Welcome to the New Mexico Chiropractic Association

President's Report

88

FROM THE PRESIDENT . . .

Dear Colleagues,

A colleague of ours that I have admired for decades has repeatedly told me there is one common quality in all great leaders ….. they lead by serving. This colleague believed in this principle so much that he loaned me several books on the subject and we discussed this subject many times over a meal together. The last Saturday of October our IPA (Health Improvement Network or HIN), which is owned by NMCA, had a strategic meeting to try and make sense of what is happing in the volatile and changing insurance world that we have to deal with. Present and moderating this meeting was a gentleman who is a network developer for one of the main insurance companies here is this state. The moderator gave us an up-to-date presentation on how the insurance companies are interrupting the changing health care reform act and how that is effecting contracting.

Janice Torrez, the ED of HIN, informed all present about her ongoing discussions and negotiations with the major insurance carriers here in New Mexico. When Janice meets with these companies, she is talking with a Vice-President or higher. Janice explains that these meetings are with colleagues of hers that she has worked with for over twenty years. Janice told us that, because of her long-standing relationships with these upper managers, they have been honest with her about their concerns about our profession. These concerns run the gambit from poor education compared to other provider groups to consistent over-utilization. From these encounters and the knowledge Janice has gained from them, she presented various scenarios for the board to reflect on. There was much discussion and from this discussion came determination to have our profession and the IPA address all the concerns presented and rise to the challenges of the evolving health care reform act.

Many strategies were talked about and action steps where decided on to address the issues at hand. As I watched this process unfold before me, I could not help but reflect on our colleagues comment ….. great leaders lead by serving. What I witnessed that Saturday morning was the unselfish willingness of this group of colleagues to organize and, with determination, work hard for the benefit of us all. In other words, LEAD BY SERVING. I also realized at this time that my investment in HIN and my continued monthly fee is well worth every penny. Listening to how Janice has weekly ongoing meetings with insurance companies, WC carriers and other provider groups AND how there is a very dedicated group of colleagues putting in their time freely, serving us, I actually feel guilty contributing only $100.00 a month. I realize that my yellow page ads, the cost of my time networking, and the time away from my family getting to be known by my referral sources cost me several times this much on a monthly basis without the direct access to the right people Janice and the HIN board has.

This meeting solidified in me that the collective investments of the NMCA and its participating members would yield great bounty for us in the future. The health care reform act has created a hesitation in the insurance companies eagerness to contract immediately (they need to know where the reform is taking them). It has also created great opportunities . . . opportunities in which Janice is educating the top management about our profession. She is showing them their prejudices are not well founded and she is providing them with real science about how our profession can increase the health of their insured and save them money by utilizing us. Wow . . . all this for the little investment I have made!! The future is looking good!!

Yours in health,
Robert C. Jones, DC, APC
President