Dr. Fetzer Elected MCA President
During the Minnesota Chiropractic Association (MCA)'s annual convention April 24th, Dr. Steven L. Fetzer was elected president. He will assume his new office in June.
A graduate of NWCC, Dr. Fetzer is a private practitioner in Rochester, Minnesota. He is an active member of MCA, having served as first vice president, and as past president of the southeast district. He also serves on the NWCC alumni board and is a member of the NWCC's President's League.
Other officers elected during the MCA convention: Dr. Richard Ottemeyer -- first vice president; Dr. Loren Stockton -- second vice president; Dr. Daniel Hall -- secretary; and Dr. Gary LeDuc -- treasurer.
The MCA recently sent out an informational press release to various publications, "Minnesota Chiropractic Association Answers Common Questions about Chiropractic Care."
Citing the 1991 Gallup Poll that found nearly 30 percent of the U.S. adult population has used chiropractic, the release offered basic information about chiropractic care. Among the questions addressed in the press release: "What do chiropractors treat?" and "How is a doctor of chiropractic educated?"
DCs from Ohio and surrounding states were recently invited to participate in a conference on risk management in chiropractic practice. The May 8th conference was sponsored by the Miami Valley Chiropractic Society (MVCS), Paragon Diagnostic Imaging, and the Dayton Association in Radiology, Inc.
"In today's society, health care practitioners of all types must seek ways to minimize risk to themselves as well as to the patient/consumer," stated attorney Steve Elliott, chief legal counsel for the MVCS.
The conference's keynote speaker was Dr. Rodney Phelps, a chiropractic practitioner and chief legal counsel for both the Texas Chiropractic Association and the National Chiropractic Mutual Insurance Company (NCMIC). Dr. Phelps emphasized several critical points to help avoid malpractice:
In Ohio, chiropractic physicians are required by law to attend 12 hours of continuing education annually. The MVCS sponsors at least one such seminar each year.
"NWCC Stewards" is the new Annual Fund program at Northwestern. Alumni who pledge an ongoing annual gift will become NWCC Stewards, and those who choose to demonstrate added support at a higher level will become Leadership Stewards
"A well-supported annual fund program provides the foundation for a successful, integrated giving program," said James McDonald, MBA, vice president for NWCC institutional advancement. Northwestern's annual fund program provides financial support for programs, faculty salaries, classroom upgrades, laboratory supplies, and other operational expenses.
The new annual fund replaces an array of previous programs, including the President's League, John B. Wolfe Society, and the Genesis Club.
"Stewards encourage, support and protect," said Mr. McDonald. "They take responsibility for the success of the college."
NWCC's Student American Chiropractic Association (SACA) chapter recently received an invitation to participate in the Council for Health Interdisciplinary Participation (CHIP) program at the University of Minnesota. CHIP students explore various issues common to all health care professions, including chiropractic. The group offers an ongoing series of lectures on health care topics, according to Mike Kane, Northwestern's SACA president.
"This provides us with a unique opportunity to dialogue with other students in health care professions," said Mr. Kane. "It also allows us to expose future allopathic doctors and other health care providers to the 'real story' about chiropractic education and the profession."
Said Jenny Meslow, coordinator of the CHIP program at the University of Minnesota, "We hope that this will be a start to developing an ongoing rapport between our mutual professions."
The alumni association for NWCC has initiated a series of seminars which are designed to provide students with added knowledge and skills in the areas of practice development, patient management, and office organization. The program is called "Models for Professional Success."
Dr. David Neubauer, a 1989 NWCC graduate, and Greg Stanley, president of Whitehall Management Services, made presentations during the fall and winter. The most recent presentation was made by Dr. Steve Fetzer, a 1979 graduate of NWCC. Dr. Fetzer, a member of the college's alumni board of directors, was recently elected president of the Minnesota Chiropractic Association. He maintains a private practice in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Fetzer spent several hours talking with students about his practice and answering questions.
The 1993 NWCC Homecoming celebration attracted the most registrants in a decade -- 323 attendees -- proving even more popular than the college's 50th anniversary celebration in May of 1991. The theme of this year's homecoming was "The Building Blocks," designed to provide alumni with the opportunity to "build" themselves professionally and personally.
Twenty total hours, including 17 relicensure hours and three x-ray hours, were offered to participants at a 50 percent reduction from the full-package tuition fee in 1992.
Since doctors often neglect their own health, each attendee was given a health exam, which included blood work, x-rays, EKG, spirometer testing, hand evaluation for carpal tunnel syndrome, chiropractic treatment, and more.
At the "Mega Reception" at the Bloomington Marriott, the Alumni Association gave out awards:
Dr. Bobby Doscher, president and CEO of Oklahaven Children's Chiropractic Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, spoke at Palmer College of Chiropractic's "D.C. Today" program in April.
Dr. Doscher, a 1977 Palmer graduate, has been at the non-profit center for 13 years providing chiropractic care to children. The center celebrated its 30th anniversary last August and the governor of Oklahoma declared a Dr. Bobby Doscher Day.
His hour-long presentation included a slide show of many of the children who were helped by the use of chiropractic care. Patients include children with scoliosis, autism, and cerebal palsy. Many of the children had difficulty walking and some were confined to wheelchairs, but all found some relief through chiropractic.
Throughout the presentation Dr. Doscher encouraged students to get involved outside the classroom. "By getting involved, you'll find the answers. When caring for children, it's important to explain to them what you're doing. If you take your time with them and show you care, you'll see them bloom."
The Institute of Research and Graduate Studies at PCC submitted 10 papers for presentation at the 1993 World Chiropractic Congress. All of the papers were accepted and presented at the Congress in London May 27-29.
The Congress received 102 submissions, and accepted 30 for platform presentation, 30 for poster presentation, and 14 for alternate poster presentations. Three platform presentations, five poster presentations, and two alternate poster presentations were accepted from Palmer.
Platform presentations: Drs. Saeed Faruqui, Dennis Marchiori, and Hong Zhang.
Poster presentations: Drs. Harry Wallace, Patrick Goff, K.V.S. Reddy, Mukasa Mango, and Mr. Robert Stout.
Alternate poster presentations: Drs. Robin Canterbury and Ronald Frogley.
In conjunction with the presentations, Palmer and Palmer West hosted an alumni luncheon. Representing Palmer were: Vickie Palmer, chairperson of the Palmer Chiropractic University System Board of Trustees; Michael Crawford, chancellor of Palmer Chiropractic University; Dr. Donald Kern, PCC president; Dr. Peter Martin, PCCW president; R. Douglas Baker, administrative assistant to PCC's president; Dr. Robert Brooks, PCC International Alumni Association president; Dr. Claude Supersaxo, PCC International Alumni Association European regional director; and Dr. Clay Tuttle, director of PCC alumni.
Cheryl Hawk, DC, PhD, of the Palmer Institute of Graduate Studies and Research at PCC presented a paper to the Second World Conference on Injury Control held May 20-23 in Atlanta, Georgia. The conference was sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control, and National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Dr. Hawk's paper, "Rural Youth Disability Prevention Project: Injury Prevention for Farm Families," describes the research she completed at the University of Iowa's department of preventative medicine and environmental health. Dr. Hawk earned her PhD in the area of community-based interventions for injury control from the University of Iowa.
She based her studies on surveys of farm families and focused on injuries in children. Dr. Hawk was surprised to learn that it is common for children under 12 years old to be operating farm equipment. "After we determined how the injuries occurred, we began educating families on safety measures for prevention."
In addition to helping farm families, Dr. Hawk sees the study as a step forward for chiropractic research. "Many chiropractors care for patients with musculoskeletal injuries. This is an area in chiropractic where little research has been done. Since the Centers for Disease Control puts funding dollars into injury prevention, this is an important area for chiropractic. I believe we can make a significant contribution in research."
Currently, Dr. Hawk is collaborating with the University of Iowa on an injury report system. "Injury prevention is an area we can work on with other health care providers," she said. "Chiropractors, as well as other health care providers, see a high volume of patients with sprains, strains, and other injuries. Once we find out the cause of an injury, we can work together to find out how to intervene and finally, how to care for that injury in a better way."
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?
