Seven Toasty Tips to Get Warm and Stay Warm at Home and Outside

Posted on by Dana Schatz

As we have made it through a record snow and ice storm, people in Portland are wary of the cold. Dr. James Strange, an attending physician and assistant professor at UWS, shares some quick and easy tips to keep warm outside and at home.

  • Warm yourself first – It is easier and faster to warm your body temperature than the room temperature.
  • Wear a hat outside – You lose body heat through your head, so having it covered will help keep you warmer.
  • Alternate between hot and cold water in the shower – The hot water will heat you up, but switching between hot and cold water will help with blood circulation.
  • Block drafts with towels or foam noodles – Placing a towel or foam noodle around the door will help to keep the cold air out and warm air in.
  • Get cooking – If the room is not warm enough and thermostat is not working make something to eat. The oven temperature can help heat up the room.
  • Layer your blankets – Thin and fluffy blankets should be close to you, while heavier, dense blankets should be on top to prevent heat loss.
  • Stuff your pockets with hand warmers – You can make hand warmers yourself by using two storage bags, water and calcium chloride ice melt pellets – all ingredients that can be found at your local store.

Stay warm and safe out there!

As I Approach Graduation

Posted on by Dana Schatz

| Written By: Stephanie Halloran |

As I approach my graduation and look back at my experience at University of Western States, there are a few things that I can credit my successes to, and I would advise future students to hone in on these for themselves.

  1. Find your why. Everyone has a story about why they are interested in pursuing chiropractic as a career. Sit down in a quiet space with no distractions and write down why you are here, what your vision is for your future practice and what you need to do to make that vision come to life. Three years in a rigorous program makes even the most passionate student discouraged at times and coming back to your personal why will keep that flame going when you are 15 finals deep and still have six National Board exams to take during sixth quarter.
  2. Find a mentor. Once you have your why and vision for chiropractic school, you need to find the path to get you to that goal because school is hard enough as it is, and it is even harder to try to do it alone. Over my three years at UWS, I have had many mentors including Dr. Ron LeFebvre, Dr. Daniel DeLapp, Dr. Gary Schultz and recently, Dr. Chris Sherman during my preceptorship. Dr. Benjamin Ramos was one of my first mentors without even knowing it. I watched the way he pursued things that aligned with his vision. He had an ability to engage the student population in a R2P club that was virtually non-existent when Dr. Justin Dean started it. I encourage you to utilize the brilliant people around you and take away as much of their clinical knowledge and personal experiences that you can. During my first few months at UWS, I saw the same guy walking around campus and always talking about the R2P group. He was well-known and respected for his knowledge in the rehab realm. At that moment, I knew I wanted to be like him even though internal medicine was my gift and passion.
  3. Get involved. At UWS, I sought additional opportunities through the Student American Chiropractic Association (SACA), and I was able to take on the national role of Specialty Council Committee Co-Chair and grow the UWS SACA chapter. I transferred that energy into SACA, my Diagnosis and Internal Disorders diplomate and my goal to preceptor at the VA.
  4. Ask questions. If I have a question, I ask it no matter how silly I think it may sound. When I arrived at UWS, I made sure to connect with others and spend as much time as I could learning and asking questions.
  5. Have fun. School is hard and no one will remember if you earned an A- or A+ in that one histology class in second quarter. Go explore Portland, hike South Sister, make a weekend trip to Seattle and watch the Fourth of July fireworks from the Hawthorne Bridge. You are not living to work, you are working to live.

If you take time to do what you love, school will be more enjoyable, and by the time you get to practice, you will be overflowing with excitement to implement all the things you have invested your time in. I am 10 weeks into my preceptor at the VA in Indianapolis and every morning when my alarm goes off at 4:30 a.m., I bound out of bed excited to see what the day has in store for me and what patients I can help. The ability to give someone a pain-free life, when they never imagined it possible, is one of the most rewarding experiences and I get to do it every day. I wouldn’t change my time at UWS, the VA or the profession I am becoming a part of for anything in the world.

as i approach graduation
Stephanie Halloran and Dr. Sherman

East Portland Clinic – New Location

Posted on by Dana Schatz

The Health Centers of UWS – East Portland clinic moved to 12615 NE Halsey Street, a location newly purchased by University of Western States. The transition to the new location took place in early January 2017 after the completion of minor interior and exterior improvements.

The new clinic site provides an improved environment for patient care, access and parking. The new facility is a prominent, free-standing building that will provide better overall visibility, more functional space including easier vehicle entrance and exit on NE Halsey St. and NE 126th St., more parking and reduced noise from exterior sources.

The East Portland clinic is one of four health clinics within the Health Centers of UWS network and provides health care services to members of the surrounding communities. Patient care is provided by Dr. Franchesca Vermillion, a chiropractic physician, and Dr. Daniel DeLapp, a chiropractic physician who is also a naturopathic physician and licensed acupuncturist. The facility also offers massage therapy services provided by licensed massage therapists Fran Rodriquez and Skylar Harris. The clinic serves the university as a training environment for advanced students in the institution’s Doctor of Chiropractic and Massage Therapy programs.

Ordnance Brewing Donates Proceeds to UWS

Posted on by Dana Schatz

Ordnance Brewing, a tap house, located just off of I-5 in Wilsonville, Oregon, is a brightly-lit place with barrels for seats and food truck menus for happy hour. Behind the bar is the refrigerator-cold room that houses all of the untapped beer waiting to be sipped. It is in this room where two veterans tapped HonoRED Ale for the first time, a new beer they brewed together as a special for Veterans Day.

ordnance brewing honoRED
Ordnance Brewing Taproom in Wilsonville celebrate Veterans Day with HonoRED Ale. Proceeds benefit University of Western States.

On Veterans Day, November 11, Ordnance Brewing donated all proceeds from HonoRED Ale to University of Western States (UWS) and the Northwest Center for Lifestyle and Functional Medicine (NWCLFM). The tap house continues to donate all the proceeds to UWS, stopping when the tap runs dry. Ordnance chose to give to UWS because of the free chiropractic and massage services the university provides to community veterans in partnership with the Returning Veterans Project. UWS is an integrated health care university in Northeast Portland. The NWCLFM, is a virtual center at UWS, with a vision is to promote healthy behaviors and positive lifestyle changes in order to achieve optimal quality of life for community members through service, education and research.

The veteran that nominated UWS for the donations and helped brew the HonoRED Ale was Chris David Payne. Though he has never been to UWS for the free chiropractic and massage services, he does recognize the importance of providing care for veterans saying, “I have asked for help in the past when I was struggling. I can’t even put into words how good it feels when someone has your back when you need it. I know that UWS does that and that’s why I picked you guys.”

The veteran population in the United States are often some of the most underserved people in the country, despite having served to protect the day-to-day freedoms many take for granted. To help combat the health care services deficit for veterans, the Returning Veterans Project (RVP) partners with organizations throughout Oregon to provide free health and wellness services to post 9/11 war zone veterans or those who took part in Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Iraq War and Operation Enduring Freedom or the Afghanistan War. RVP is one of the few veteran-centered health service providers that incorporates holistic and integrative approach to treating the physical and mental scars of war.

In May 2015, UWS launched a partnership with the RVP and became the largest provider of health services in the partnership for the 28-hours per week of free chiropractic and massage services. University of Western States has a mission to serve and by partnering with the Returning Veterans Project, the university is able to help Portland-area community veterans that need it most.

Read more about the event here.

ordnance brewing
Veterans Matt Eide, left, and Allen Raanes served up HonoRED Ale at the Ordnance Brewing Taproom in Wilsonville.

What Inspired Me to Study Chiropractic

Posted on by Dana Schatz

Since I was very young, I knew I wanted my career to be connected to helping others achieve wellness. I wasn’t sure how this was going to happen, I just knew I wanted to work to get people healthy. I am excited that I have the opportunity to do so at University of Western States!

From an early age, I was interested in the human body. My grandpa started a family practice clinic in a small town in central Oregon, and I will always remember how he helped people by providing a meaningful service to those in his community. Observing these interactions while I was growing up strongly influenced me to help others in a similar way.

Growing up in a military family was another important contribution in my pursuit to be a Doctor of Chiropractic. The military insurance covered my family’s health care needs. Before 2001, there was no chiropractic coverage available through military insurance and even today the coverage is very limited. I had very little exposure to chiropractic until my senior year of high school when my mother hurt her back from a fall at work. She went to the chiropractor and the impact that it had on her health was very impressive. I knew then that I needed to seriously consider studying chiropractic.

After graduating high school, I attended Brigham Young University – Hawaii (BYUH) where I studied biology. After a few years, I transferred to Portland State University (PSU) where I completed my requirements for UWS. In between my studies at PSU and BYUH, I married my wife and we now have a daughter.

At PSU, I learned about the concurrent bachelor program at UWS, which will allow me to complete my undergraduate degree while attending the chiropractic program at UWS. I was very nervous to make the jump directly to a doctoral program without completing my bachelor’s. However, once I started school at UWS, I could see how much the required courses I had taken previously prepared me for my graduate-level courses.

While the concurrent bachelor program for DC students was an important part of my decision, the final selling point was when I took a campus tour. I not only found a home, but I also felt that my future came into focus – I knew what I wanted to do. I feel very lucky that UWS is so close to where I live.

I have been at UWS for five weeks and I have loved every minute of it. I feel comfortable here, the size of the school is perfect, the campus is beautiful, and the staff are genuinely interested in each student. I would highly recommend University of Westerns States to anyone who may be considering a career in chiropractic.

Written by DC student, Dan Kemper

dan kemper

Dan Kemper considers himself a child of America after growing up in a military family. He has lived in Washington state, Germany, Nebraska, Hawaii and Wisconsin and has been in the Portland area since 2013.

Kemper completed his pre-chiropractic studies at Brigham Young University – Hawaii, and Portland State University. A family man, he married in 2014 and has a daughter that is almost two-years-old. Kemper and his family enjoy hiking, watching movies, cooking together and the occasional visit to IKEA. He lives on an overgrown tree farm southeast of Portland with cows, llamas, chickens and a garden. Kemper spends his free time cooking and researching food science, and through that passion, he is an ardent food blogger.

Kemper started the Doctor of Chiropractic program at University of Western States in the fall of 2016. He has been interested in chiropractic since high school. Kemper gained great appreciation for the practice while working as a chiropractic assistant during the summer before starting at UWS.

Dr. Jason Young: 2016 Alumnus of the Year

Posted on by Dana Schatz

2016 alumnus of the yearEach year, University of Western States hosts the Homecoming and NW Symposium, an event with opportunities to learn and network at seminars and a vendor fair. The university uses this opportunity to present the Alumni Recognition Award, which honors alumni whose achievements have elevated the fields of integrated and chiropractic medicine, made a difference in the community and upheld the university’s mission in their post-graduate and professional lives.

During the event on October 14, 2016, Dr. Joseph Brimhall, UWS president and Dr. Patricia Conners-Allen, immediate past chair of the Board of Trustees, presented the Alumnus of the Year Award to Dr. Jason Young. Dr. Young earned his Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree in 2007 and Masters of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine in 2014 from UWS. When Dr. Conners-Allen presented the accolade she said, “You could not pick a better person for this award.”

While a student at the university, Dr. Young was the Associated Student Body (ASB) president for two terms, as well as a sitting member of the Board of Trustees. When asked about winning the Alumni of the Year Award, Dr. Young said he was in shock.

“This is such an amazing recognition,” said Dr. Young. “The ceremony was special, and it was great to have my family and kids there.”

Dr. Young lives in Corvallis, Oregon and works at the Body of Health Chiropractic & Wellness Center. “Oregon is a great place to practice chiropractic care, and most importantly, it is a great place to be a chiropractic patient,” said Dr. Young.

His personal philosophy on chiropractic medicine is that, “it’s all about quality of life and doesn’t just make people feel better, but helps them be better people too. I want to teach people to take care of themselves, and I want to be there to support them.”

Dr. Young is also the Chair of the Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners, a role that serves the public by regulating the practice of chiropractic, promoting quality care and ensuring ethical health care.

“My involvement with the Board is important for the profession,” said Dr. Young.  “My perspective is that chiropractic medicine has an important role to play in health care. We have an interest in making chiropractic care accessible to people.”

Additionally, Dr. Young has created new opportunities for the profession by becoming the first chiropractic physician to work with the Oregon State University athletic department. UWS is proud of his work and honored to recognize Dr. Young for his service and accomplishments.