Dr. Gerard W. Clum has received numerous distinguished honors in his career; deservedly so. Add one more.
During the 66th annual convention of the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) in Orlando, Florida, May 7-10, Dr. R. James Gregg, president of the ICA, presented Dr. Gerard Clum with the ICA's highest honor, "Chiropractor of the Year." Dr. Clum was selected by a unanimous vote of the ICA's board of directors, becoming the 43rd recipient of the annual award.
For Dr. Clum, 1992 has been an eventful year. He was on the nine-member Steering Committee for the Mercy Center Conference, and served January 25-30 as one of the 35-committee members of the Mercy Conference to develop the guidelines for chiropractic quality assurance and standards of care document.
At the end of the conference, Dr. Clum was selected as chairman of the nine-member Mercy Advisory Committee, delegated to assist in the task of distributing the Mercy document to the profession.
As president of the Association of Chiropractic Colleges, Dr. Clum has worked hard to secure congressional reauthorization of the Health Education Assistance Loan (HEAL) program, coordinating the activities of ACC's lobbyists with the ACA and ICA.
To eliminate chiropractic's dependency on HEAL, Dr. Clum has spearheaded "ChiroLoan" with the Educational Funding Services of Herdon, Virginia, developing a four-year disbursement package totally $80 million in student financial aid (see May 22, 1992 issue of "DC").
Dr. Clum, who turned 40 this year, is originally from Buffalo, New York. He was drawn to chiropractic through personal experience with its effectiveness and fascination with its drug-free nature. He graduated cum laude from Palmer College in Davenport, Iowa in 1973, and immediately began instructing in Palmer's department of technique. By 1977, Dr. Clum was an assistant professor of chiropractic sciences at Life Chiropractic College, and one-year later, a full professor.
Dr. Clum has served with distinction as president of Life College of Chiropractic West since 1981. He has initiated such innovations as a cooperative postgraduate program with the ICA in Applied Chiropractic Sciences, which offers diplomate status in the clinical application of chiropractic knowledge and skills.
Dr. Clum has served on the board of directors of the Council on Chiropractic Education since 1983. He has been on the ICA's board of directors since 1982, and the ICA's vice president from 1988-91. He represented the ICA at the World Federation of Chiropractic in Toronto in April 1991, and will again represent the ICA at the next WFC meeting in Hong Kong.
He maintains active licenses in five states, and is a member of the American Public Health Association.
Dr. Clum resides with his wife Catherine and their three children, Donald, Catherine, and Lauren in San Leandro, California. He is active in community and civic affairs and has a special interest in programs for the disable.
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?
