On the Forefront of Change for the Chiropractic Profession

Posted on by Dana Schatz

Rebecca Bell DCAs DC2017 has come and gone, I have gained another year of valuable experiences that I will take with me wherever I go. It is still surreal that I had the privilege to attend one of the biggest events in the chiropractic profession put on by the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) and the Association for Chiropractic Colleges (ACC). I also had the opportunity to lobby on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on behalf of the ACA with my fellow Student American Chiropractic Association (SACA) members and some of the most incredible doctors I have ever met. Prior to DC2017, our executive board held meetings with attendees to prepare them for lobbying.

Our legislative representative, Urvi Khare, created agendas for us to lead small group meetings and taught attendees how to lobby and confidently speak about the profession to others. We had attendees practice their elevator speeches about what chiropractic is in front of our small groups, giving them some public speaking experience prior to sending them off to lobby. This was a very important part of preparing us for DC2017, and these are skills the attendees were able to draw on not only during lobbying, but when networking as well.

I would like to mention before anything else, that this experience would have been impossible without the hard work and support from my fellow SACA executive board members. I had the privilege of serving on our school’s SACA executive board as the vice president as well as co-vice chair of National Membership committee for SACA this past year. My classmates, friends and family often have questions regarding this conference, the lobbying experience and my involvement with the SACA, so I will attempt to answer some of the most frequently asked questions.

Lobbying efforts with SACA:

Lobbying is when individuals or an organization try to influence a politician’s opinion about something, such as a change or addition to existing laws. At DC2017, SACA members like me did not decide what we lobbied for at the conference, that was a job for the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), which is the non-student version of our professional organization. The issues we lobbied for were on the association’s behalf. To lobby for or against something, you make an appointment to meet with your congressional representative and then you go talk to them about the issue or legislation you are lobbying for in hopes to gain their support to get it enacted into law. It is important to do your research before you meet with members of the House of Representatives or members of the Senate.

What were you lobbying for this year?

This year at DC2017, we lobbied for four different bills. Three of these bills were for the House of Representatives, while one was for the Senate.

HR 103: This is specifically for the House, but also urged senators to co-sponsor a similar senate bill titled S. 609. This bill concerns veteran access to chiropractic care and the implementation of chiropractic care into more major Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities and hospitals across the country. Currently, only 60 major VA facilities employ chiropractors, while chiropractic presence is absent at more than 100 major facilities. This becomes a problem for veterans in need of chiropractic care in areas where the VA has no chiropractor on staff. During DC2017, we had a productive meeting with Congresswoman Jaime Herrera-Beutler (R-WA). She was completely baffled by the fact that the Portland VA does not have a chiropractor on staff and offered her assistance to help us change that. If this is something that ends up getting changed because of our meeting with her, I will forever be able to say that I was a part of getting chiropractic care implemented into our local VA facility, which is a really cool and impactful experience.

HR 1378: This budget neutral bill would allow chiropractors to be included as eligible applicants for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) post-graduation. The NHSC is made up of many different health care professionals who provide services in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HSPAs). Currently, doctors of chiropractic are not eligible to be applicants and this bill is trying to change that.

HR 302: This bill unanimously passed the House of Representatives in January 2017. It concerns team physicians and their ability to provide care to athletes during sporting events outside of their home state. Essentially, this bill ensures that the sports health provider’s liability insurance covers chiropractors outside of their home state for services within their scope of practice. Since it passed the House, it will next be voted on in the Senate, so at DC2017 we presented this bill to senators and thanked the representatives for their support.

HR 372: House Resolution 372 is about the federal anti-trust laws and how health insurance companies are not subject to those laws and may therefore practice unfair trade practices like price fixing, collusion or market allocations. I am pleased to say that this bill passed the House. It was so cool to witness the direct benefits of our work lobbying right after the trip to D.C.

For anyone interested in reading more in depth about any of these issue briefs, you can visit the ACA website to read each issue brief in its entirety.

DC2017 conference

New Year’s Resolution Health Smoothie

Posted on by Dana Schatz

The beginning of each year often sparks a “time to get healthy” flame in many. After indulging during the holidays, it is not uncommon for people to want to make healthier choices, increase energy levels and even shed a few pounds. One easy way to help with this is by increasing your vegetable intake. One healthy and enjoyable way to do this is by juicing or blending your vegetables of choice. Juicing takes the juice from fruits or vegetables but leaves out fibrous material, while blending uses the entire food so the fiber is still present. Which is better? You may have to decide that on your own. Each way provides an opportunity to incorporate more vegetables into your diet that could be lacking.

For example, beets, kale or any leafy green, carrots and cucumbers may be used, and depending on your palate, can be quite delicious if added to a juice or smoothie. You get the added nutrients that each vegetable provides, as well as a different way to increase daily vegetable servings. Coconut oil, ground flaxseed, fresh herbs or ginger root add flavor and healthy fats to a smoothie too. You might experiment by substituting different kinds of milk such as coconut, almond and hemp, then add a scoop of nut butter or a large spoonful of full fat plain Greek yogurt for additional protein.

It is recommended that smoothies are made with a 3:1 vegetable-to-fruit ratio to make sure the sugar content is not over the top. Remember, although fruit sugar is natural, it can still increase blood glucose and insulin release.

Vegetable intake increases your fiber consumption, which can significantly lower your risk for developing chronic conditions such as diabetes and obesity.

Give the juice and smoothie recipes a try!

“Mean Green” Juice

Using a juicer, add ½-1 cucumber, 2 celery stalks, 6-8 kale leaves, ½ lemon, 1 green apple, 1-inch ginger root. Serve over ice if desired.

Basic Green Smoothie

Using a high speed blender, add 2 cups greens (spinach or kale), 1 cup unsweetened coconut water or milk, ½ cup frozen berries, 1 T ground flaxseed, ½ c. full fat plain Greek yogurt. Blend and enjoy!

Dr. Mitch Haas Publishes 100th Peer-Reviewed Journal Article

Posted on by Dana Schatz

One of many University of Western States faculty research achievements

mitch haas journal article

Dr. Mitch Haas, the associate vice president of research at University of Western States, recently had his 100th peer-reviewed journal article accepted for publication in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, an international and interdisciplinary journal dedicated to the advancement of conservative health care principles and practices. The study is titled “Can altering diaphragmatic breathing patterns have an effect on balance? A preliminary study. J Manipulative Physiol Therapy (accepted)”, by Rylee Stephens, Mitchell Haas, William Moore III, Jordan Emmil, Jayson Sipress and Alexander Williams. While the study was conducted, Dr. Rylee Stephens was a student in the UWS Sports Medicine master’s program.

Dedicated to research for the chiropractic field, Dr. Haas has been the principal investigator for a number of federally-funded randomized trials evaluating chiropractic care for low back pain and headaches. Additionally, he co-authored three research papers recently that were accepted for platform presentations at the American Chiropractic Association DC2017 conference in Washington, D.C. in March. The research papers include:

Dr. Haas is not the only esteemed faculty member to have a paper recently published. Dr. Stanley Ewald, the associate dean of clinical internship and a professor at UWS, recently had a research article published in Chiropractic & Manual Therapies, a journal that provides evidence-based information to chiropractors and health professionals. In December 2016, the research article, “The effect of obesity on treatment outcomes for low back pain” by Stanley C. Ewald, Eric L. Hurwitz and Anupama Kizhakkeveettil was featured.

Dr. Ewald serves as chair of the chiropractic section of the Oregon Public Health Association. His interests include refugee health and obesity management.

 

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.