On May 11, 2000, representatives from every major chiropractic organization and institution gathered for the first California Chiropractic Summit. The attendees included representatives from the:
- California Chiropractic Association
- International Chiropractors Association of California
- Palmer College of Chiropractic West
- Life Chiropractic College West
- Los Angeles College of Chiropractic
- Cleveland Chiropractic College
- Academy of Certified Chiropractic Orthopedists
- Academy of Forensic and Industrial Chiropractic Consultants
The 18 attendees discussed the threats, weaknesses, opportunities and strengths of the chiropractic profession in California. The four-hour meeting established a firm foundation for future discussions and potential alliances. All agreed that if these organizations could pull together, the profession could better chart its own future.
Dr. Wayne Whalen, CCA past president and one of the summit organizers, hailed the meeting as "historic" and applauded the organizations for attending the meeting. A follow-up meeting is tentatively set for early August.
Ohio State Chiropractic Board Appoints New Director Kelly Valentine of Stoutsville, Ohio has been appointed the new executive director of the Ohio State Chiropractic Board (OSCB). She has been the executive assistant to director Michael Moran since 1997.
Ms. Valentine has been active with the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards, and is a member of the Association of Chiropractic Board Administrators. OSCB President Rick McMichael,DC, said the board members were confident that Ms. Valentine would provide outstanding leadership.
Mr. Moran, who served as executive director since 1991, will now devote his time to private law practice.
Researcher Attends Conferences in Israel and Hong Kong Gert Bronfort,DC,PhD, senior clinical researcher for Northwestern Health Sciences University's Wolfe-Harris Center for Clinical Studies, gave a poster presentation at the 4th International Forum for Primary Care in Eliat, Israel.
Dr. Bronfort and a team of doctors from Northwestern have completed research on several different treatments for sciatica. Dr. Bronfort's presentation was on "Nonoperative Treatments for Sciatica: A Pilot Study in Preparation for a Randomized Observer-Blinded Clinical Trial."
The focus of the Israel conference was low back pain in the context of primary care.
The conference in Hong Kong was on herbal medicines and the nonmedical side of manual and physical treatments. Dr. Bronfort's attention at the conference was on guideline development of research in traditional medicine.
Chiropractic at the NCAA Track & Field Championships Dr. Michael Krasnov, team chiropractor for Duke University, has been treating athletes at the NCAA Division IA Track & Field Championships since 1995. At this year's event, staged in Durham, North Carolina, May 31 to June 3, Dr. Krasnov noted some changes. "I knew of very few division IA schools that had an official team chiropractor, let alone traveled with one. At this year's championship, several teams brought their own chiropractor."
The team chiropractors and the schools they represented included: DCs Mike Petty (Tennessee); Steve Whitelaw (Arkansas); Karen Campion (Texas A&M); and Mark Scapaticci (Texas).
Dr. Krasnov, who headed up a team of DCs, noted that the schools that didn't bring a chiropractor kept his troops very busy. The "Krasnov" team included: DCs Charles Goshorn (Rochester, NY); Ira Rubin and Richard Armstrong (Cary, NC); Matt Schmid and Greg Baldly (Raleigh, NC); and Fred Nelson (Wake Forest, NC). The Krasnov team delivered about 500 treatments over the four days.
"Chiropractic is definitely gaining acceptance in sports medicine circles," observed Dr. Krasnov. "My experience at this year's NCAA event, as well as my seven years' experience as a team chiropractor, convince me that this trend will continue."
New President of United Chiropractors of New Mexico Albuquerque chiropractor Gretchen Gilbertson has been elected president of the United Chiropractors of New Mexico, the first woman to have that honor. Dr. Gilbertson, who has been in practice for 12 years, also received the association's "Chiropractor of the Year" award, primarily for her legislative work at the state and national level.
