A project supported by the Decade of the Bone and Joint, an initiative of the World Health Organization

2000-2010 was declared The Decade of the Bone and Joint by the United Nations and formally launched at the WHO headquarters on January 13, 2000, in Geneva. It has been endorsed by the governments of 61 countries. The Goal for the Bone and Joint Decade is to improve the health- related quality of life for people with musculo-skeletal disorders throughout the world.

1. 
   Perform an epidemiological study to determine the impact of spinal disorders in designated communities that fit the criteria established by WSC as having no current resources to assist people with these problems.
   
2. 
   Identify the health care resources in the community which could be considered in the establishment of an evidence based spine care program. This would include traditional healers, nurse practitioners, clinics and medical staff, local community hospitals and secondary and tertiary hospitals.
   
3. 
   Recruit volunteer health care professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, and physical therapists to provide primary spine care and act as the core clinicians in the program. It is anticipated that clinicians will be recruited from North America, Europe, and neighboring countries to the targeted communities. All professionals would be licensed in their jurisdictions and comply with local temporary local licensing requirements.
   
4. 
   The volunteer health care professionals will be responsible for the screening of serious spinal pathology through a medical history and physical examination, and will provide non-surgical treatment care including medication, manual therapies, exercise therapies, and patient education.
   
5. 
   Volunteer health professionals will also interact with local health care providers and traditional healers to share their knowledge about the assessment and management of simple spinal problems and coordinate their treatment efforts.
   
6. 
   Patients identified as having serious spinal pathology by the primary spine care clinicians will be referred for further evaluation to volunteer medical specialists, including non-surgical specialists such as neurologists, rheumatologists, and physiatrists, and surgical specialists such as orthopedic and neurological surgeons with advanced spine training.
   
7. 
   World Spine Care plans to identify individuals from the targeted communities who have the necessary undergraduate qualifications to be admitted to an internationally recognized health educational program with a primary interest in spine care, including chiropractic or physical therapy. WSC will then seek financial aid and scholarships for these individuals and assist them with admissions into these programs.
   
8. 
   This will allow ongoing care in the community and allow World Spine Care to establish similar programs in other communities.
   

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  Elon Musk. Chairman – Musk Foundation, CEO and CTO - SpaceX
  Chairman – SolarCity, CEO - Tesla Motors
  

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  John Donahue. Chairman – Palladian Muscular Skeletal Health
  
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  Trevor Ireland. Chairman, Board of Directors – Palmer College of Chiropractic.
  

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  Scott Haldeman. President/CEO - World Spine Care
  
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  Simon Dagenais. Treasurer/CFO - World Spine Care
  

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  President: Scott Haldeman DC, MD, PhD, FRCP(C) (USA)
  

Adjunct Professor, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of

California, Los Angeles (USA)

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  Vice-President: Margareta Nordin Dr. Med. Sci. (USA)
  Professor (Research) and Program Director, Departments of Orthopaedics and Environmental Medicine, Graduate Program of Ergonomics and Biomechanics, School of Medicine and Graduate School of Arts and Science, New York University, New York.
  
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  Secretary/Treasurer: Simon Dagenais DC, PhD (USA)
  

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  Epidemiologist: Eric Hurwitz DC, Ph.D. USA)
  

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  Clinical Care Coordinators: Geoff Outerbridge DC, MSc (CANADA)
  

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  Coordinator, Southern Africa Division: Reginald Engelbrecht DC (SOUTH AFICA)
  
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  The Bone and Joint Decade Liaison: Deborah Kopansky-Giles DC (CANADA)
  
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  WHO Liaison: Molly Meri Robinson DC (SWITZERLAND)
  

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  Charles Branch MD – Dept Neurosurgery, Wake Forrest U. (USA)
  
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  Max Aebi MD – Editor in chief, European Spine Jounal (GERMANY)
  
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  Sameer Kalkotwar MD – Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mumbai (INDIA)
  
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  John Mayer DC, Ph.D. – University of Southern California (USA)
  

Palmer College of Chiropractic Palmer College of Chiropractic

Palladian Musculoskeletal Health Care Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College

Musk Foundation

Bechtel Foundation

Palmer Foundation

Bone and Joint Decade

World Federation of Chiropractic