Central DuPage Hospital Policy Regarding Doctors of Chiropractic Revealed!

By Editorial Staff

The following is the current policy of Central Dupage Hospital regarding chiropractors. While adopted on August 24, 1981, this policy was reaffirmed on November 28, 1983 and revised to its current condition on November 11, 1988.

CENTRAL DUPAGE HOSPITAL
Policy Regarding
Doctors of Chiropractic

Upon recommendation of the Executive Committee of the Medical Staff, the Board of Directors on 8/24/81 adopted a policy not permitting access to Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Laboratory and X-ray facilities at Central DuPage Hospital by chiropractors, based upon the following reasons:

Chiropractic theory and treatment and philosophically incompatible with the type of medicine practiced at CDH. Moreover, doctors of chiropractic have limited medical training and are not legally permitted to administer medication or practice surgery.

Therefore, providing chiropractors with access to CDH diagnostic and treatment facilities could create confusion in the minds of patients as to the Hospital's relationship with the chiropractor, the responsibility it assumes as to his patients and the potential confusion as to whether the Hospital has endorsed chiropractic.

This in turn could result in suboptimal patient care arising from the confusion in patients' minds regarding the different philosophies and practice of medical and osteopathic physicians on the one hand, and doctors of chiropractic, on the other.

Finally it is well established that the Board delegates to the medical staff the authority for monitoring patient care through a system of peer supervision. Because of the philosophical incompatibilities between doctors of medicine and practitioners of chiropractic, such a system of peer supervision is rendered impractical.

9/81
Reaffirmed by Board of Directors 11/28/83
Revised 11/88 11/11/88
DFOCHIRO/JDWPSRC/WPLIB Page: 1

In reading this, you will probably be as insulted as we were. It is obvious that the war against professional bigotry is not over. If you are not aware of the current situation taking place regarding Central Dupage Hospital and a local chiropractor, please read the article that begins on the front page of the January 3, 1990 issue of Dynamic Chiropractic.

Be watching in the January 31, 1990 issue for an example of how chiropractors are working as equal partners in the health care of patients in two Texas hospitals.