Urgent Update from the MAC!

Thursday, March 26, 2020

URGENT UPDATE from the MAC!!!

Today the Governor held another critical press conference regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan.

The Governor did not present any new official Orders during this press update. However, based on all the information we have received from state and federal regulators to date, and the severity of this crisis, the MAC is HIGHLY RECOMMENDING THAT DOCTORS WHO HAVE MADE THE DECISION TO REMAIN OPEN ARE FOLLOWING ALL SUGGESTED CDC PREVENTION AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS (information is available on our website).

We also recommend that you examine your staffing needs to ascertain whether each staff member is “strictly necessary to perform the business’s or operation’s critical infrastructure functions,” as per State of Michigan Executive Order 2020-21.

We can’t stress this enough: If you remain open, you must follow all requirements. You will also want to contact your malpractice carrier to be sure you are protected during this crisis.

Each day we are updating the most current information we have on our website and through our emails. Our information includes the latest on what’s available (or soon will be) for employers and employee assistance through loans, unemployment benefits, etc. Be sure to watch for regular updates as Congress makes final decisions and the State of Michigan makes further announcements.

Our staff is working 24/7 to answer all your questions to the best of our understanding and ability, and we are in this crisis together!

Please know, WE ARE NOT A REGULATORY AGENCY AND ARE NOT ABLE TO ADVISE YOU WHETHER OR NOT TO CLOSE YOUR PRACTICE. The decision is up you, the licensed, essential provider. We are committed to helping you understand your responsibilities to your staff and patients. You also want to be sure to keep yourself and your families safe. We are not trying to protect the MAC, we are doing our best to protect the profession and your patients!

Be careful not to utilize marketing and other outreach activities that can be construed as taking advantage of this crisis. We are getting reports from the public and some employees that some doctors are not following the legal parameters we’ve outlined for you and have not made all the necessary changes to their practices. Again, we are not a regulatory body, but if we receive these complaints, we will do our best to inform the doctors involved. We have heard there are enforcement efforts from appropriate agencies now in effect.

“The future is not about what you have to do in the future.

It’s about what you have to do now to create the future.”

Vijay Govindarajan (Global Leadership)

We will soon be posting information on ways you can help be part of the solution to this crisis.

As a chiropractor, and trusted provider to many, we do encourage you to keep an open line of communication with your patients. Utilize your patient email database, your online social media following, and/or your phone tree to remind your patients that you are a doctor who cares about their health and well-being (which includes their mental well-being during this pandemic), and that you are a wellness expert ready and willing to answer health-related questions.

When you are drafting your patient outreach, consider the following:

1. Personalized communication

2. Show concern – ask how they are holding up

3. Make yourself available to answer any questions or concerns

4. Provide practical advice on what they can do to protect their health

Having a provider who cares will go a long way – reaching out during a time of need matters. Your patients will feel at ease when a line of communication is extended, and in turn, you and your practice will be top of mind when we reach the other side of this pandemic.

Disclaimer: The Michigan Association of Chiropractors is a professional association advocating for the rights of chiropractors and their patients across the state of Michigan. We are NOT a state agency or regulatory body. We are merely informing our membership regarding what they are allowed to do during this difficult and confusing time.

The information we provide during this pandemic is derived in conjunction with our governmental relations and legal experts, developed after examination of all official releases of information from the State of Michigan and in consultation with said experts and representatives from state government. Please refer to our emails and website for the latest information, free from speculation and the rumors currently circulating in the wake of official state actions.

Rest assured that we will continue to advocate for the profession at the highest levels, with the health and well-being of you and your patients, as well as the overall stability of the health care system, foremost in our efforts.