protect chiropractic worldwide

The World Chiropractic Alliance is an organization of global reach and influence, with members in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Peru, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan Republic of China, Thailand and the United States.

Among the WCA’s worldwide efforts and accomplishments:

► Accreditation as a non-governmental organization (NGO) by the Department of Public Information, affiliated with the United Nations, in December 1998.

► Sponsored the first NGO workshop on chiropractic, “The Role of Chiropractic Care in Global Wellness” at the International Conference of NGOs in Korea.

► Presented the first chiropractic program at UN headquarters in New York City titled, “Perspectives on Chiropractic Care in Women’s Health and Quality‑of‑Life.”

► Election of Christopher Kent, DC, a member of the WCA Board of Directors and the WCA’s NGO representative as the first chiropractor to chair the NGO Health Committee, an NGO in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council.

► Regular involvement in briefings and conferences for the NGO community.

► Participated in the development of the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines on Basic Training and Safety in Chiropractic.

► Established a liaison to the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.

► Worked with the World Health Organization in developing the “WHO Guidelines on Basic Training and Safety in Chiropractic.”

► In a PowerPoint presentation developed and given by Dr. Kent, documented the laws relating to chiropractic that exist throughout the world. He was also called upon to research and present information on the licensing and legal status of all nations, and provide information on the number of DCs licensed and/or practicing in each country.

► WCA leaders traveled to Geneva to meet with WHO officials, including Dr. Xiaorui Zhang, Acting Coordinator, Traditional Medicine to discuss how chiropractic can play an important part in global health and wellness.

► Held International Summits in Australia, Great Britain, Canada and Austria.