The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) Council on Sports Injuries and Physical Fitness recently named Dr. Ira A. Shapiro its 2006 Sports Doctor of the Year. Dr. Shapiro has been the director of the Plaza Chiropractic Center in Old Bridge, N.J., for the past 20 years.
The Sports Doctor of the Year Award is presented by a national committee of chiropractic physicians who have previously received the award. It is awarded annually to the chiropractic physician who best advanced the field of sports chiropractic during the course of the year.
"It has been a privilege to know and work with Dr. Shapiro for the past 20 years," said Dr. William Bonsall, past president of the ACA Sports Council. "His work ethic, dedication to excellence and humility are unchallenged. Dr. Shapiro also is the first and only chiropractor to be named to the medical staff of two U.S. Olympic teams. As a result, this is a well-deserved professional honor for an extremely worthy individual."
In 2004, the U.S. Olympic Committee selected Dr. Shapiro to serve on the U.S. Olympic Medical Team, becoming only the ninth chiropractor ever to do so. Dr. Shapiro tended to the chiropractic needs of nearly 550 American athletes participating in the Summer Games in Athens, Greece. In 2006, Dr. Shapiro was again selected by the USOC to serve as a member of the medical team; this time, he met the chiropractic needs of more than 220 American athletes competing at the Winter Games in Torino, Italy.
"It's been a very full and fulfilling two years," Dr. Shapiro said. "I am extremely proud to receive these honors on behalf of my profession and to have had the honor to serve on the medical staff of two Olympic teams. It also has been thrilling to personally witness the growing respect that chiropractic is gaining throughout the sports world, as well as mainstream society. Most of all though, it's about helping people, whether they are world-class athletes competing in the Olympics or the everyday people who visit my office for help."
Parker College Names New Dean of Wellness Clinics
Dr. Lawrence Stolar recently was named the new dean of chiropractic wellness clinics at Parker College of Chiropractic. In his new position, Dr. Stolar will oversee operations of Parker's three clinics - the student clinic, the Dallas clinic and the Irving clinic.
Dr. Stolar is a 1986 graduate of Parker College and was in private practice for 17 years prior to joining the Parker staff in September 2003 as assistant dean of the wellness clinics. He has served as acting dean since May 2006. In addition to his practice in Duncanville, Dr. Stolar established Metroplex Chiropractic Services, which treats patients in four different Texas facilities - two in Fort Worth, one in Garland and one in Oak Cliff. He also opened Injury Rehab and Diagnostic Center, Inc., to provide diagnostic testing and rehabilitation services, as well as X-ray digitizing, for chiropractors and medical doctors throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
For more information about Parker College of Chiropractic, visit www.parkercc.edu.
Foot Levelers Donates $1 Million to Northwestern
Foot Levelers recently donated $1 million to help fund Northwestern Health Sciences University's building expansion program, bringing the company's total donations to more than $1.6 million. The donation, which includes a $500,000 gift and a $500,000 challenge grant, will be used toward the construction of a $6.5 million addition to the university's existing building.
The plans currently call for a three-story addition with 16,000 square feet of space on each floor. The additional space would house the existing Greenawalt Library, the Wolfe-Harris Center for Clinical Studies and the patient care services for all university programs. The project is expected to break ground in the spring of 2007.
"We are grateful for Foot Levelers ongoing support of the profession and of Northwestern," said Northwestern President Alfred Traina, DC. "This gift will allow us to expand our research facility, combine our patient care services and provide students with a state-of-the-art library. In addition, we will be able to improve our student affairs, alumni relations and admissions areas."
This building expansion and renovation program begins with the construction of a 110-space parking lot. Other plans include a new roof for the cafeteria and foyer. When the new building becomes operational, admissions will move into the space currently housing the research offices. This will move student affairs, alumni and career services, development and continuing education into the existing Wolfe-Harris Center for Clinical Studies. The bookstore will then move into what currently is the library; a tiered classroom is planned for the space currently housing the admissions and continuing education programs.
Foot Levelers' $1 million donation continues the company's support of Northwestern. In 1991, it donated $350,000 toward the Greenawalt Library. It also provided a $250,000 grant to fund a research chair and has provided several dozen scholarships for Northwestern students.
NHSU Reaches Out to the Local Community
Northwestern Health Sciences University (NHSU) held its second annual free Summer Science Academy for low-income and minority students in the Twin Cities area. The five-day camp, which offered hands-on, experiential learning to 8th and 9th grade students identified by their teachers as having high potential in math and science, included a variety of learning experiences as well as opportunities for students to work with mentors who attend Northwestern. Participants learned about nutrition and cardiovascular health, and were able to study first aid.
"We wanted to be able to impact and change lives," said Northwestern Admissions Director, Bill Kuehl. "The Summer Science Academy was an opportunity for students to do things they wouldn't normally be able to do."
The purpose of the academy was to build relationships with minority communities, offer life-changing experiences for students who have role models in the sciences, and enhance the cultural competency at NHSU. The camp was funded with a grant from the Carolyn Foundation, which covered the estimated $30,000 cost.
Another way NHSU reached out to the surrounding community was through its fourth annual "Save Our Schools" campaign. The campaign collected more than 3,000 school supplies (more than three times the amount collected in any previous year) for students at Washburn Elementary School in Bloomington, Minn. Items collected included 1,400 pencils, 336 tablets, 212 boxes of crayons and 108 folders. The university also raised more than $260 for the school. Previous campaigns collected supplies for Phalen Lake Elementary School located in St. Paul, Minn.
The campaign was organized by Northwestern's Community Relations Advisory Council, the university's Student Senate Volunteer Committee, and the Student American Chiropractic Association. Since the campaign's inception in 2003, more than $4,100 and approximately 6,200 school supplies and pieces of winter gear have been donated by members of the Northwestern community.
Masters Circle Donates $10,000 to F4CP
At the Florida Chiropractic Association's annual convention in Orlando, Masters Circle President, Dr. Bob Hoffman, presented a check for $10,000 to the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress. Dr. Hoffman pointed to the foundation's initiatives to advance the image of chiropractic and its work to help DCs achieve personal and professional success.
"With the many benefits of chiropractic becoming more apparent to patients worldwide, it's important that The Masters Circle and other organizations within chiropractic contribute to the Foundation so that we may reach as many consumers as possible," said Dr. Hoffman. "The end result will be a greater population reaping the benefits as overall wellness continues to be a concern for all of us."
For the latest on the foundation's ongoing advertising campaign to promote chiropractic to the public, click here.
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?
Some pundits say that the upcoming presidential and congressional races, and many local races, might be the most consequential in our country’s history. We do not have the choice of sitting on the sidelines and hoping our patients will carry our water. Unlike other medical professions such as physical therapists, podiatrists, nurses, etc., the health care class (AMA) will not protect us. We must be in the game.
The most common condition affecting the shoulder is rotator-cuff disease. From acute tears to chronic tendinopathy, it’s common and needs a thorough workup. In fact, even asymptomatic shoulders can have full-thickness rotator-cuff rears in up to 40% of instances. Let’s look at additional conditions that can present to the office with weakness, loss of motion and pain in the shoulder beyond rotator-cuff tears.
