L I V I N G T H E V I S I ON
Placing patients at the center of health and Logan graduates at the forefront of integrated health care. Seven students came together in 1935 to study the human body’s structure and function. They chose chiropractic for their careers and future patients. And they selected Dr. Hugh B. Logan, dean of the newly founded International Chiropractic Research Foundation—College of Chiropractic (later to become Logan College of Chiropractic) to learn and train. Their chosen path proved rugged at times. Back then, many obstacles—ranging from lack of insurance reimbursement and licensure to isolation within the medically dominated health care system—stood between chiropractic and the patient. But patients also chose wisely. And as the years passed, more patients sought chiropractic care and, specifically, Logan graduates. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports the chiropractic profession is expected to increase by 28 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations as more students and patients choose chiropractic. Today, 78 years since Logan’s first class, the Logan and health care landscapes have changed. The modern 112-acre Logan campus is now home to more than 1,000 students. Legislative wins, clinical research and health care reform have bolstered the chiropractic profession— positioning us to care for more patients and earn healthier reimbursements. For example, Section 2706 of the Affordable Care Act requires that insurance companies “shall not discriminate” against any health
provider with a state-recognized license. Now, for the first time, insurance payers must reimburse a licensed chiropractor treating a patient for back pain, for instance, the same as a medical doctor. With greater opportunity, comes greater responsibility. How will Logan University** help its students—past, present and future—realize current market gains and expand their reach to more patients who need a hands-on, comprehensive approach to their health care? The answer is rather simple: by preparing students to make educated choices.
Practicing Patient-Centered Care According to the National Institutes of Health, about four in 10 U.S. adults (and one in nine children) are using some form of alternative health care. The demand for care that considers the whole person and favors less-invasive, lower-cost treatments has garnered attention from health care and legislative leadership alike. A July 24, 2013, Kaiser Health News story quotes Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, who authored the Affordable Care Act’s antidiscrimination provision, as saying, “It’s time that our health care system takes an integrative approach … whether conventional or alternative. Patients want good outcomes with good value, and complementary and alternative therapies can provide both.” While the nation catches up with what Dr. Hugh Logan and his graduates have
**Logan University includes the College of Chiropractic and College of Health Sciences.
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known for nearly 80 years, Logan’s new leadership is committed to connecting future graduates with the opportunities that escaped their predecessors. “Today, chiropractic physicians “Today, chiropractic physicians increasingly serve as portal-of-entry, increasingly serve as portal-of-entry, primary care doctors,” said University primary care doctors,” said University President Clay McDonald, DC, MBA, JD. President Clay McDonald, DC, MBA, JD. “ “Our graduates are capable of practicing Our graduates are capable of practicing in in various environments, be it various environments, be it independent independent practice or a practice or a multidisciplinary setting. multidisciplinary setting. It’s their choice. It’s their choice. We are here to make We are here to make certain their certain their decisions are void of fear decisions are by void of fear them or ignorance or ignorance offering a qualityby offering them a quality education, handseducation, hands-on training, and exposure onauthentic training, and to authentic to and exposure diverse clinical settings.” and diverse clinical settings.” But whether or not to practice within an integrated health care system has already been decided. The health system has integrated. According to the American Hospital Association, the percentage of U.S. hospitals that offer complementary therapies has more than doubled in less than a decade, from 8.6 percent in 1998 to almost 20 percent in 2004. Another 24 percent of hospitals reported future plans to add complementary therapies. Before Logan students can practice within an integrated system, they have to understand it. Health care integration centers on the patient and doctor-patient