In June, Life University graduated its first class of the new century, with 393 students tossing their tassels to show they had completed their education and were eyeing their futures as doctors of chiropractic.
There's a story behind each of the graduates. Take the case of 29-year old Rick Bolling, who overcame enormous odds to earn his chiropractic degree. In December 1996, Rick was halfway through his chiropractic studies when he was critically injured in a car accident. Both legs and an arm were crushed, and the original prognosis of Rick's doctors was that he would never walk, let alone practice chiropractic.
Rick was forced to undergo several surgeries and a grueling rehabilitation program while recovering from his injuries. Metal rods were inserted into his limbs for reinforcement. He was also given extensive chiropractic treatment, which helped him recover without having to rely on medication.
A year after his accident, Rick had recovered enough from his injuries to astound his doctors by learning to walk again. He then resumed his chiropractic studies at Life and graduated only one year later than he would have if not for the accident. Rick was able to walk with the class of 2000 to receive his diploma.
"I'm walking, I'm driving, I'm graduating, I'm getting married," Rick pronounced after the graduation ceremony. "Everything is going great."
Recent laws in New Jersey and California represent a disturbing trend that will negatively impact a practice’s ability to collect monies from patients, as well as expose them to significant penalties if the practice does not follow the mandatory guidelines to a T. Please be aware that a similar law may be coming to your state. The time to act is before the law is passed.
Each year, ICD-10-CM is updated on Oct. 1. For 2026, there are 74,179 total codes, with 487 additions, 28 deletions and 38 revisions. Code changes are based on date of service, not the claim submission date. Services performed on/after Oct. 1 must use the new codes. While no changes affect the common spinal or extraspinal codes most frequently used by DCs, several updates may still affect your claims – particularly for comorbidities, referred pain, or trauma cases.
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Southern California University of Health Sciences has entered into an agreement with Pacific College of Health and Science whereby PCHS’ San Diego and Chicago campuses – including students, faculty, staff, and academic programs – will join SCU effective May 2026, pending regulatory approval. Founded in 1986 as Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, PCHS is not only the largest acupuncture / herbal medicine school in the U.S., but also offers integrative health curriculum in holistic nursing and massage therapy.
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