New President, Chancellor Announced at Life University
Dr. Rob Scott has been appointed new president of Life University, with Dr. Guy Riekeman, president since 2004, assuming the position of university chancellor. Dr. Scott has served in various leadership capacities at Life since 2005, most recently as provost. According to the university, the leadership moves are in alignment with its "20/20" strategic plan and allow Dr. Riekeman to focus his efforts on the plan while Dr. Scott oversees day-to-day operations.
Canadian Opioid Guidelines Recommend Conservative Care
On the heels of American College of Physician (ACP) guidelines that recommend spinal manipulation and other forms of conservative care for the treatment of acute, subacute and chronic pain before pharmacological management, guidelines developed at the National Pain Centre at McMaster University and published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal recommend "optimization of nonopioid pharmacotherapy and nonpharmacologic therapy, rather than a trial of opioids (strong recommendation)" when considering therapy for chronic noncancer pain.
"Chiropractors as spine care experts are well-placed to deliver an effective and evidence-informed alternative as part of the solution to the opioid crisis," said World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) Secretary-General, Dr. Richard Brown. "Chiropractors working in collaborative teams with other health professionals, such as in the U.S. Veterans Administration, is resulting in very positive outcomes and we anticipate significant growth in the involvement of chiropractors in helping to tackle the opioid crisis. The WFC welcomes these recommendations and congratulates Dr. [Jason] Busse and his team on the publication of this important guideline."
CCE Joins Accreditor Collaborative
The Council on Chiropractic Education is one of 17 new members of the Health Professions Accreditors Collaborative, established in 2014 "as a platform for discussion, proactive problem solving, and sharing among accreditors. The Collaborative was initially formed to enhance accreditors' ability to ensure graduates of health profession education programs are prepared for interprofessional collaborative practice."
Founding members of the HPAC include the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, Commission on Dental Accreditation, Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, Council on Education for Public Health, and Liaison Committee on Medical Education.
Putting Ideas Into action: World Chiropractic Bike Tour
Dr. Alexandre Chassagne is a French chiropractor with more than just a vision to heal the world; he's doing something about it. Dr. Chassagne, a 2016 graduate of Institut Franco-Européen de Chiropratique (IFEC), established a nonprofit organization called the World Chiropractic Bike Tour in April 2017 to provide "chiropractic care for disadvantaged people all around the world."
As the organization's name implies, Dr. Chassagne's plan is to visit various global destinations on bike, carrying his chiropractic table in a trailer behind him. His first destination: Thessaloniki, Greece, "to help the Syrian refugees who have moved there."
To learn more and follow Dr. Chassagne on his adventure, visit the World Chiropractic Bike Tour Facebook page at http://facebook.com/WCBT2017/. To donate or otherwise show your support, email him at world.chiropractic.biketour@gmail.com.
NBCE Election Results
Dr. Salvatore LaRusso has been elected new president of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, with Dr. Steven Conway (vice president), Dr. Paul Morin (secretary) and Dr. John Nab (treasurer) rounding out the executive committee.
Drs. Conway and Nab also continue their terms as at-large directors, while Dr. LaRusso and Dr. Farrel Grossman were elected to two-year at-large terms. Dr. Morin is also district III director. Other board members include Drs. Daniel Côté (district I director), LeRoy Otto (district II) and John McGinnis (district V). Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB) representatives include Drs. Margaret Colucci and Kirk Shilts (FCLB president and vice president, respectively), both of whom were appointed to board positions this year.
While no press release had been posted on the NBCE website as of press time, Dr. Ronald Tripp Jr., district IV director, has apparently been removed from his position. He is listed in the Directors Archives with a term that expired in 2017.
Dr. Ron Kirk Receives Highest Honor at DC 2017
Dr. Ronald Kirk received the World Federation of Chiropractic's David Chapman Smith Honor Award at the federation's DC 2017 conference. An adjunct faculty member in the Chiropractic Sciences Division at Life University and member of the faculty for nearly four decades, Dr. Kirk is perhaps best known for spearheading the "Straighten Up" spinal health promotion initiative. To learn more, visit http://straightenupamerica.org/index.html.
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?
