Dr. Cheryl Hawk (r) and Dr. Marie Dusio of the Palmer Institute of Graduate Studies and Research
The Palmer Institute of Graduate Studies and Research has been awarded a research contract from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This is the largest federal contract ever awarded to Palmer's Research Institute, and the second in two years.
The project, "The role of chiropractors in the delivery of interdisciplinary health care in rural areas," will be directed by Cheryl Hawk, DC, PhD, an assistant professor at Palmer. The associate director is Marie Dusio, DC, a Palmer research instructor. The project will seek to identify ways DCs can work more effectively with other health care providers.
In applying for the HRSA research contract, Dr. Hawk formed a project advisory group which includes Howard Balduc, DC, ACA representative; Blair Bauer, DC, a Palmer College alumni who has practiced since 1980 in rural North Dakota; Kathi Fuller, MA, program director of the Rural Health Education program at Western Michigan University; Joanne Nyiendo, PhD, director of research at Western States Chiropractic College; Pamela Spohn, PhD, principal investigator of the Interdisciplinary Training in Rural Areas grant at the University of Wisconsin; and Jerry Willis, DC, a Palmer College graduate who has practiced more than 20 years in rural Virginia. Health care professionals from a variety of disciplines will serve as consultants on the project. Palmer College assistant professor and public services librarian Barb Schmiechen has conducted an extensive literature search as one of the first steps in the project.
"We need input from chiropractors who are involved in any kind of rural and/or interdisciplinary delivery of care in order to complete this important project," Dr. Hawk said. Anyone interested in interdisciplinary care, rural health care, or both areas should contact Dr. Hawk at the Palmer Institute of Graduate Studies and Research, 741 Brady St., Davenport, Iowa 52803, telephone (319) 327-0162.
Dr. Hawk said the study could have a significant impact on how chiropractors work in the future with other health care professionals in rural areas.
The proposed merger of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners and Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards was approved by NBCE delegates and FCLB members at their respective annual meetings, held jointly in Atlanta, Ga., this year. Per the new bylaws, the new entity takes the NBCE name, with FCLB continuing as a department within NBCE. The federation will continue to enjoy Board of Directors representation on what will be a single, expanded board.
Before introducing subscapularis syndrome as an upper extremity analog, it is essential to revisit piriformis syndrome as a well-established example of myogenic pseudo-radiculopathy. Piriformis syndrome has long served as a clinical exception to disc-centric models of lower extremity pain and provides an important framework for understanding how deep muscular dysfunction can mimic radiculopathy in the absence of nerve root compression.
Pain has become the dominant language of musculoskeletal healthcare. Numeric pain-rating scales and symptom reports are routinely used as primary indicators of clinical success. But while pain reduction is meaningful, it is an incomplete and often misleading representation of recovery. This has real consequences for patient adherence, long-term outcomes, and how conservative care is perceived within the broader healthcare system.
