Sallie Mae, which buys education loans from originating lenders and is the nation's largest holder and servicer of HEAL loans, is currently offering a HEAL loan consolidation and refinancing program.
The program allows loan borrowers to consolidate their HEAL loans and start fresh with a new 25-year repayment term. Borrowers can lower monthly payments by up to 60 percent during the early years of their careers and take advantage of additional benefits that can reduce their interest rate by as much as 3/4 of a percentage point.
A typical borrower with $30,000 in HEAL loans could reduce initial payments from a standard $212/month to as low as $87/month. That amount would gradually increase to about $242/month during the sixth year of repayment and remain there through the remainder of the 25-year term of the loan.
To lower overall borrowing cost, beginning May 1, 1994, Sallie Mae will offer a one-quarter percentage point interest rate reduction to all HEAL borrowers who make payments electronically through its Direct Repay plan.
To be eligible for HEAL refinancing, borrowers must have two or more HEAL loans and have graduated or otherwise ended their health studies. For more information, call 1-800-643-0040 Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. EST.
Important Appointment/Re-Election for Dr. Bakke
Meredith Bakke, DC, has been re-elected to chair the Wisconsin Chiropractic Examining Board and appointed to the board of directors of the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) and its Commission on Accreditation (COA).
Dr. Bakke has served on the state chiropractic examining board for 12 years and as chairperson since 1987. She has led the board in revising examination and licensing practices, formulating initiatives that benefit consumers, and aggressively pursuing disciplinary responsibilities.
Dr. Bakke was an appointee of the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards to the CCE and the COA. Her term runs Jan. 1994 to Jan. 1997 (see front page story on election of CCE officers).
Dr. Manga Goes to Palmer
Economist Pran Manga, PhD, speaking at Palmer.
Dr. Pran Manga, principle investigator of the Ontario study published as The Effectiveness and Cost Effectiveness of Chiropractic Management of Low-Back Pain (known as the Manga report), told a Palmer College audience that he was "amazed at the lack of evidence to support the low back pain treatments given by medical doctors."
Dr. Manga said the study was commissioned to find the most economical way to care for low-back pain and was "not specifically focusing on the chiropractic profession, or any other health care profession, when the pro-chiropractic findings were discovered."
The Manga report noted the "overwhelming body of evidence indicating that chiropractic management of low-back pain is more cost effective than medical management"; that there would be "significant cost savings if more management of LBP was transferred from physicians to chiropractors." (Please see "Manga Report from Canada Extols Benefits of Chiropractic," Oct. 8, 1993 "DC," and "Manga: The Report Heard 'Round the World," Dec. 17, 1993 "DC.")
American Academy of Pain Management to Meet
The 5th annual conference of the American Academy of Pain Management will be held Aug. 18-21 in Vancouver, Canada. Over 80 internationally renowned professionals will participate in the conference.
Wisconsin Back Society Holds Interprofessional Symposium
The Wisconsin Back Society (WBS), a multispecialty interprofessional organization, is holding a symposium on May 2, 1994, "Spine Care in the '90s." The WBS has assembled a faculty that includes DCs, PTs, DOs, MDs, and PhDs. The symposium will consider a series of representative cases. A moderator will present the background for each case; each specialist will make recommendations for patient examination, treatment, and justify the recommendations based on current literature and research. For more information, or to register, call (608) 249-7657.
SORSI Hires New Research Director
Stephanie Rasmussen, DC, chairperson of the board of the Sacro-Occipital Research Society International (SORSI), has announced the appointment of Tom Gregory, DC, PhD, as SORSI's new research director. Dr. Gregory is an associate professor at Palmer College of Chiropractic-West (PCCW), his alma mater. He earned his PhD from Brigham Young University. His thesis was funded by a fellowship grant from the FCER. Dr. Gregory will assist SORSI in formulating research projects for publication.
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