Filed May 17, 2002 - Dr. Thom Gelardi, chairman of the board of trustees of Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic, of Spartanburg, South Carolina, whose term expires May 31, 2002, announced he will not seek another term on the board.
Dr. Gelardi said his tenure on the board, to which he was first appointed in 1997, has been "a privilege and joy beyond measure"; that he has been able to work with a "high caliber of people on and off the campus, both chiropractors and friends of chiropractic."
"As founder and first president of Sherman College, there are few that have contributed more to promoting the chiropractic profession than Dr. Thom Gelardi," observed the current president of the college, Jerry Hardee,EdD. "From the day that I first met Dr. Gelardi in 1983, I have been greatly impressed with his honesty, integrity and passion for the chiropractic profession. He has been a personal mentor and friend, as I have made the transition from general education to chiropractic education administration."
During Dr. Gelardi's presidency (1973 to 1997), Sherman College received accreditation from the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE).
Dr. Gelardi's final action as chairman of the board is to lead the investiture of Dr. Hardee on May 24, 2002.
Palmer University President Guy Riekeman has appointed David Koch,DC, vice president for professional and international affairs. Dr. Koch joined the Palmer faculty last year following four years as president of Sherman College.
Dr. Koch will join the Palmer Cabinet and represent the three Palmer campuses in various capacities. "I still plan to teach and maintain that vital interaction with students," he notes. Dr. Koch termed his new job an "exciting opportunity to grow professionally, and to help carry the Palmer message to audiences worldwide."
Gary Horwin,DC, of Lansdale, Pennsylvania, is the new president of the Federation of Straight Chiropractors and Organizations (FSCO). Dr. Horwin was previously the vice president and treasurer of FSCO.
Dr. Horwin, an alumnus of Sherman College and Fairleight Dickinson University (BS in accounting), is a member of the Sherman College Board of Regents, and the Sherman Alumni Association.
"I'm eager to build on the work that Dr. Judy Campanale started during her presidency, and lead the FSCO to even greater accomplishments," said Dr. Horwin.
Herb Lee,DC, 93, one of the founding members of the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, bid farwell to CMCC during the convocation for the Class of 2002 on May 3. The nimble nonagenarian told the class: "As the only living member of the small committee that did the preliminary work to establish CMCC, it gives me a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction to view this fine graduation class today and look back at all the earlier classes that have graduated before you. CMCC has indeed been successful in graduating many excellent and ethical chiropractors during its 57-year history."
For more information on Dr. Lee, see "Kodak Is Herb's Middle Name - The Remarkable Dr. Lee" by Joseph Keating Jr., PhD, on line at www.chiroweb.com/archives/19/09/05.html (Part I), and www.chiroweb.com/archives/19/10/07.html (Part II).
The convocation also saw Dr. Henry Morrison, 1967 graduate of CMCC and faculty member since 1973, retire as dean of undergraduate studies.
Dr. Stefan Pallister, the CMCC registrar, was the convocation's keynote speaker. Dr. Pallister has accepted a position as foundation professor of chiropractic and head of the school of chiropractic at Murdoch University in Western Australia. A 1968 CMCC graduate, Dr. Pallister joined the staff of his alma mater in 1988.
Monte Greenawalt,DC, founder and president emeritus of Foot Levelers, Inc., was awarded the 2002 Lee-Homewood Heritage Award from the Association for the History of Chiropractic (AHC). The Heritage Award is given annually to "a living person who has made a distinguished career contribution of lasting significance toward the advancement of chiropractic."
Dr. Greenawalt, a 1948 graduate of Lincoln Chiropractic College in Indianapolis, Indiana, could not receive the award in person. It was presented by association President Dr. P. Reginald Hug at the annual AHC conference at Western States Chiropractic College. The 1999 recipient, Dr. William Holmburg, accepted the award in his absence.
Awarded since 1983, other prominent past winners include: Joseph Janse,DC (1983); Dan Spears,DC (1988); Walter Wardwell,PhD (1993); Lorraine Golden,DC (1998); and George McAndrews,Esq. (2000).
Texas Chiropractic College (TCC) has initiated its first postdoctoral research fellowship program. The first recipient, Leonard Verni,DC, will be mentored by James Giordano,PhD, director of research at TCC. Dr. Verni will study neural and immunologic biochemical changes produced by biomechanical manipulation of the spine, and the effects these biochemical substrates mediate upon selected physiologic functions.
The fellowship provides a one-year stipend, the time to develop and conduct research studies, and the opportunity to work to obtain extramural research support.
The 22nd annual meeting of the Association for the History of Chiropractic (AHC) was held at Western States Chiropractic College, Portland, Oregon, April 12-13. DCs Reginald Hug (president), Art Lensgraf (1st v-p), and Jerry Ray Willis (2nd v-p) were re-elected. Alana Callender,MS, executive director, and Dr. John Willis, editor, were reaffirmed. Dr. John Young was elected secretary; and Kent Greenawalt and Dr. Lawrence Siordia were elected to the board.
Papers were presented by Ms. Callender and Drs. Norris Erickson; Roger Hynes; Joseph Keating; Susan King; Allen Parry; Eric Russell; Lawrence Siordia; and Kenneth Young. Drs. Hynes and Siordia won awards for best papers.
The AHC is a nonprofit organization tasked with chronicling chiropractic and trends within the profession. It publishes the journal Chiropractic History, and is headquartered in Davenport, Iowa.
The 2002 Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research (FCER) "patient appreciation days" program has been promoted by DCs for several months. The doctors who raised the most money for chiropractic research were presented "Step-By-Step Practice Building Kits" from Foot Levelers: Those DCs were Lucy Rambacher (Pennsylvania); James Schantz (Georgia); Andrew Kirk (Georgia); Jack Pollard, (Tennessee); and Paul Blomerth (Massachusetts).
The program was based on a suggestion of Dr. Daryl Wills, ACA president: "If 1,000 doctors of chiropractic would hold annual patient appreciation days with a $15-20 minimum patient donation to FCER, we could raise somewhere between $1.5-2 million a year."
"Did you know that 68 percent of patients leave chiropractic care because of a feeling of indifference?" asked Foot Levelers CEO Kent Greenawalt. "If you can keep the ones you have, then grow new ones - one at a time - that's a sure way to build your practice. Show your patients you appreciate them by throwing a patient appreciation day!"
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
