ARTICLE
Chiro Texpo ’19 is officially behind us, and it was truly a celebration of the very best of chiropractic in Texas. It was one of the finest TCA conventions in many years. I want to personally thank everyone who supported TCA as an attendee, sponsor or exhibitor. The energy and excitement were terrific and you made it happen! It was an honor being sworn in as the new TCA President at the President’s Gala. I was proud to share the moment with my wife Kerri, who is also a chiropractor, as well as our three sons and my parents. When I first got involved in TCA as the District 10 State Director and chairman of the Financial Oversight & Budget Committee, I never imagined being the president of my state association. It’s not a position I sought, but when called to duty, I decided to step up. I truly love this profession, I believe chiropractic is the pathway to better health, and TCA is the ONLY organization out there fighting for chiropractors and your patients. I want you to know how humbled I am by this opportunity. I fully understand that it’s not about me; it’s about you! So, as the new TCA President, I have a few favors to ask: 1) Let’s keep the legislative momentum going – The 86th Texas Legislative Session is over, and we’re thrilled about the signing into law of SB 1739, which prohibits an HMO or PPO from discriminating against a chiropractor. This law goes into effect on September 1, 2019. However, as you know, we were not successful with several of our other bills, most notably nerve/neuro. While the 87th Texas Legislative Session doesn’t begin until January 2021, the hard work starts NOW! The next election cycle is right around the corner. We must start raising funds for the TCA Political Action Committee (TCA PAC), which helps TCA support pro-chiropractic candidates. If you’re not contributing to the TCA PAC, donate now or call the TCA office at (512) 477-9292. We may ask you to reach out to your state legislator and possibly host or attend a TCA PAC fundraiser in the coming months. Stay tuned for details! 2) Support TCA events – Chiro Texpo ’19 was awesome, but there were a lot of TCA members who weren’t there. Check out our YouTube video to see what you missed. More importantly, save the date for Chiro Texpo ’20: June 12-14, 2020, Frisco. The second phase of the TCA Tour of Texas, our road show across the Lone Star State, is kicking off in August. In the summer and fall, we are planning events in Abilene, Amarillo, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Houston, Laredo, Lufkin, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, The Woodlands, Tyler and Waco. Look out for dates and venues soon on the TCA Calendar on our website and the TCA Facebook page. A big thank you to TCA Platinum Sponsor Bergquist Law Firm, the official sponsor of the TCA Tour of Texas! Finally, make sure you attend TCA district meetings in your area. These events are usually held quarterly. It’s your best opportunity to get important TCA update and get to know your fellow DCs. It’s important that you be there. 3) Get more involved – Because it’s not a legislative year, our top priority shifts to membership. We will be more effective as an organization with more members. We’re counting on you as a TCA Ambassador to recruit new members, invite them to TCA events and grow our TCA community. Not sure if a DC is a member or not? Call the TCA office at (512) 477-9292 or email us at info@chirotexas.org. Want to give back to the profession? We can always use more volunteers, both at the district and state levels. Reach out to the TCA office and we’ll find a job that is perfect for you. Thank you so much for being a TCA member and joining this powerful movement to advance chiropractic in Texas. Sincerely, Chad Carpenter, DC TCA President