A Day At Queen’s Park

Last week, I had the privilege of participating in the Ontario Chiropractic Association’s Advocacy Day at the Ontario Legislature.  Every year, the OCA sets aside a day to educate MPP’s about the vital role chiropractors play in Ontario’s healthcare system.  Our discussions also focus on the ways chiropractors could contribute even more to the health of Ontarians.  One example of this expanded role is the recent announcement allowing chiropractors to directly order diagnostic ultrasound, a significant expansion of the chiropractic scope of practice. One of the things that was very apparent during our conversations with both MPP’s and policy officials at the Ministries of Health and Finance is that there is widespread support for chiropractors. Capacity issues within the healthcare system seem to be the main barrier to further scope expansion that would include ordering MRI’s and CT scans.  A majority of the MPP’s we spoke to have a chiropractor in their circle of care and they were all very accommodating and eager to hear more about the chiropractic story.  After our series of meetings, we hosted a lively reception with a number of chiropractic leaders and MPP’s, such as Sheref Sabawy (Erin Mills – Mississauga) and Anthony Leardi (Essex), among many others.  All in all, it was a very rewarding experience that will hopefully sow the seeds of further integration into Ontario’s healthcare system.

Dr. Tony