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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions FAQ – Professional

What will I get by being a member of GoodChiropractic.Org? What's in it for me?

We believe that GoodChiropractic.Org ultimately exists for the benefit of the public, the profession, and the professionals. When GoodChiropractic.Org has its penetration and success, which of course depends on your membership, we believe chiropractic reputations and respectability will increase. We think that this includes the “reputation respect” of legislators who make policy. We think that improved budgets in your state and national associations will make for better features for you. We think that more patients and increased revenue due to improved negotiation with insurance carriers will improve your bottom line. We think you will get home earlier, and be happier at the dinner table. We think you will have better family vacations, and a happier spouse or partner. Also, you will have a new sense of pride and ideally “career security”, all of which have been a tad short in these changing times.

You also get access to some great features on the website, some of which have not been presented before, and certainly not all in the same place. Those features all exist to improve your experience while you improve the experience of the public. We will move features in and out based on utilization and interest.

Briefly, here’s what we hope you will find here (not necessarily in this order). Some features still under development, and waiting for your Membership and Crowd Funding dollars to drive them to the next level (think staff editors and design. Each feature – especially the ones that involve state-specific zip-code geo-tags – can cost $500 to $5000 to code and implement):

– Use of the Trademarked Branding GoodChiropractic.Org® for marketing. If we have our way – and your membership – together we will get this recognized by the public as committed professionalism, the way other labels have not been before.
– Features that Spotlight and Amplify our Partner State & National Associations.
– Access to Collaborating Provider Member MD’s, DO’s and other Inter-Disciplinary Providers including Specialists, Surgeons, etc., who identify themselves as Chiropractic Allies, with Endorsements by our Members.
5 credits of desirable 1-hour CE videos included and others to purchase. Access to quality CE Vendors.
– Participation in a Second Opinion Network (Which does not exist anywhere else)
–  A Locum Tenens selector with availabilities and endorsements (doesn’t exist elsewhere)
Doctor Psych Services (for Compassion/Empathy Overload or Burnout),
Disciplinary Attorney Representation, PI Attorney interface,
Imaging Services overview, Features and Endorsements
EMR Showcase, Features and Endorsements
Forums for exchange and collaboration (mediated and absent a lot of nonsense)
– Call for Research Papers and a place to distribute/showcase your published works
– A Landscape Map to help navigate resources, agencies, chapters and councils out there.
– A News Aggregator service/Window that is State and National
– A Colleges Interface including Calendars, News, an Alumni Interface, and a Colleges Liaison feature.
 Advocates that will work for you as liaisons with the big Associations,
Public Service opportunities & Suggestions
– A Marketplace Feature, with Classifieds and Practice/Situations Wanted, involving Doctors who Engage (there’s a difference…)

Bonus Contributions. At the end of the Fiscal Year, after calculating amounts above and beyond costs and projections, we hope to make Contributions to our Partner Associations based on participation. This will add to what you contribute and boost the Associations.

And more as it develops.

The Website looks a little sparse? Why?

We were hoping you would ask this. GoodChiropractic.Org is a collaborative effort – and we need you here in order for us to develop features to serve you. It’s about engagement. It’s the age-old conundrum: how to get some members into a new Organization so you can have it be an abundant Organization that attracts Members like a magnet.  We can’t load the experts and sponsors and features until we can demonstrate some committed members. We need your feedback to make this Website the many things it can be.

You may find it somewhere down below in these FAQs that we decided not to accept blocks of big money to start this, so that we could avoid influence and conflicts. “Bootstrapping” a start-up thus proceeds slowly. Your membership and presence on the Website is the stepping stone that can activate our magnetism.

Right now we are updating and editing about twice a week. When we have some momentum – yours – we will be able to “staff up” and edit all day, every day.

Simultaneously, if you think about it, it isn’t all about the Website. The Website exists to provide a few links into some areas you may not yet have explored, and to help create a few things as well as amplify others that already exist. We did not set out to make a website that replaces anything or competes with that which already exists – that would be counterproductive. What GoodChiropractic.Org is really about is the professional advocacy – and the value to the Public that we exist at all. Thanks for being a part of us.

How does the Public factor into this?

One thing we exist to do is educate the public about how professional it is for a Doctor to be in a Professional Chiropractic Association. What their doctor gets from it, how it benefits their treatment plan, the professional way information, insurance, and legalities are managed, their overall chiropractic experience. The GoodChiropractic.Org® brand will be the seal of verified, double professional approval. We will help them see how they can choose committed chiropractic physicians – that they can rely on – by selecting doctors with the Seals of Professionalism. If they can’t find the GoodChiropractic.Org® seal (available only to Members), they will call your office and ask – and you can tell them proudly.

91% of the Public surveyed in 2014 said that all other things being equal, they would choose an associated Chiropractor over an unaffiliated Chiropractor.  They liked the name and it piqued their interest. They liked the fact that we were verified. They will choose GoodChiropractic.org®.  It’s that simple.

The Profession can only win. The Public can only win. You can only win. “It’s just Good Chiropractic.”

And of course we will do more than that. But can’t you see the immediate impact and added value of all these memberships you have been carrying?

What does the Public think about GoodChiropractic.Org? Also, how about the community of Collaborative Providers?

The public has shown overwhelming approval of a good chiropractic.org. A nationwide survey, and also focus group results, suggest that a member of the public would consistently choose a member of an association, over a non-affiliated the doctor, other factors being equal. Collaborative providers have agreed that although single association membership is not indicative of anything, dual association membership definitely indicates a doctor is striving for a high level of professionalism. They report that they would prefer, and would choose, to work with these committed doctors, given the choice. Collaborative providers unanimously agree, that more professionalism and consistency amongst physician groups referring to them, means a better selection of patients for them – better, consistent work up equals better referrals.

Why is GoodChiropractic.Org useful or even necessary?

Professional Chiropractic leaders echo the frustration that the professional image of chiropractic is perceived as scattered and unfocused. Penetration of state and national memberships is Low in many states, and penetration of dual memberships i(State and a national) s even lower. no group or entity has ever advocated for increased penetration of all categories. Many professions have professional associations, but some need them more than others. chiropractic, specifically, would benefit from a more professional presentation to the world.

The 2012 Gallup statistics that still exist as our quantification out there suggest that less than 9% of adult Americans utilize chiropractic (or osteopathic) manipulative therapy (yes, that Gallup 8.6% was both chiropractic and osteopathic combined). The future success of chiropractic will depend not on our ability to impress the patients who have been ready converted to CAM or Integrative Healthcare, but I will ability to reach out to the non-– converted 91%. Only 38% of Americans consider chiropractors “highly trust worthy” – this rating just above that of judges, and simultaneously the lowest of healthcare providers in our category. We believe that professionalism, respectability, and reputation have a lot to do with this. We also believe that the associations are the guardians of professionalism, respectability, and reputation. They are the hallmarks. That’s why we certify and advocate for them.

The only way to reach out to the non-converted patients is via an improved professional presentation, of which GoodChiropractic.org intends to be a messenger. If we don’t reach out to the unconverted, “the 9 percent” will shrink. Shooting fish in a barrel is easy… problem is, you will eventually run out of fish.

GoodChiropractic.Org proposes to be able to reach out to the public in ways that the other professional associations cannot. How we do that will remain a trade secret, but we can say it is sophisticated, professional, completely grounded in ethics and basic good marketing.

I have a professional license. Why is being an Association Member more professional?

We are about “Professionalizing the Professionals”. We are looking more closely at the definition of the word “professional”. We propose that “a professional is as a professional does – with and for their profession”. We are suggesting that a chiropractor is not a committed professional simply because they are talented, bill insurance properly or speak nicely to patients. We believe that a professional exhibits “the 5 C’s™ ” – Commitment, connection, communication, contribution and collaboration, and that this is demonstrated through membership and contribution (at the last, in the form of regular dues) to the professional associations.  A professional supports their profession.

Why is GoodChiropractic.Org good for the Profession?

GoodChiropractic.Org fosters a Culture of Engagement, which based on our research is something that Chiropractic would benefit from.This has not been a typical feature of Chiropractic in the past, but the timing is right for this to have significant impact.

Once again, our bias is also that being an association(s) member has all the potential of making you a better doctor to your patients. In the least, it makes the most up to date clinical information, political perspectives, legal orientation, standard-of-care guidelines as well as state-of-the-art patient handouts and practice management available to those patients, to any extent you choose to use them. GoodChiropractic.Org does not seek to replace or duplicate existing chiropractic infrastructure and functioning chiropractic systems. Our mission, instead, is to spotlight and amplify the features of those associations, to make them more effective.

As GoodChiropractic.Org increases its penetration across the United States, we will help chiropractic be recognized as a profession dedicated to improving its professionalism. Simultaneously, as more of your colleagues decide to “member-up” to their associations, in order to join GoodChiropractic.Org, we will have improved representation, lobbying, and presence in the Healthcare market.

What does MEMBER UP mean?

“Member Up” is our call-to-action to encourage unaffiliated DCs to become members of both their State and National Associations. Of course you and all of our GCO Members are important – but let’s face it – we are currently an absolute minority. It’s through the work we are doing that we will reverse this ratio.

The Market likes “snappy” calls-to-action.  We would like the Profession to hear “Member Up!” and know what we are talking about, without having to spell it all out… so  – Member Up already!  See – it works.

I already contribute to the National organization and Political concerns, including when the State Association asks for money, so why should I join Goodchiropractic.Org ? And if I join you, are you covering my donations?

We do not seek to replace or duplicate what already exists in the Chiropractic world, and that includes your incentive to make donations to causes that you agree have merit. We certainly can’t replace what you have donated nor do we want to.

It’s our mission to Spotlight and Amplify what’s already good for the public and the chiropractic profession – so we will add to what you are already doing. You are becoming part of a team, to protect and further your investment in your profession. Your momentum will actually multiply exponentially – because you will encourage other doctors to join.

Why join any Association in the first place, other than to access features? I can just go to the Convention for a few bucks more.

We admit freely, we have a bias – we believe that by being a member of these associations, you will have the option to deliver higher-quality care of your patient. You will be more connected with the profession,the latest research data, with public perceptions, with political environment, with colleagues and functioning as a part of public Policy. Your communication and your access to the voices of the impression will make you a better doctor, and make your patient interactions better. Likewise, GoodChiropractic.Org imparts a sense of professional pride and purpose, without taking anything away from the Associations we partner with.

I am a Chiropractic Intern. Can I be a member of GoodChiropractic.Org?

Yes. We are currently creating a Tiered Membership level for Chiropractic Intern who is a member of both their State Association (assuming they have a Student Membership Level – and if they don’t, let’s get them to create one…) and a Student Membership in either SACA or SICA. Chiropractic Interns are the doctors of tomorrow, today.

The physical costs of maintaining a User Profile limits us from being able to offer a discounted Membership service to a Chiropractic Intern. However, a Member DC can sponsor an Intern Member. Get Connected. Contact your Mentor and ask them if they are a Member of GoodChiropractic.Org. Get them to come aboard, and to sponsor you as well.

Remember to mention to them that the cost of a yearly membership in GoodChiropractic.Org is (far) less than the cost of one month’s advertisement on a site like Yelp™. If your Doc is still not playing a big enough professional game – and/or you can’t get them to sponsor – send an email to us at Membership@GoodChiropractic.Org, and we have a strategy that will assist you.

I have been in practice for many years, and never had to join anything. I go to their convention and get CE, so why do I need to be a member?

Practices are shrinking, with new political forces attempting to corral chiropractic. We think, unless you are one of the rare few, that you have probably seen changes in your business structure. We think it is a wise investment, to invest in both your state and national associations, and also in good chiropractic.org. We also think that these Associations are what sustain and safeguard your title and license as a doctor (your degree makes you a doctor in academic sense only – your status is conveyed on you by your state legislature). The breadth and scope of licenses are constantly in jeopardy these days – especially since competing interests exist that have a lot more political and economic clout. For example, did you know that in 2012 the Chiropractic Profession as a whole contributed $333,000 to Washington political campaigns (at least, measured on one index – this information from the ACA). In contrast that year, the PT industry contributed 1.88 Million. So, that means we had less than 18% of the clout the PTs had, and some might say we have more to lose.  So, unless you are ready to surrender the whole pie or settle for the crumbs, do you agree it’s time to “Member Up”?

I don't like my (State Association / leadership / policy / philosophy, etc). How can I then join them to be a part of GoodChiropractic.Org? Do I have to give up my beliefs?

You can absolutely be a member and have your own ideas. Participation in the membership, for the greater good, does not require you to abandon your personal beliefs. It can be viewed another way – you bring your particular talents and perspectives to the table. It’s true that many associations have both political and philosophical orientations, however, your particular voice can help shape them, and simultaneously, so long as they do not interfere with your doctor mission – to benefit the health of the greatest number of patients – you should insist on being a component of their team. Likewise, good chiropractic.org has negotiated with the state and national associations, for a direct dedicated representative, liaison, to work directly with our members, to give you immediate access to have your perspectives heard.

My National Association dissapoints me. How can I then join them to be a part of GoodChiropractic.Org?

Important question, and a breakthrough conversation, both for you and for Chiropractic. Your resilience and spirit is what got you into this profession in the first place. The position or policies of any Professional Group are just a snapshot in time; they are constantly changing and updating to fit the times. At the same time, the Profession has a direction, often in response to what it is being asked for by the Public. There’s a lot to public policy that can’t be seen by a clinician tending to their practice in any one city in any one State of the US. The point is, with your resilience, you need to be a part of that Association immediately, so you may help them shape policy.

You can’t “punish” the State or National, or influence their policy, by not joining. You are punishing yourself, by playing small – and depriving your patients, and prospective patients, of your valuable opinion. Come play in this bigger game with us.

In our Find an Advocate forum, which is Phase 2, you will be able to develop momentum and collect allies within GCO for particular policy ideas and issues, and play a bigger game. Create a team and present your issues in a collective, collaborative way. Invite the Member – leaders of the bigger group into a forum with you to discuss your issues – don’t just sit at home grumbling. We might all learn something.

What is GoodChiropractic.Org going to cost me?

After its initial presentation, good chiropractor.org will cost $250 per year per doctor to be a Member – Chiropractor.  Collaborative Provider – Members are tiered, based upon certain algorithms and their particular industry, starting at a base of $250 per year.

At the earliest inception of the program, you may Crowd Fund us at any amount above the price of your membership that you can to contribute.

All payments including Crowd Funding are typically deductible as business expenses in the Dues & Subscriptions category.

Why are my membership dollars and any donations I make not tax deductible as a charitable expense?

Since we are a 501(c)(6) non-profit Organization (status pending), we are not able to offer a charitable deduction. However, Payments and also Crowd Funding are typically deductible as business expenses, under the category “Dues & Subscriptions”.

(This according to our CPA. We cannot give you tax advice. Refer all questions to your highly Certified Professional Accountant. If you don’t have one, check in our Marketplace.)

Why is GCO not capitalized by or seeking donations from large Chiropractic funding groups, or Angel-List type VCs? Why are we starting small?

As above, we are a 501(c)(6) non-profit Organization (status pending) and are not able to offer the kind of charitable offset that makes Foundation donations, etc, possible. Angel-Lists, similarly, or other venture-Capital groups, often require some equity or control in exchange for their contribution. We have chosen to avoid inviting such conflicts of interest.

What's the Spouse Test?

Similar to the Bumper Sticker test, this is the one where you go home and tell your spouse or partner one of to things. The first one is “hey, i paid my State Association bill today”. After your spouse Yawns, and says “wow, that’s nice, so what?”… try this one…”Today I enrolled in GoodChiropractic.Org”. Watch their eyebrows go up… and they will say “That sounds interesting, what’s that about?”.  Your answer: “It’s something new…” Try it.

What's the Bumper Sticker Test?

This started out as a Joke, but then we built it into our national survey, and it “Stuck” (pardon the pun – and by the way, it’s a Window Sticker and not Bumper Sticker) We found that most people consider State & National Association memberships to be like “Spam” (this is simply what they said). In fact, the highest percentage believe that “Association membership” is actually required of us in the first place. At the same time, people like the Web – and everything about the Web – and we were told in our survey that “Member – GoodChiropractic.Org’ was a far more interesting piece of “eye candy”. The branding engaged their mind and left them wondering. How about you, what do you think? “Member (your State) Chiropractic Association”, or “Member – GoodChiropractic.Org”? Which one gives a more immediately available, direct message to your public? Anyway, the one you get with your membership says “GoodChiropractic.Org” on it. But either way, we did the survey already.

(Hey, by the way, if you Crowd Fund us at level 2, you get a second sticker – Woo hoo!)

Can I use GoodChiropractic.Org® name to increase my Advertising Reach?

Absolutely, that’s the idea. Following our >Guidelines<, Members of GoodChiropractic.Org can absolutely use the trademarked GoodChiropractic.Org® name on their website and advertising materials, following guidelines available to members. Only active members can use the name and it’s a part of our covenant with the public and the profession to police this aggressively. Proper use of GoodChiropractic.Org® and embed-able code can increase the SEO of your website. Our Phase 2 Web feature will feature access to web developers who will help you implement that.

Will GoodChiropractic.Org promote our names to the public?

Indirectly. Our Org can not act as a link farm to promote individual members, because by definition, that would make us an advertising site for chiropractors, which is not withing our non-profit guidelines. We are here for the Public, not for ourselves. By your membership, and your use of the branding, you promote your chiropractic professionalism to the Public. We will promote GCO as a seal of chiropractic professionalism, and how we will do that, of course, is result of web professional techniques we will consider a trade secret. Of course, searches for you will find you as a result of being aboard GCO, but we don’t want GCO to interfere with or replace your SEO of your clinic website. Chiropractic, again, because of our 501(c)(6) tax status. case law limits our ability to promote our members. A visitor could find you on the website if they search specifically. GoodChiropractic.Org will also encourage Search Engines to feature GoodChiropractic.Org membership as a search feature. Your use of the trademarked GoodChiropractic.Org® name and embed-able on your website, will increase your search engine capability.

Is GCO adversely influenced or pressured by the Advertisers on the site?

All Advertisers on GoodChiropractic.Org are either Collaborators, Industry-Members, Colleges, or Affiliates, and invited to feature to us. There are a few variations for entities or organizations that might be legally prohibited or forbidden form certain relationships. Either way, we invite them based on endorsement of our members. If you know a Vendor or service provider, who you think would both benefit the public and the profession by participating in good chiropractor.org,By all means encourage them to apply via the Footer menu at the base of the website home page, or contact us at admin@goodchiropractic.org.

Why is it acceptable to have PI Lawyers as Affiliate Members?

Chiropractic Clinics are constantly confronted with legal questions and legal situations by their patients, just by virtue of the often medical-Legal world of injury care. Conflicts of interest and tacky situations – and often questionably legal scenarios arise the moment a doctor – or a chiropractic clinic employee – begins talking about legal issues, or even to “recommend” a particular lawyer. We created the PI Lawyer category to allow PI Lawyers to advise us how to get their information to our patients, and what our patients can count on from them. Another high-value feature will be our planned ability in phase 2, to Endorse these lawyers with a thumbs up. Endorsement simply means, “this lawyer delivered value to my patients”.

Initially, we had thought to only feature the Disciplinary Complaint and Malpractice Defense Lawyers, but then expanded this category in late 2014. Check it out.

How do you decide who are going to be Collaborative Providers on GoodChiropractic.org?

Collaborative providers feature as members of GoodChiropractic.org, by invitation and endorsement of members. If you know a collaborative provider, who you think would both benefit and the benefit the public and the profession by participating in good chiropractor.org, By all means encourage them to apply via the Footer menu at the base of the website home page, or contact us at admin@goodchiropractic.org.

Does GoodChiropractic.org lobby?

It is not a part of our mission to replace or duplicate currently existing infrastructure, and it is not our current design to lobby. We do have the ability to do limited political activity. To that extent, in the past year, GoodChiropractic.org has made, for example, a donation – on behalf of the state association – to the re-election of a pro – chiropractic state candidate. This again, we consider a win – win –Win. In the future, we may contribute directly to that Association’s PAC, depending on the circumstances. We did specifically donate to the ACA-PAC’s Final Drive before the Mid-Term elections, and to the ICA.  Specific political lobbying can impact our non-profit member tax deductibility implications, so we choose our interactions carefully and based on senior advice, tax and legal counsel.

What are YOU getting out of GoodChiropractic.Org?

Since we are a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization, we do not seek to “get anything” out of GoodChiropractic.Org – other than a great sense of purpose, a valid mission, and a solid place to do some good work. At the end of our fiscal year, after calculating expenses and projected needs for growth, it is part of our mission to attempt to contribute funds to the State and National Associations, to use as they see fit, in order to benefit the profession.

What does GoodChiropractic.Org get from the State & National Associations? Do they pay us money?

We do not accept money from the state and national associations, because that would be contrary to our mission – to benefit them. The state and national associations do you participate with us, in assisting us in contacting their members for outreach, by providing us with access to their conventions, event exposure and facilities, and by acting as media partners, to name a few things. Also, the State and National Associations that we partner with provide a dedicated liaison to communicate directly with our members, for added accessibility.

What are the expansion plans for GCO, the Organization, and also GCO, the Website?

GoodChiropractic.Org launches primarily in the State of Oregon in November/December 2014. We are open to enrolling doctors from all States in 2014; this will assist our contact with State Associations. We plan to approach and at least pre-launch another state in 2014. We will then proceed across the United States until we have full Penetration and partnership with all State Associations. The Web site is currently existing in plug-in modular code with more expensive custom coding extensions, and will likely progress beyond that to pure code in the near future. This will provide expanded features and less restrictions in our ability to deliver them to our members.

Questions unanswered?

If you have a question, we want you to have an answer.  Please contact us at Membership@GoodChiropractic.org. Due to volume and time demands at this stage of our Org development, please allow 48 hours for a response.