President’s Message

It is my honor to address you as your newly elected president of the ISCA. Before anything else, I want to take a moment to congratulate Dr. Toby Harmon for his outstanding and passionate leadership of the association during his tenure. We are truly in a better position today, thanks to his vision. Dr. Harmon’s journey to becoming a chiropractor is an amazing one, and like him, many of us have our own stories or experiences that initiated our paths towards adding “D.C.” to the end of our names.

I am blessed to be the son of David S. Dyer, D.C, who was an ISCA member his entire career and a former President of the ISCA. He often reflects on the old days where 80/20 insurance was common and much less paperwork required. But he also talks about the constant battle to elevate the impact of chiropractic in the eyes of the public and medical community. Indiana is a damn good state to be a chiropractor, thanks to our wide scope of practice. We owe this to the generations before us who recognized that our profession is larger than any one person or practice. There have been many fights and victories over the years, and those successes have paved the way for our current position.

In 2025, I will enter my 19th year of practice. Like many of you, I juggle running a practice, being a spouse and parent, and staying active in the community, all of which can consume our time. In solo practice, it’s easy to feel isolated. Business concerns, complex patient symptoms, and insurance billing challenges can leave you searching for answers. Thankfully, my ISCA membership allows me to reach out to the association with specific questions or collaborate with colleagues on challenging patient cases. The ISCA not only protects our profession but also serves as a lifeline when we need support.

Our profession is unique. While there is a standard of care, it is possible for a patient to visit 20 different offices and receive 20 different treatment approaches. As chiropractors, it’s easy to be critical of how other offices operate, but I urge you:

DO NOT DO THAT!!!

The chiropractor down the street, across town, or in the next town over is not your competition- they are your colleague. As long as they are practicing correctly and ethically, criticism does not help our profession. Statistics show 14% of the population seek chiropractic care annually. This means we still have 86% of the population to reach. The best way to grow is by treating your patients well and delivering great results-not by undermining another office. The more our colleagues succeed, the more chiropractic care will flourish

It is essential that we all understand our profession is bigger than any one individual. Chiropractic will only advance as far as the effort we put into supporting it together. It’s our responsibility to leave the profession in a better state for future chiropractors. 

The ISCA is here to protect your scope of practice. Whether you choose to practice narrowly or broadly within that scope, the ISCA is here to support you. Be good to your patients, be good to your profession, and together, we will all help chiropractic thrive. 

At your service, 

Derek J. Dyer, D.C.