Eugene Sparlin Honored as Georgia's "Chiropractor of the Year"
The Georgia Chiropractic Association (GCA) recently bestowed its 1993 "Chiropractor of the Year" award on Dr. Eugene Sparlin of Atlanta. A 1952 graduate of Logan College, he was elected GCA president in 1979-80 and also had a position on the association's board of directors. During his tenure as GCA president, Dr. Sparlin was a leader of the movement to usher in insurance equality in Georgia. Dr. Sparlin also served 12 years on the Georgia Board of Chiropractic Examiners, two years as its president.
Members of the Tennessee Chiropractic Sports Council treated athletes participating in the 1993 World Cup of Canoe and Kayak August 30-31 on the Ocoee River 50 Miles east of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Dr. Al Rymer of Athens, Tennesee coordinated and organized the facilities to treat the athletes. Other DCs providing care were Drs. Brent Fetzer, Nick Circolone, Richard DeCarlo.
Over 150 athletes from 15 different countries participated in the two-day competition. The DCs treated competitors from the US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Czechoslovakia, Germany, and France. The doctors commented that the foreign athletes were pleased with the chiropractic care they received, and that they were asking about being treated when they returned home.
Drs. Judith Gerstung and Michael Millican recently became diplomates of the College of Chiropractic Imaging of the ICA. Both doctors are Life College of Chiropractic faculty members.
The three-year diplomate course requires over 300 hours of postgraduate education. Upon completion of the program, a candidate must pass a comprehensive three-day examination consisting of written, oral, and practical components.
To help combat the high rate of HEAL loan defaulters in the chiropractic profession, Life College has begun to offer HEAL and Title IV loan defaulter seminars.
In 1989, Life took institutional measures to reduce borrowing and dependency on the HEAL loan, including setting regulations regarding a student's vehicle, debts, and academic progress. The college actually stopped offering HEAL in January 1993. Said David Haygood, financial aid director for Life, "As early as the '84-'85 fiscal year, Dr. Sid (Williams) became aware of the problems associated with HEAL. At that point, we began to downsize our involvement." In 1984, the average size of a HEAL loan at Life was $7,000 but by 1990 the average size was $2,000.
Mr. Haygood commented that he is not surprised that Life tops the list of colleges with the most HEAL defaulters, because of the way the rate is calculated. "The default rate is calculated on the number of people in default divided by number of people in repayment," he said. "Life's number of people in repayment is going down while other schools are maintaining or their numbers are going up."
In its third year of competition, the Life College Running Eagles' cross country team is ranked 16 in the nation in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The team, comprised of chiropractic and undergraduate students, placed four runners in the top eight and finished second in the 28th annual Georgia College Cross Country meet at Georgia State on October 2nd. Life beat out 13 other schools to finish second only to Georgia Tech, a Division I school.
Life's Ralph Dahman finished second overall in the five-mile run with a time of 25:19. John Barlett finished fifth, only 16 seconds back of Ralph, and teammate Luke Veness finished closely behind in sixth place (25:37). Life All-American Joe Biasillo finished eighth (26:05).
Dr. Sid E. Williams, Life president and ICA chairman, recently spoke to a group of 200 students at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) in Toronto, his first such visit.
CMCC President Dr. Jean Moss introduced Dr. Williams at the assembly. "If you're a real chiropractor, you're going to be in combat," said Dr. Williams. "You must fight for chiropractic principles."
Dr. Williams added: "There is more than anatomy and other classes. The story is not in the books. It's necessary to have the academics, but you must tell the chiropractic story."
In a game matching the best of the Southeast against the best of the Northwest, the Life College Rugby club defeated Old Puget Sound of Seattle, Washington 30-11 on September 19th to win the 26th annual Aspen Ruggerfest in Aspen, Colorado. The victory improved Life's overall record to 7-0 for the fall season.
To advance to the championship game Life defeated Kansas University, Harggis, and Boulder. Life came from a 8-6 deficit in the first half of the championship game to take a 9-8 lead on a penalty kick from John Fenn, 10 minutes into the second half. The lead changed hands several times before Life pulled away.
The championship's most valuable player, Life's Mike Siano, gave credit to Life President Dr. Sid Williams. "This success is all his doing," said Mr. Siano, praising Dr. Williams' promotion of the rugby club through scholarships, financial aid, and facilities.
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?
