A $350,000 grant has been designated for the chiropractic program at D'Youville College in upstate New York. The grant was awarded by the Margaret L.
"D'Youville's doctor of chiropractic program is at the forefront of an emerging trend in U.S. health care to integrate the use of complementary and holistic healing therapies into the mainstream health care system. With this much-appreciated support from the Wendt Foundation, the college will purchase state-of-the-art equipment needed to become licensed practitioners and leaders in their profession," said Dr. Paul T. Hageman, chair of the chiropractic department.
The off-campus clinic will be established as an affiliated academic health center for the college, providing supervised chiropractic services to area residents. D'Youville currently has an on-campus clinic, which provides chiropractic health services to college faculty, staff and students.
"Our goal with the (new) clinic is to ensure sufficient numbers of patients support the educational and clinical research requirements of the program, provide a source of revenue to help offset the cost of providing clinical internship programs, and to help recruit and retain high quality faculty," explained Dr. Hageman.
Sherman College Organizes Relief Efforts for Hurricane Katrina Victims
In response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic in Spartanburg, S.C., has implemented a series of programs designed to assist those affected by the hurricane. Several of the programs are now in place, some of which are designed specifically for alumni and families of Sherman students.
To help with general relief efforts, the college's student affairs office has collected water, clothing, and nonperishable foods to send to survivors in storm-ravaged areas. The office has also been involved in community relief efforts, and has encouraged donations to the American Red Cross.
Sherman alumni who have been affected by Hurricane Katrina are encouraged to contact the school's alumni office (800-849-8771, ext. 277, or
) to verify the safety of alumni and to learn of assistance that may be available. To assist alumni, the college has also established the Sherman College Hurricane Relief Fund, which will collect and distribute donations to those affected by the hurricane.
To aid doctors of chiropractic who may have to practice in a new location due to the hurricane (and therefore have to sit for or retake state and/or national licensure exams), Sherman is allowing alumni to audit classes free of tuition. Once an individual has completed the desired or necessary courses, the college will provide documentation certifying completion of a specific number of class hours. For more information on the auditing program, contact Judy Clayton, Sherman's registrar, at (800) 849-8771, ext. 257, or by e-mail at
.
Northwestern Students Raise Funds for Hurricane Relief
In a fund drive held Sept. 6-9, 2005 students, faculty and staff members at Northwestern Health Sciences University worked together to heighten community awareness about the ongoing needs of those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Over the four-day period, Northwestern's community service committee and student senate collected $4,624.09 in donations for the American Red Cross. Orthotics supplier Foot Levelers, Inc., provided matching funds, bringing the total raised during the relief effort to $9,248.18.
"I'm very impressed with the students, faculty and staff of Northwestern," said Jeff Graham, recruitment coordinator for the college and chair of the community service committee. "The $4,600 just shattered my expectations!"
California DCs Sponsor" Adjust-a-thon" for Red Cross and Katrina Relief Fund
This September, more than a dozen chiropractors who live and practice in the California counties of Ventura and Los Angeles volunteered a free Thursday of service to treat patients and the public, with all funds raised that day donated directly to the American Red Cross Katrina Relief Fund. The campaign generated more than $13,000 in donations, along with dozens of donations of food, supplies and other items.
"We wanted to help, but did not just want to send off a check," explained Terry Weyman, DC, a Westlake, Calif. chiropractor who organized the fundraiser, which grew largely through word of mouth. "Earlier this year, my office had a very successful fundraiser for the Tsunami victims. I just knew we had to help again, that this was going to be Americans helping Americans. After talking to several of my friends and associates, I picked up the phone and made calls to several other doctors in Ventura County, and within a matter of minutes, we decided to join forces and sponsor an 'adjust-a-thon.'"
"In exchange for getting rid of their pain through either a chiropractic adjustment or soft-tissue work, the patients then wrote a check to the American Red Cross," added Dr. Michael Bateman, who also practices in Westlake. "It was a win-win situation for everyone involved."
While attendance during the adjust-a-thon was somewhat less than expected, the amount of money raised exceeded many expectations.
"The people that walked through our door were just downright grateful," said Ed Green, DC, of Moorpark.
"Many were stressed with the news coming out of the disaster areas. We helped alleviate their stresses, and they were able to give to a cause that helps so many lives that are in distress. It was fantastic."
Chiropractic Exhibit Gives Children Hands-On Education
The world's first interactive museum exhibit on chiropractic for children opened recently at The Discovery Center of the Southern Tier in Binghamton, N.Y. The new, permanent exhibit, made possible by donations from members of the New York Chiropractic Council (NYCC), offers a simulation of a typical chiropractic office, and helps to explain the role of the nervous system in health as well as the importance of chiropractic and spinal health for children.
"When we explained the concept of the body being self-healing and health coming from within the museum people got very excited," explained Dr. Joe McAulliffe, president of NYCC District 10 and one of the exhibit's creators. "They could see that we had an empowering message for the children."
The chiropractic exhibit includes several interactive features, including a "subluxation station" with a life-sized model and moveable vertebrae; a backpack safety center, which features weighted backpacks and a scale; a model of the human spine; a miniature adjusting table with adjustable stuffed animals; and a wall-mounted play model of the nervous system.
"Our exhibit emphasizes that health comes from within and that we are responsible for our own health," added McAuliffe. "Hopefully, this will lead to other exhibits, in other towns so that another generation of children doesn't grow up thinking they need to rely on Vioxx and Prozac to feel good and be healthy."
The NYCC also has created a museum implementation kit available for other states and organizations to use as a model for creating similar displays. For more information, contact Barbara Contessa, the council's executive director, at (800) 426-6922.
Dynamic Chiropractic editorial staff members research, investigate and write articles for the publication on an ongoing basis. To contact the Editorial Department or submit an article of your own for consideration, email
.