California Chiropractic Association to Focus on Best Practices at Winter Convention
As part of its annual winter convention, scheduled to be held Feb. 23-25 in Reno, Nev., the California Chiropractic Association (CCA) will sponsor a panel discussion on current best practices and treatment guidelines for chiropractic.
"CCA's goal is to provide balanced information to doctors on important and evolving issues in health care, while hopefully eliminating some of the confusion surrounding concepts like best practices and treatment guideline," said CCA President John Bueler Jr., DC. "As the profession begins to acknowledge the increasing importance of unity, I see panel discussions like this serving to more clearly define the issues and concepts we can unite behind while setting aside those things we disagree on and moving forward."
For more information about the upcoming CCA winter convention, including registration details, please call (916) 648-2727 or visit the CCA Web site: www.calchiro.org.
Northwestern Health Sciences University Launches Wellness Incentive Program
Northwestern Health Sciences University is launching a new campaign aimed at improving the health and well-being of its employees. The HealthyU Wellness Rewards Program will provide a $100 contribution to employees' heath care reimbursement accounts if they complete eight of 14 health care criteria between Jan. 1, 2007 and Oct. 31, 2007.
The 14 criteria are: completing age-appropriate physical exams and screenings; exercising 12 times a month; participating in spring and fall wellness incentive campaigns; keeping a food diary; participating in mindfulness activities for 20 minutes at least once a month; participating in Northwestern's annual benefits and wellness fair; attending three seminars on campus; having an annual dental or vision exam; utilizing a natural health care provider; being tobacco-free or participating in a tobacco-cessation program; engaging a family member in a healthy lifestyle; donating blood or time to a charity; using an alternative way to get to work two times a month; and doing a monthly self-exam for breast and/or testicular cancer.
"We recognize that behavior change takes effort and many people need a little nudge to do so," said Lisa Franczak, benefits specialist at Northwestern. "We are hoping that creating this program will provide a support structure for those who view their well-being as being important by rewarding those who already make healthy choices and supporting and motivating those who may want to make changes."
The university is also offering employees group and individual counseling, based on a health-risk assessment given to all employees eligible for insurance through the university. Coaching topics include physical activity, improving nutrition choices, weight management, managing chronic conditions and stress management.
"Our hope is that employees have enough incentive and resources to take charge of their health," Franczak stated.
Parker College Adds Massage Therapy Program
In response to the growing demand for massage therapy, Parker College of Chiropractic is opening the Parker College School of Massage Therapy in January 2007. The program will provide students with more than 320 hours of massage therapy education, as well as 200 hours of classroom, lab and clinical courses in the health sciences. The remainder of the required hours includes courses in business, ethics and communication. Prior to graduation, all students must submit a complete business plan that can be utilized when beginning a massage therapy practice.
"Our program is structured so that students who plan to practice in Texas may test for their Texas license and begin working while completing the remainder of the coursework," said Dr. Lyle Wilson, coordinator of the School of Massage Therapy. "We specifically designed this certificate program so that graduates will be fully prepared and qualified to sit for the National Certification Examination in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork."
An estimated 200,000 massage therapists practice in the United States in a variety of settings, including chiropractic offices, health and wellness centers, hospitals, doctors' offices, spas, fitness centers and professional sports organizations. According to a 2006 survey from the American Massage Therapy Association, more than one in six U.S. adults receive at least one massage annually.
"Our massage therapy students will benefit from Parker College's 25-year proven tradition of excellence in health care education. Massage therapy students will receive the same benefit of Parker's hallmarks - quality education and student-centered attention," said Dr. Fabrizio Mancini, president of Parker College.
Palmer West Student Awarded Kinesiology Scholarship
On Oct. 30, 2006, the International College of Applied Kinesiology (ICAK-USA), in conjunction with Foot Levelers, Inc., awarded the $2,500 George J. Goodheart Scholarship to Rachel Yan, a student at Palmer Chiropractic College West.
Yan, who expects to graduate in December 2007, works as an intern in the Palmer West Clinic and uses applied kinesiology as her primary treatment method. In addition, she is the public relations officer for the campus' Applied Kinesiology Club and works to recruit other students into the field of applied kinesiology.
According to ICAK-USA, the scholarship is a newly established program designed to help further the advancement of chiropractic, alternative health care and applied kinesiology. Scholarships are awarded at various schools and in conjunction with different sponsors.
World Congress of Women Chiropractors Goes to Las Vegas
The World Congress of Women Chiropractors (WCWC) is hosting a special program at the International Chiropractic Appreciation Mega Event, taking place at the Riviera Hotel & Casino Resort in Las Vegas from Jan. 25-28, 2007. No registration fee is required, and both men and women are invited to attend.
The WCWC was established in 1980 as the Women Doctors Club; in 1982, it was renamed the World Congress of Women Chiropractors. Annual membership dues are $25 for doctors of chiropractic and $10 for students; dues are used to provide women with scholarships to chiropractic college. According to the WCWC, membership is an excellent opportunity to "network with thousands of like-minded women chiropractors around the world."
For more information about the WCWC, visit www.wcwchiropractors.com.
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