In Remembrance: A Moment of Silence for Dr. Dick Versendaal
Editor's Note: The following official tribute from the Versendaal family "honors the memory and legacy" of Dr. Dick A. Versendaal, founder of contact reflex analysis.
Our hearts are filled with sorrow as we inform you that our dad, Dr. Dick Versendaal, passed away unexpectedly in a fatal car crash on Thursday, February 27.
Dr. Versendaal's passion for serving others and restoring hope to those who had none took him around the world teaching Contact Reflex Analysis, a technique he founded and developed over 50 years ago. He coached and mentored health professionals in how the body was created to work as a whole: structurally, nutritionally, emotionally and spiritually. He was the driving force and inspiration in starting VerVita Products as he worked to develop the nutritional and essential oil formulas based on this view of the body.
To be with Dr. Versendaal for any period of time was an unforgettable experience. His charisma, genius and wisdom poured out in colorful waves of energy and passion, revealing his intuitive nature and heart that often left people speechless and wondering, "How did he know?"
Day and night his phone would ring hundreds of times. He would always answer with the intent to bless the caller. Many would be greeted with, "Hello! How can I bless you today?"
At bedtime, he would pray and ask God to bring those people he needed to help. It didn't matter if it was 2 a.m. or 2 p.m. He was not only ready and willing, but excited to do "God's Assignment" and to help those in need. He modeled a life of gratitude and service, and coached others to do the same. One could expect any complaining or whining to be stopped with a stern, yet loving, "Don't go there! Just get to work and do your assignment.
Dr. Versendaal was a master chiropractor and a genius at understanding how the body works together as a whole. He was a dynamic speaker, an intuitive healer, a wise mentor and coach, a faithful friend and a loving father who cared for and selflessly served thousands of people worldwide.
Dr. Versendaal loved life. He would have been 77 years old on March 18. To him, however, that number didn't matter. He was young and he worked at staying young and healthy.
With a twinkle in his eye, he would say, "I look in the mirror every morning and tell myself, Dick, you're 28, and my cells believe it!"
Dr. Versendaal's heavenly birthday is February 27. He is now eternally young and face to face with the Lord he served with such joy and passion. He has heard the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
Lives of many will be forever blessed because of Dr. Versendaal. We can't imagine life without him. Yet we choose to live each day fully and passionately so that his legacy flows into the lives of others to bless, to serve and to be the hands of our Creator, Lord and Savior.
NYCC Named Chiropractic College of the Year by ACA
New York Chiropractic College received the inaugural "Chiropractic College of the Year" award from the American Chiropractic Association during the association's recent House of Delegates meeting in Washington, D.C. According to NYCC, the ACA cited the college's "favorable results in working with the VA system" as one of the factors contributing to the honor.
Readers will recall that NYCC recently was named an affiliate for two of the five Veterans Administration (VA) medical facilities selected to serve as initial sites for the administration's pilot chiropractic residency program; and two NYCC faculty members – and VA doctors of chiropractic – were chosen as residency directors (Dr. Paul Dougherty at Canandaigua VA Medical Center in Canandaigua, N.Y., and Dr. Andrew Dunn at VA Western New York Healthcare System in Buffalo, N.Y.).
National University Partners With Indiana VA Facility
Speaking of chiropractic's interaction with the Veterans Administration (see previous News in Brief entry), National University of Health Sciences recently signed an agreement with Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis to offer a rotating clerkship for student interns in the university's Doctor of Chiropractic program. The latest agreement is one of several such partnerships NUHS has forged with VA facilities over the past several years.
According to Dr. Theodore Johnson, dean of clinics at National, "This program, like all of the partnerships we have established throughout the country, will provide great benefit to our interns. The numbers and variety of patients seen in such an environment will be valuable for their clinical education. They will also gain experience in interacting with other professionals in an integrative setting."
Interns will serve 4-6-week clerkships, with one intern per assigned period; the first internship rotation is scheduled for this summer.
