Iowa Governor Terry Branstad has signed legislation approving $70,000 in annual funding for the Chiropractic Graduate Student Forgivable Loan Program.
Resident Iowa students may apply for the loans if they plan to practice in Iowa after graduating. For each year that they practice in the state, one-fourth of their allocated loan from the program is forgiven. After an Iowa practice residency of four years, the total loan amount from this program will be forgiven. Students from Iowa comprise about 17 percent of the student body at Palmer.
"This is a victory for our students," said Palmer's President Dr. Virgil Strang. "They have another source of financial aid. Since the forgivable loans for chiropractic students is an existing state program, it should be easier to increase funding."
Palmer College had originally requested $350,000 in funding for the program. Currently, the Iowa College Student Aid Commission is writing the rules and regulations to administer the loan program. They will work with administrators to determine which students will be eligible, how much students may receive from these funds, and how to set up repayment plans if a graduate moves from Iowa before the residency program is completed.
Minnesota Chiropractic Association Elects New President
Dr. Gerald Priley has been elected as the new president of the Minnesota Chiropractic Association. Dr. Priley accepted the new position in June after having been formally elected by his peers at the association's annual convention.
Dr. Priley, a graduate of Northwestern College of Chiropractic (1986), has been in private practice in Duluth since that time. Speaking about his new role as president, Dr. Priley noted the growing body of evidence that consumers are more often choosing chiropractic care, and said he looked forward to working with his colleagues, community, and state agencies to promote the profession in Minnesota.
Palmer Faculty Member Wins Praise from American Red Cross
The American Red Cross has presented its annual Community Business Partnership Award to Palmer College of Chiropractic, honoring the work of Palmer faculty member Dr. David Quist. Dr. Quist has served as an American Red Cross instructor for years, training nearly 400 people to become instructors in the "Protect Your Back" program.
The Protect Your Back program was designed to educate people about caring for their backs by learning proper lifting techniques, performing exercises to strengthen the back, and demonstrating workplace ergonomics. About 200 million work days are lost each year to back injuries in the United States alone; up to 90% of those are believed to be preventable injuries.
"Back injuries are epidemic and cost industry astronomical amounts of money," said Dr. Quist. "The Protect Your Back program can make a difference in preventing back injuries. And it's a wonderful opportunity for chiropractors to serve their communities through educating the public."
Ann Perdue, the director of health and safety services for the Quad Cities chapter of the American Red Cross, said that Dr. Quist was an excellent choice for instructing the program. "His professionalism, organization and humor have added greatly to the quality of our program. He is not only a joy to work with, but a wonderful representative of Palmer and the Red Cross."
A 1988 graduate of Palmer, Dr. Quist became involved with the American Red Cross in the early 1980s as a CPR and first-aid instructor. Prior to becoming a chiropractor, Dr. Quist was an emergency medical technician.
Missouri Governor Advises Logan Graduates
When Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan gave the commencement address to Logan graduates earlier this year, he made numerous references to Logan's distinguished 62 year history. He noted that the "one size fits all" approach to health care will no be viable in the future; that health care will be community-based, with services target to express community needs.
To put things in perspective, Gov. Carnahan also noted that the U.S. has been battling with access to health care issues since the Truman administration.
Gov. Carnahan attended the ceremony as a guest of graduate Linda Goetz, DC, the sister of the governor's daughter-in-law.
Chiropractically Speaking Debuts at Cleveland-KC
To help students become better communicators, whether in a group or a patient setting, students at the Cleveland Chiropractic College of Kansas City (CCCKC) have formed their own chapter of Chiropractically Speaking.
The goal of Chiropractically Speaking is to prepare students to effectively communicate the chiropractic philosophy, and to prepare themselves to handle doctor-patient situations that arise in everyday practice.
The CCCKC chapter was formed by seventh trimester student Brigitte Bruneau after meeting students who belonged to the organization at Cleveland-L.A.
Chiropractically Speaking meets on the CCCKC campus every Monday.û On alternating weeks, students make five minute presentations on subjects ranging from the philosophy and science of chiropractic, to chiropractic techniques and patient education.
"The presentations are limited to five minutes because in a chiropractic practice situation you have to keep it simple, clear and concise," said Ms. Bruneau. "If you can't explain it in that amount of time, you're going to lose the interest of the patient." The speakers are evaluated by the other members and given feedback on what worked and what needs improvement. For more information on Chiropractically Speaking, contact CCCKC at (816) 333-8230.
Logan Health Centers Introduce Electro-Auricular Therapy
The Logan Health Centers are now using electro-auricular therapy at the outpatient centers, announced Ronald Kelemen, DC, chief of staff of the health centers.
Dr. Kelemen explained the reasoning behind including the new treatment. "Use of acupuncture and related therapies by members of the chiropractic profession continues to increase. Many of our students plan to incorporate it into their practices. We feel it is desirable to provide students with the opportunity to utilize acupuncture training that they have received from our postgraduate department in a supervised, clinical setting before they graduate."
Electro-auricular therapy employs a non-invasive instrument with an electrical current to stimulate specific acupuncture points.
Dr. Kelemen noted that the health centers will use the therapy only in conjunction with spinal adjustment, never as a stand-alone therapy, and that only interns who have successfully completed Logan's basic acupuncture program will perform the therapy in the health centers.
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