VO L 4 0 | I S S 1 | 2019
THE MAGA Z I N E OF LIFE CH I ROP RACT I C COLLE G E W E ST
I N TH I S I SSU E
LABORS OF LOVE IN INDIA & TONGA LIFE WEST SALUTES TWO ICONS OPENING DOORS IN CHINA
CONTENTS
LIFE STYLES MAGAZINE VOLUME 40, ISSUE 1 PUBLISHER Ronald Oberstein, DC EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alana Hope
FEATURES
6 8 18
MANAGING EDITOR Kathy Miedema
A GLOBAL COMMUNITY Celebrating Life West Dr. Ron Oberstein spreads the word this fall and winter about Life West’s mission and how chiropractic can create a better world for all.
SUBLUXATION Taking a stand for chiropractic
How does the term “vertebral subluxation” fit into the modern lexicon of the chiropractic professional? President Ron Oberstein has the answer, and so do many of his peers.
ON TO THE NEXT CHAPTER Life West leaders retire
Dr. Jim Hawkins and Student Life Director “Mamma Jackie” both passed the baton in 2018. Take a look back at their long careers.
DEPARTMENTS 3 From the President
COMMMITTED TOO SHARING CHIROPRACTIC
4 News
HEALTH CENTER ADDS RADIOLOGY PROGRAM NEW VICE PRESIDENT OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS CLINIC OPENS FOR VETERANS GIVE DO LOVE SERVE OPENING DOORS TO COLLABORATION
14 Donor Roll
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
16 Alumni + Friends
NEWS
DR. GERALDINE MULLHALL-WRIGHT
22 Athletics
GLADIATRIX JOIN PREMIER LEAGUE AWARD NAMED FOR LIFE WEST RUGBY PLAYER
23 Research
STUDENTS SHARE THEIR RESEARCH STORIES
24 On Campus
CONTINUING EDUCATION AT OAKLAND PRIDE
26 Champions for Life
DR. SYDNE POMIN DARYN RANIER
28 Book Review
THE CRANIOCERVICAL SYNDROME AND MRI
WEB & ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Margarita Ablaza ART DIRECTOR / GRAPHIC DESIGN Laura Johnston Bratt PHOTOGRAPHY / COPY EDITOR Raymond Ibale CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ronald Oberstein, DC Dan Murphy, DC Mary Lucus-Flannery, DC Raymond Ibale Crisselle Garrido CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Kyle Glenn Wyland Luke ADVERTISING ad@lifewest.edu BOARD OF REGENTS Jimmy Nanda, DC, CHAIRMAN Kristen Giles, DC Cameron Hastings, AASME, AASEM Mark Kimes, DC Angel Ochoa-Rea, DC Jeanne Ohm, DC Steven Silk, DC Scott Turner, CPA CONTACT INFO Life Chiropractic College West 25001 Industrial Blvd. Hayward, CA 94545 USA +1 (510) 780-4500 communications@lifewest.edu www.lifewest.edu @LifeWestCollege LifeChiropracticCollegeWest LifeWestChiropractic life_west linkedin.com/school/lifewest
THE BUZZ
COMMUNITY LIFE WEST WANTS TO CONNECT WITH YOU! JOIN OUR THRIVING ONLINE COMMUNITY ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
@ronoberstein OCTOBER 19, 2018 “Great to see Life West Graduates serving all over the world....especially in Israel!! Left to right: Moshe Granot, 1994, Gene Plotkin, 2006, Laura Dabby-Musuvathy, 2011, Omer Hirsh, 2011, Yael Weiss, 1993 #lifewestproud #iamlifewest” @life_west DECEMBER 11, 2018 “These are the moments we live for! Where Life West gets to Give, Do, Love and Serve the communities from all over the world. The days were long but worthwhile, filled with hugs, compassion and appreciation. @santnirankariofficial” @ronoberstein NOVEMBER 3, 2018 “Amazing evening Thursday night at the Life West San Diego Alumni and Friends Reception!! So humbled to see so many docs and potential students looking to Create a Brighter Future for Humanity!!
@lifechiropracticcollegewest
LIFE STYLES MAGAZINE IS ONLINE! Read Life Styles, the Magazine of Life Chiropractic College West, any time! Articles are now available online at lifewest.edu/lifestyles. Our new online magazine features articles from past issues, news and updates from around the campus, and even links to industry and health news. You can also find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. #LifeWest
OCTOBER 25, 2018
“FACES South Alameda County students are now trained in #GrossAnatomy, thank you to Life Chiropractic College West!” @FACES FOR THE FUTURE COALITION
@lifechiropracticcollegewest OCTOBER 1, 2018 “Dr. Mark Zeigler DC, VP of Institutional Advancement, just returned from Tianjin, China, where he met with Dr. Zhang Boli, President of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. They discussed developing a student and faculty academic and cultural exchange between Life West and Tianjin University. Dr. Zeigler also attended and presented at the World Education Congress hosted by Tianjin University.” Learn more about Life West’s recent travels in stories on pages 5, 7 and 12. VOL 40, ISS 1 | LIFE STYLES
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FROM THE PRESIDENT
COMMITTED TO SHARING
CHIROPRACTIC Welcome to our Winter 2019 edition of Life Styles, showcasing Life Chiropractic College West and the chiropractic profession. As you can see from the cover, Life West is conversing about what we call the “hard” topics, those that are important to the culture and vision of chiropractic and that need discussion to achieve greater clarity.
ONE THING IS FOR SURE– REGARDLESS OF WHERE THE FIGHT IS COMING FROM, OUR PROFESSION ALWAYS LANDS ON HIGHER GROUND. Since the early 1970s when chiropractic care was included in the federal health care system, pivotal changes have taken place. Being accepted by Medicare was a great feat at the time, and with it came many benefits and distractions. It was a “coming of age” moment for chiropractic, as it hadn’t been that long since chiropractors had been attacked by the American Medical Association (AMA) with labels like “quacks” and “charlatans.” But the chiropractic leaders at that time stood strong and weathered every storm, so the benefits of chiropractic could remain available to the public. With growth comes pain, and much of the pain chiropractic has endured was self-inflicted, coming either from internal politics or the institutions that schooled our newest DCs. In many cases, along with the conflict came clarity, and many facets of conflict and the ensuing clarity are still being brought into the light today. One thing is for sure–regardless of where the fight is coming from, our profession always lands on higher ground. I personally believe that’s because of the principles, philosophy and purpose our great profession was founded on. Questions we can all ask ourselves are these: “What avenues should chiropractors use and to what extent should we go to reach out to help the public? And how far should the profession go to ensure the public understands the principles and philosophy of chiropractic?” Can these principles and philosophy be misconstrued or embellished? I have seen it happen many times, and yet, given the intended perspective, they always reign victorious.
VOL 40, ISS 1 | LIFE STYLES
Dr. Oberstein, bottom right, with other members of the Life West crew as they begin a service trip in Tonga.
Most have read or heard the quote that where there is no vision, the people perish. Where our principles and philosophies intersect is where our clarity of vision exists. With the opioid crisis in full swing, child mortality still too high, and a myriad of other medical failures prevalent in our world today, what do we have to do as a profession to share the gift of chiropractic? I just returned from the Kingdom of Tonga, a South Pacific island where a small group from Life West served the Tongans for three days with pure, unadulterated chiropractic care. The healings we saw were amazing to the public, but as chiropractors who understand that the body is a self-healing and self-regulating organism, we saw them as normal. Let’s all strive for the day when, regardless of a person’s health or condition, chiropractic is part of everyone’s health regime. Let’s work to make sure every woman, child and man on the planet has access to chiropractic and understands its role in the health world. Let’s join together so everyone is judged by the content of their character, not the chemicals in their blood. All people should live free from fear, free from harm, and free to express who they innately are. That, my friends, is what CHIROPRACTIC has to offer. And it will happen as we continue to find new clarity and commit to sharing the application and principles of chiropractic with the world. Dr. Ron Oberstein, President, Life Chiropractic College West
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A BREATH OF
NEWS
HAVE YOU MET O2D2?
Life Chiropractic College West is starting a Masters of Radiology program, a threeyear program at the Hayward, California, campus.
Fresh Air The algae-based air scrubber is quietly improving air quality around the Hayward campus by absorbing carbon dioxide in the air and turning it into oxygen. Life West faculty member Dr. Andreana Mevoli brought the idea to Michael Baldwin, Life West Campus Operations Manager, several months ago as a way to circulate more oxygen through campus halls. Baldwin built the algae scrubber from scratch. “We were experimenting to try and use natural methods to improve air quality, and this method worked,” Baldwin said. “By harnessing the power of nature, we are improving air quality for our students.” As part of the school’s green initiative, the algae-based air scrubber will be deployed in various classrooms to help improve the environment for Life West students, staff, and faculty. And Baldwin said O2D2’s family is growing—there are plans to build more of the algaebased air scrubbers. Dr. Anatole Bogatski, Life West Executive Vice President, said being a green campus will help students in the long run. “We’re very conscious of the need to improve the quality of life of the students,” Bogatski said. “We’ve got their best interests always at heart. That’s why we’re here and that’s what we do. Our mission in life is the students’ success and welfare.”
ADDING A MASTERS OF RADIOLOGY PROGRAM
According to Dr. Scott Donaldson, Life West received accreditation approval for the radiology residency program from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges in July 2018. Donaldson is the Vice President of Clinical Operations at the Monte H. Greenawalt Health Center at Life West. The college creates strong ties between its academic and clinical experiences, providing opportunities for chiropractic students to offer care within their community. The new program will grant a Master of Science in Radiology. In addition,
the program will qualify the Radiology Resident to sit for DACBR Board exams. There will be an emphasis on combining chiropractic studies with imaging to enhance chiropractors’ needs in their practices, including the study of the vertebral subluxation complex. The application process is stringent, Dr. Donaldson said, and priority will go to high-performing students with an affinity for imaging. The first student will be selected in Summer or Fall 2019. Only one resident will be admitted per year.
LIFE WEST APPOINTS NEW VICE PRESIDENT OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Dr. Pardeep Kullar, a graduate of both UCLA and Pepperdine University, stepped into a new role this fall as Vice President of Academic Affairs at Life Chiropractic College West. Dr. Kullar is focusing not only on academics but also educational effectiveness and online learning. She has been heavily involved in the accreditation process and understands what it takes to create effective learning institutions. Dr. Ron Oberstein, Life West President said her tenacious ability to grasp different pedagogies has propelled her in the pursuit of finding the most effective ways to create sustainable learning platforms to enhance the student experience.
“Dr. Kullar will heighten Life West not only as a great teaching institution in the classroom, but online as well,” he said. “Working with our outstanding faculty, we will see our students learning in the most advanced ways possible.” She will lead the development, assessment, and growth of the curriculum. Dr. Scott Donaldson held the position previously for nearly seven years and is now leading Life West’s Monte H. Greenawalt Health Center. “I’m very excited to work side by side with her to integrate the academic program with the campus health center learning experience,” he said.
CLINIC FOR VETERANS OPENS A new chiropractic clinic for veterans and active-duty military is opening in downtown Hayward, in the San Francisco East Bay. Faculty and students from Life Chiropractic College West, also located in Hayward, will staff the clinic and provide chiropractic care at the Hayward Veterans Memorial Building. 4 4
This clinic is all about community outreach, said Dr. Scott Donaldson. The Health Center will work with the Hayward Veterans Center in a joint effort to provide affordable chiropractic care that’s easy to access for veterans and active-duty military.
“We’re connecting our student population and veterans with the local veterans center, so there will be veterans serving veterans,” Dr. Donaldson said. LIFE STYLES | VOL 40, ISS 1 LIFE STYLES | VOL 40, ISS 1
AS LIFE WEST CHIROPRACTIC COLLEGE EXPANDS ITS MISSION TO GIVE, DO, LOVE AND SERVE AND CREATE A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR HUMANITY THROUGH CHIROPRACTIC, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIFE WEST CREWS ARE REACHING HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY. This fall and winter, members of the Life West staff, faculty and student body have traveled to India and Tonga to serve thousands of people. Closer to home, monthly service trips to San Francisco’s La Raza Centro Legal in the Mission District have continued, and the program is nearing its 10th anniversary. And
Life West worked in conjunction with the Indian Association of Chiropractic Doctors, Sant Nirankari Mission, and doctors from all over the world to serve thousands of people from the India community during a service trip in November, over the Thanksgiving holidays. During their stay, Dr. Ron Oberstein, president of Life West, said the Life West team provided chiropractic care to more than 11,000 patients in three days.
Students, staff and faculty members from Life Chiropractic College West traveled to the Kingdom of Tonga in December 2018 to provide free chiropractic care to the public. More than 1,600 patients were helped during the three-day service trip. On social media, members of the crew shared stories from the experiences of the people they served.
Life West is planning to build a permanent chiropractic satellite clinic in New Delhi, near the site of the service mission, in 2019. “We had an amazing time in Amritsar, with nonstop people ready for chiropractic care,” Dr. Oberstein said on Facebook. “We’re off to a great start serving the people of India, and with 2 billion people in India we see the need to make big changes in the health and lives of this great country.”
Dr. Oberstein has plans to return to Tonga in the near future. “Our plan is to be here in the springtime—sometime around March or April, and we’ll be back again in June or July, then back again in the fall—sometime around September, October. Those should be the three times we hope to do every year; be able to come back and take care of the people here,” he said in an interview with Radio & TV Tonga.
GIVE DO LOVE 1 1) Senior student Kristine Loharun works with a patient in India; 2) Dr. J. David Currie and student Kris Nguyen in San Francisco; 3) providing care in Tonga; 4) Dr. Ankur Tayal works with a patient in India
2
BY
Raymond Ibale
3 4
in January, the Monte H. Greenawalt Health Center on the Life West campus will begin a weekly clinic at the Hayward Veterans Memorial Building. Hayward is also home to Life West’s campus. Clinics are usually hosted by an organization, and a Life West crew creates a pop-up clinic that can be set up quickly. Any students who join the crew are overseen by members of the faculty. If you’d like to help support Life West’s service trips, you can donate directly to the trips at the Life West website. Look for the Donate page under Alumni + Friends, then click on the “Service Trips” drop-down text.
VOL 40, ISS 1 | LIFE STYLES
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Kathy Miedema
IN OCTOBER, DR. OBERSTEIN WAS IN ISRAEL, NORWAY, AND THE U.K. – ON THE ROAD AND TALKING TO ALUMNI, PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS, AND FRIENDS OF
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THE COLLEGE. HE HOSTED PRESIDENT’S RECEPTIONS ON THESE TRIPS, WHERE HE GAVE A STATE OF THE COLLEGE PRESENTATION AND ASKED
LIF
FOR SUPPORT FOR LIFE WEST’S VISION.
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Dr. Oberstein speaks at many conferences, and this trip was no different. Before leaving for the Middle East, Dr. Oberstein was in San Diego for a presentation on chiropractic and its role in global healthcare. The presentation for the California Chiropractic Association included the salutogenic health model.
ME EST
The next day, Dr. Oberstein flew to Tel Aviv. While in Israel, he also visited Jerusalem and Haifa, meeting with alumni and friends of the college. The Israel Chiropractic Society (ICS) invited Dr. Oberstein to a reception, where he discussed the many advances Life West is making in its academic and research programs along with chiropractic’s role in global health. Five Life West Alumni were there to attend the dinner and presentation, which included a surprise birthday cake for Dr. Oberstein.
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He said this was the first time Life West has been invited to speak with members of the ICS, and he’s happy to kick off a new relationship with the group.
3 4
The next stop was Oslo, Norway, where Norwegian chiropractors interested in Life West’s academic programs and research heard from Dr. Oberstein on the college’s commitment to the science, philosophy, and art of chiropractic. This was a follow-up trip for Dr. Oberstein, who also visited Norway this summer, and he said he is thrilled to be growing that connection.
While in London next, Dr. Oberstein gave an address at the World Federation of Chiropractic’s (WFC) 10th Chiropractic Education Conference. He talked about how to inspire students both inside and outside of the classrooms, teaching them to keep purposeful connections in the forefront as they pursue a career. He wasn’t alone: Life West’s Dean of Clinical Education, Dr. Tamara MacIntyre, presented her research poster later in the conference.
5
In Windsor, England the same week, Dr. Ron Oberstein was joined by Life West’s Chairman of the Board Dr. Jimmy Nanda and the college’s VP of Institutional Advancement Dr. Mark Zeigler as they presented Life West’s mission and vision to chiropractors and prospective students.
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Back in the U.S., Dr. Oberstein also chatted with alumni and friends at a President’s Reception in San Diego, California. More than 40 chiropractors and prospective students attended that and heard from the president about Life West’s goals. There were also receptions in Fort Collins and Denver, Colorado, and Reno, Nevada.
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These presidential receptions and speaking engagements with chiropractors and prospective students from the U.S. and around the globe are part of a bigger mission to bring chiropractic to the world. More information on how to support Life West is available online.
1) In the U.K. this fall; 2) During a service trip to India; 3) Adjusting a girl in India; 4-5) Speaking to the Israeli Chiropractic Society; 6) In Oslo, Norway; 7) Leaving a prayer for Life West and the profession at Jerusalem’s Western Wall. LIFE STYLES | VOL 40, ISS 1
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NEWS in hopes of forming a collaborative agreement with the private facility that offers inpatient and outpatient services.
OPENING DOORS TO COLLABORATION Life Chiropractic College West’s vision of a brighter future for humanity through chiropractic education and service worldwide has opened doors in China. Dr. Mark Zeigler, Life West’s Vice President of Institutional Advancement, was invited to China to speak recently and participate in the Fifth World Education Congress of Chinese Medicine, sponsored by Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Dr. Zeigler spoke about a Life West initiative, “Building a Bridge between Academic and Clinical Experience.” The conference, representing 35 countries and about 1,000 health care leaders and government officials, addressed topics including acupuncture, integrated health care and prevention, traditional and natural medicine, and chiropractic care. It was timed to coincide with the university’s 60th anniversary and was held on campus. While in China, Dr. Zeigler also met with representatives from Beiman Hospital
“Working together with Tianjin University and Beiman Hospital, Life West can provide opportunities for our students and faculty to experience direct access to the Chinese population through their health care system. This would expand their healthcare to include chiropractic adjustments worldwide,” Dr. Zeigler said. Dr. Zeigler was also asked to join and participate in the Education Instruction Committee of the World Federation of Chinese Traditional Medicine Societies, which develops standards for health care delivery in China and around the world. While in Tianjin, Dr. Zeigler was a special guest of Dr. Zhang Boli, president of Tianjin University of TCM. Dr. Boli was in high demand as the university celebrated its anniversary with opening ceremonies to inaugurate the college, a ribbon-cutting for the new campus, and the conference.
Longtime Life 101 coordinator and Life West Student Life Director Jackie Biron bid a farewell to Camp Loadstar with this Life 101 event, as she retired in December 2018. Dani Lorta was hired to take the place of Biron, and she said she believes in continuing the tradition of Life 101.
“What we all have in common,” Dr. Zeigler said, “is our patients.” That common thread is what he expects to grow into an agreement between the two schools, and perhaps the hospital as well, creating a pathway for faculty and students to reach a better understanding of each discipline.
LIFE WEST’S TRUNK OR TREAT BY
Students and staff are still feeling the aftereffects of Life 101, the biannual weekend for students and staff to participate in activities that foster teamwork and build confidence in one’s self. Life 101 was held in October.
Raymond Ibale
Ghouls, goblins, and ghosts galore were summoned to Life Chiropractic College West for its first annual Trunk or Treat event. Life West’s Health Center hosted Trunk or Treat. The event, also known as Halloween Tailgating, consisted of vehicles decorated by costume-clad students. The children went trick or treating among the decorated cars. For many, this was their first Trunk or Treat experience. “I actually had never heard of Trunk or Treat, but I thought it was a great idea because I love Halloween and it’s a great alternative to going door-to-door,” Life West student Kristine Loharun said. “My trunk was pirate-themed, and it was just really awesome to see the kids get excited about ‘looking for buried gold’ under the pile of candy in the treasure chest.”
“It will be an honor to continue Life 101 with the faculty and staff who are the heart and soul of the program,” Lorta said. “It is a truly transformative weekend that I hope every student can experience during their time at Life West. The lessons from Life 101 are a wonderful foundation for a lifetime of growth and success.”
The event also had plenty of games and activities for community kids looking to have a spooky good time. There was face painting, an area to decorate pumpkins, and games such as miniature corn hole, ring toss, and basketball. For each game the kids completed, they accumulated tickets to exchange for prizes. The Hayward Fire Department attended, and at one point sounded their siren to invite the kids over. They also brought friends from the Hayward Police Department to help hand out sticker badges and take pictures. More than 250 people from the Hayward and Union City area enjoyed the fun. VOL 40, ISS 1 | LIFE STYLES
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LIFE WEST IS TAKING ON A HARD TOPIC BY CREATING A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE TERM VERTEBRAL SUBLUXATION AND WHETHER IT SHOULD BE PART OF OUR CURRENT LEXICON IN THE MODERNDAY CHIROPRACTIC PROFESSION. 8
DR. RON OBERSTEIN PRESIDENT, LIFE CHIROPRACTIC COLLEGE WEST
We are taking our stand decisively, and we have asked leading members of our profession to frame their own position clearly and powerfully. We ask you to think about and question your own thoughts about this, and join the conversation. Our chiropractic words do have both historical and presentday value. Instead of changing or deleting the very words our profession was built on, we must strengthen and build up those words so that their present-day value is as important or more important than it was in the past. It is Life Chiropractic College West’s position that the word subluxation has never had more reasoning and rationale behind it in the last 123 years. The chiropractic profession was built on sound science, philosophy and art. Among those tenets are our chiropractic
LIFE STYLES | VOL 40, ISS 1
principles, the vertebral subluxation and the adjustment. Where some chiropractors are looking to conform and be accepted by other health fields, the unique aspects of our profession lie within its actions and words, such as vertebral subluxation. Without our very own lexicon, chiropractic would never be where it is today—the largest natural healing profession in the world. To say our identity is not important would surely lead to professional destruction.
Boards (FCLB), both of which serve in educating and licensing graduates and doctors. If our colleges fail to understand and teach the phrase vertebral subluxation, our graduates will be lost when or if they become Medicare providers, since Medicare pays for only the detection and correction of vertebral subluxation.
Some have written that the term vertebral subluxation is a historical word and should only be used within a historical context. They say it doesn’t have meaning in today’s world. That’s like taking the word “veterans” out of Veterans Day. When a word is erased, all of the properties and meaning that belong to that word are erased as well. To wipe out a profession, take away its lexicon. Then watch the roots deteriorate until the profession withers and dies.
At Life West, our chiropractic history has just as much meaning as our present and our future. You, our readers, can always count on Life West to engage in controversial topics. We will not shy away. We want to preserve our history while we create our future. We are progressive, and we also honor our past.
The United States federal government recognizes the word subluxation, as does the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) and the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing
VOL 40, ISS 1 | LIFE STYLES
DR. ANKUR TAYAL LIFE WEST PHILOSOPHY CHAIR It’s always difficult for me when I’m teaching first-quarter students about vertebral subluxation and I get to the part where I have to tell them that there are some people— including those in our profession—who claim there is no such thing as a subluxation, or there is no proof that they exist. I introduce this in class after we have gone through the historical, philosophical and logical constructs of the vertebral subluxation, followed by the anatomical and neurophysiological specifics of the VS, which we support with research evidence and clinical applications. In these basic foundational classes that we teach at Life West, we talk about the most fundamental concept of
DR. GERRY CLUM
FORMER PRESIDENT, LIFE WEST The term “vertebral subluxation” has an important place in the lexicon of the chiropractic profession as well as the larger health care community. As a descriptive term, it is unique in labeling an articulation that displays abnormal movement short of a dislocation accompanied by neurological aberration, the potential to lead to mal-adaptive states and adverse functional implications. The term connotes a complex response to adverse proprioceptive influences and initiation of abnormal feedback cycles that tend to be self-reinforcing, extending beyond that of a local biomechanical fault. It is a nuanced and sophisticated term describing a complicated neuro-biomechanical condition not adequately embraced or appreciated with other terms 10 or language.
1) spinal biomechanical dysfunction causing 2) disruption in neurological function. While we talk about the safety-pin and normal complete cycles in class, we also apply them to subluxation concepts such as pain-gate mechanisms caused by spinal hypomobility, irritation of the spinal nerve roots in or around the IVF, distortion of the spinal cord due to stretching of the dentate ligaments and other dural tissue, and how these phenomena can cause pain, autonomic dysfunction, cognitive issues, or all of the above. In class, I have to tell the students that, like it or not, there are those in our profession who deny the existence of the subluxation. I have to give them historical and philosophical context for why they say these things, and I teach them about
DR. GEORGE CURRY PRESIDENT
INTERNATIONAL CHIROPRACTORS ASSOCIATION Any profession worth merit has its unique lexicon, and chiropractic is no different. For over 123 years the chiropractic profession has had the detection, analysis, and specific scientific chiropractic adjustment of the vertebral subluxation as the centerpiece of its practice. The subluxation is part of the definition of chiropractic in the vast majority of state statutes in America. The Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE), the Association of Chiropractic Colleges and even the World Health Organization all include subluxation in their standards and definitions. Those within our profession who wish to do away with the term subluxation are attempting to erode the very foundation upon which our profession was predicated. The science and research of the detrimental effects of the subluxation and its component parts is irrefutable. Those who desire to deny its existence are just as blindly choosing to ignore the evergrowing evidence. The profession of chiropractic has always been and will continue to be about the detection, analysis and adjustment of the subluxation. Those within our profession who wish to change it by taking subluxation out of chiropractic should seek to join another profession. I have studied the vertebral subluxation for more than 40 years, and have found that the vertebral subluxation is an orthopedic/neurologic/pathological entity that influences local neuro-biomechanics and systemic physiological health. The science of the subluxation is advancing. Recent publications are showing relationships with sympathetic tone through levels of salivary amylase, glucose metabolism with radioactive tracers and PET scans, white blood cell telomere length, endocrinology influences, up-regulation of endogenous antioxidants, parasympathetic heart rate variability and more. I have observed that it is important to make each new patient case unique to chiropractic, and making the vertebral subluxation the central component does just that. History, tradition and terminology are important. As such, the term “subluxation” should always be the center of the chiropractic profession.
DR. DAN MURPHY
INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER AND EDUCATOR
common logical fallacies used by deniers in their attacks. We then develop and refine our critical thinking skills to intelligently defend from such attacks. Ultimately, it’s important for the student to understand that while the attack on the term subluxation may present itself as a scientific attack, it is actually a political one. I am proud to be part of a school like Life West that is not compromising the principles of chiropractic for short-term political gain. For those of you connected with the college, I hope you are proud that Life West is teaching scientific chiropractic that is congruent with the founding principles of our beautiful and unique profession. The idea of the vertebral subluxation is an integral part of our identity. The chiropractor exists to locate, analyze and correct vertebral subluxations, because they and their patients understand that subluxations reduce quality of life, and life is better without them.
DR. MAGGIE COLUCCI PRESIDENT, FEDERATION OF CHIROPRACTIC LICENSING BOARDS (FCLB)
DR. CARL S. CLEVELAND III PRESIDENT, CLEVELAND UNIVERSITY KANSAS CITY, COLLEGE OF CHIROPRACTIC
Core Elements of the Cleveland Philosophy of Chiropractic: • T he body is a self-regulating and self-healing organism with an innate ability to adapt to a changing environment. • T he nervous system is the master system that regulates and controls all other organs and structures and relates the individual to his or her environment. • S pinal biomechanical dysfunction in the form of a vertebral subluxation complex may adversely affect the nervous system’s ability to regulate function. • T he central focus of the doctor of chiropractic is to optimize patient health by correcting, managing or minimizing vertebral subluxation through the chiropractic spinal adjustment. Rationale:
I’d like to speak from two different vantage points. As president of the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB), our model practice act definition of chiropractic subluxation is as follows: Chiropractic Subluxation means a biomechanical and/or physiological condition or disorder of the axial or appendicular body areas that result in neural compromise and organ system dysfunction. From a personal perspective as a practicing chiropractor without any official title, I feel it is imperative to keep the term vertebral subluxation at the forefront of the chiropractic lexicon today, tomorrow, and in the future. Chiropractic was built on its historical values, and words like subluxation, adjustment, and innate intelligence are defining what chiropractic is and always will be.”
Central to the practice of chiropractic is the determination of the primary region of joint dysfunction and site of application of the adjustive thrust and related adjunctive procedures. In chiropractic, this site of care is typically termed vertebral subluxation, described as a condition of disturbed joint biomechanics contributing to a complex of functional and/or structural pathological articular changes that may compromise neural integrity and influence health (ACC Paradigm). Further, Medicare reimbursement requires the practitioner document at least two of the components of the PARTS acronym. In addition, Medicare references the term Subluxation in its statute. Given that most DCs manage Medicare patients, the process for documentation embeds the concept of subluxation within the lexicon of chiropractic.
DR. BILL MEEKER
PRESIDENT, PALMER COLLEGE OF CHIROPRACTIC, SAN JOSE, CA Yes, I feel the term “vertebral subluxation” has a place in the chiropractic lexicon. The science, art, and philosophy of chiropractic holds that subluxation of the spinal column and other articulations can affect nervous system function and the expression VOL 40, ISS 1 | LIFE STYLES
of health, which may result in symptoms, infirmity and disease. The understanding of the subluxation complex continues to progress from the Palmers’ early writings about misalignment of vertebrae and other articulating structures to now include additional anatomical,
physiological, biomechanical, chemical and biopsychosocial factors. Palmer College’s laudable research commitment provides continuity and advancement of the concept, and underscores the relevance of these underpinnings of our profession’s theory and practice. 11
DR. WILLIAM RUCH AUTHOR AND LIFE WEST ADJUNCT PROFESSOR
Vertebral subluxation is a term used to describe the loss of normal joint integrity of two or more vertebrae with neurological compromise. In my book, “Atlas of Common Subluxations of the Human Spine and Pelvis,” a study of 250 spines with x-rays proves that altering the vertebral column with a subluxation changes the shape of the spinal cord and is the source of loss of neurological integrity and osteoarthritis of the spine. Osteoarthritis is the number one debilitating disease in the United States and possibly the world. Medicare and Social Security Disability both state that 85% of all claims received are arthritis-related, which in the spine may be correlated to long-term vertebral subluxation. Most care is not directed to correcting the subluxated vertebrae. I believe the opioid epidemic in some or most cases can be traced back to vertebral subluxation if it’s coming from the spine and nervous system. Most patients and other health professions are not taught about vertebral subluxation, and therefore the default for get to the underlying cause. That’s how important it is to the public’s well-being to retain the term vertebral subluxation in the chiropractic lexicon, along with understanding, detecting and correcting it.
KYRAH BACOTE LIFE WEST STUDENT It is common to fear what is not understood, to assimilate into the comforts of the mainstream, or to denounce what cannot be “proven.” Yet as chiropractors, what we have always known to be true, and the inspiration and motivation behind our craft in enhancing each patient’s expression of health, is addressing and correcting vertebral subluxation. The focus and knowledge of vertebral subluxation is solely the hallmark of chiropractic care, just as the atom is the focus of origin to the physicist. The language of chiropractic may naturally adapt to hold more perspectives, but it should always include the term vertebral subluxation.
Soon after starting my chiropractic practice in 1985, I realized that people were not coming to see me for another exam or diagnosis. They were sick, and they were seeking a doctor and still is the detection and specific correction of the vertebral subluxation, through a specific chiropractic adjustment. Subluxation, when properly understood, embodies all of chiropractic philosophy and the practical application of it. This
DR. PETER AMLINGER
Destroy the language, practices, and philosophy of any civilization or culture, and its destruction is eminent and complete. The elimination of our terminology, the discounting of our philosophy, the dismantling of our specific techniques will accomplish what the Big Pharma and the Medical / Insurance Industrial complex has yet to do. In attempts to be legitimate, accepted, mainstream or more marketable for greater profitability, segments of the profession that lack professional esteem have fought to morph and contort chiropractic.
DR. ROBERT DE BONIS
MEMBER, US VIRGIN ISLANDS BOARD OF CHIROPRACTIC EXAMINERS DD Palmer identified this as the unique phenomena that chiropractors address. Although the precise understanding of the term subluxation varies based upon a spinal model or philosophical model that a person may have, nearly all who utilize the term within the chiropractic profession will agree that a subluxation includes both a biomechanical alteration of the spine with a related neurophysiological aberration. Every profession has its own lexicon. While some have stated that subluxation is an antiquated term and has no scientific validation, I believe it is the clinical phenomena that chiropractors address. It is more valid today than in 1895. There are volumes of research validating its exisEliminating the term subluxation would relegate our profession to being another “modality” in the therapeutic process of treating disease. If chiropractic is to remain as a separate and distinct profession, we need to maintain a unique lexicon and objective.
DR. PETER J. KEVORKIAN CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, SHERMAN COLLEGE OF CHIROPRACTIC AND IFCO
creates a thought platform, which informs clinical decisionmaking and scientific inquiry. It is critical that the profession not only retain the term subluxation; it must embrace it and inform the world that this entity is the basis for a unique approach to health care, which is life-saving and life-changing. The existence of the subluxation proved itself when my life was changed as an 18-year-old, and it has consistently proved itself in my
INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER AND CHIROPRACTIC LEADER
Lack of understanding and pride in what our profession can contribute to humanity with the detection and correction of the vertebral subluxation devalues our separate, unique nonduplicated service.
DR. JEFFREY N. SCHOLTEN
PRESIDENT, NUCCA
True acceptance and validation can only be accomplished by playing our defined position on the health care team. If chiropractic is to take up a position on the team, it must be done as the subluxation detectors and correctors, not as the primary care provider-shortage substitutes.
Language matters. A precise word with multiple meanings, vertebral subluxation is a relevant term today as it elegantly represents the physical-energetic duality that the consideration of health demands.
The player that runs all over the field, rink or court, attempting to play all possible positions, is not welcomed on any team. If the desire is to achieve acceptance, acclaim and respect, simply be the best you can be at your position, removing subluxations.
• Lux, a unit of illuminance
The public’s understanding, gratitude, love and assigninghero status lies with the removal of the interference to the communication system of the body. That interference is the subluxation.
The persistent debate about the validity of spinal subluxation needs to end. It is political agenda coupled with a lack of biomechanics and engineering education that inhibits the universal acceptance of contemporary subluxation concepts—not its inexistence! Recently, my team and I have published numerous peer-reviewed studies demonstrating that “vertebral subluxation” is a legitimate, reliable, and valid entity with various structural types; these subluxation types satisfy criteria required for valid subluxation theory and scientific inquiry (of which investigations must continue). Some may wish to refer to these as “spinal displacement categories” instead of “vertebral subluxation,” which is nothing more than a semantics issue. To quote my late father, Dr. Donald D. Harrison, DC, PhD, MSE: “Because pathological changes are caused by abnormal spinal loads and functional and/or structural changes are altered positions (statics and dynamics), subluxations must be described with rotations and translations in 3D as per mechanical engineering principles and not political agreement by those without education in mechanical engineering.” So YES, subluxation has a place in the chiropractic lexicon.
DR. DEED HARRISON
EDITOR IN CHIEF, THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHIROPRACTIC VOL 40, ISS 1 | LIFE STYLES
• Luxation, a complete separation of joints Confusion abounds when disease modulation masquerades as health care. My daughter, at age 12 while learning compound words, conceptualized and articulated that if someone is to be a “healthy self,” then they must be able to “heal thy self.” Health is found in our capacity to successfully adapt to all input. Reducing subluxation is how we cast our light as a profession.
DR. C.M. HARDICK
CHAIRMAN OF MAXLIVING The term subluxation not only has a place in the chiropractic lexicon, it is why chiropractic exists today. By definition, subluxation not only includes a misalignment between vertebrae, but also includes a neurological component caused by this misalignment, or that disrelationship is then something less than a subluxation. This is the essence of chiropractic and separates it from every other health care delivery system. The “controlled act” of the adjustment of the subluxation is autonomous to chiropractic and is included in no other health care discipline. The science of detection and art of reduction of subluxations of the spine and spinal column is what chiropractic is. If subluxation is not in the chiropractic lexicon, chiropractic becomes a musculoskeletal manual therapy, not a health care delivery system with the capacity to have massive
PARDEEP KULLAR, Ed.D.
VICE PRESIDENT OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS, LIFE WEST Vertebral subluxation is a significant term that is part of chiropractic and Life Chiropractic College West’s vernacular as it ties to the history of chiropractic and the philosophy of the profession and college. Not only is it the language originally used by the profession’s founders, it is at the core of that which Life West and many other colleges teach to their students in order to understand the “what” and “why” for them to become chiropractors. In simplest terms, it’s about finding the misalignment in the spinal column that causes aberrant function within the nervous system. If our students do not understand why they are doing what they’re doing, their ability to be successful practitioners of chiropractic is limited. The body is a unique organism and the term summarizes the complexity of the disruption to the spine and neurological components. It serves as a focal point in conveying to students and patients the proper way to adjust to remove the neurological interference. The use of this lexicon is critical to creating knowledgeable graduates who can carry forward the work of the profession based on its founding principles, which has and will continue to impact the lives of millions of people.
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ALUMNI + FRIENDS
When we give back to the college, we make a significant impact on the students at Life West and the future of chiropractic.
2018
THE PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE IS A STRONG GROUP OF COMMITTED CHIROPRACTORS WHO WANT TO SEE LIFE WEST FLOURISH, AND KEEP THE PRINCIPLE ALIVE IN OUR GREAT PROFESSION. EVERY DOLLAR DONATED GOES DIRECTLY TO THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE. Sandra Hanna DC Frederick Schofield DC and Susan Schofield
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PLATINUM $5,000 - $9,999
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EMERALD $1,200 - $2,499
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“ Thank you to all of our Life West supporters. From our sponsors to our donors, we appreciate all that you do for Life West and for supporting our students, college and profession to spread chiropractic throughout the world in order to Create a Brighter Future for Humanity!” – Dr. Ron Oberstein President, Life Chiropractic College West 14
LIFE STYLES | VOL 40, ISS 1
ALUMNI + FRIENDS
DONOR ROLL Shad James Groves ‘00 David Anthony Guzzardo DC ‘86 Terri Alane Hamilton DC ‘93 Curtis Han DC ‘98 B. J. Hardick DC Cliff Hardick DC Donald E. Harte DC Cameron W. Hastings James Hawkins and Kathleen Hawkins Joseph Bassig Ibe DC ‘10 Shawn Ivan Hayes DC ‘89 and Cynthia Hayes Timothy William Heath DC ‘15 Stuart Hoffman DC Brian Hooten DC Mylène Hopf DC ‘10 Ryan J. Hulsebus DC ‘08 Selina Jackson DC and Kevin Jackson DC Jeffrey D Jacobs DC Dale Johnson Ph.D Amyas Kabir DC Armen R Kendig DC and Janet Kendig
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Scott Mindell DC Peter H. Morgan DC Michael Morris DC ‘98 Sue Virginia Mullen DC ‘97 Ronald Oberstein DC and Mary Oberstein DC Lawrence Brian Oberstein ‘84 Angel Gerardo Ochoa-Rea DC ‘14 Takeshi Ogura DC ‘98 Thomas Clark Oliver DC ‘98 Henry Alphonse Oyharcabal DC ‘92 Palmer Peet DC Cheryl Lynn Perry DC ‘92 Jess Matthew Pontious DC ‘87 Kendall Price Vikas Puri DC David Ridos DC Brendan Ryan Riordan DC ‘12 and Amanda Elizabeth Halstead DC ‘11 Brandon Louis Roberts DC ‘01 Martin Rosen DC
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HOW TO DONATE Life West is dedicated to creating a brighter future for humanity through chiropractic.
Thank you for helping us make our chiropractic community stronger.
Donations enhance the student experience by improving the learning and clinical care delivery environment, supporting faculty, upgrading facilities, underwriting service trips, promoting philosophical inquiry and undertaking research.
There are many opportunities to support Life West objectives and make thoughtful, tax-wise contributions. Learn more about how to help on the Life West website at lifewest.edu.
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“ N EVER DOUBT THAT A SMALL GROUP OF THOUGHTFUL, COMMITTED CITIZENS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD. INDEED, IT IS THE ONLY THING THAT EVER HAS.” – Margaret Mead
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Gregg Charles Anderson DC ‘96 Marco Carvajal-Gomez ‘17 Barbara Lorraine Delli Gatti Garrett Duffy Susan E. Green ‘92 Koen P Kallop DC Deborah J Lindemann RN, BS, DC ‘88 Suzanne L Ray Robert Sinnott DC, LCP, FPhC Joanne Somerville ‘84 John W. Strazewski D.C. Krista Ward Kirk Charles Wentland ‘83
ALUMNI NEWS
SERVING RESPONDERS
Firefighters endured long periods of physical labor battling the Camp Fire, which ravaged Northern California this past November.
LIFE WEST IS RAISING $25,000 TO FUND THREE NEW ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIPS, WHICH WILL BE AWARDED DURING THE WAVE 2019 IN AUGUST.
Dr. Tim Heath ’15 took it upon himself to provide chiropractic services to first responders and evacuees during the fires.
The new alumni scholarships honor longstanding teachers and administrators at Life West:
Volunteering his services to first responders is a common thread for Dr. Heath. He was there serving the firefighters during the Tubbs Fire in Sonoma County in September. Dr. Heath has a practice in Alameda, California called Optimized Wellness Center.
NEW ALUMNI JOB BOARD
As a service to students, alumni, and the chiropractic profession at large, Life West provides this valuable tool for free to those who wish to post and those who wish to search for chiropractic career-related opportunities. Visit the digital job board at lifewest.edu/alumni/dc-career-opportunities
ALUMNI UPDATES LIFE WEST SENDS A WELCOME TO ALL OF THE NEW BABIES ARRIVING IN RECENT MONTHS! The following birth announcements appeared on Facebook.
Dr. Kimberly Liotta Perales ’09 and Derek Perales welcomed Audrey Helen Pearles on Oct. 23, 2018. Helen was 8 lbs., 5 oz. and 20.5 inches long. Dr. Perales practices at Canyon Lakes Chiropractic Group in San Ramon, California. Dr. Ross Cloud Hall ’16 and Katie Somers welcomed Finn Oak Hall at home in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Oct. 8, 2018. Dr. Cloud practices at Midline Chiropractic in Santa Fe.
Dr. Jamie Bedle ’05 and Becky Millard Bedle welcomed Jameson ‘James’ Robert Bedle on Nov. 6, 2018. James was 6 lbs., 13 oz. and 19.5 inches long. Jamie Bedle, DACBR, is the owner-operator of Bedle Consulting, a diagnostic imaging consultation practice in San Jose, California. Dr. Peter Leopold ’18 and Tawny Holt welcomed Indra Wolf Leopold in Berkeley, California on Sept. 25, 2018. BABY LEOPOLD
Dr. Rebecca Claassen ’10 and Jacob Classen welcomed Henry Clay Claassen in Lompac, California, on Dec. 8, 2018. Henry was 8 lbs., 15 oz. and 21.5 inches long. He was born at home.
Dr. Kelley Peterson ’08 and Oren Peterson welcomed Owen Dean Peterson on Oct. 10, 2018. Owen was 6 lbs., 2 oz. and 18 inches long. Dr. Peterson practices at Healthspring Chiropractic in Pleasanton, California.
HELP US FUND NEW SCHOLARSHIPS
20% Discount at Life West Bookstore
Alumni can enjoy a new perk at the Life Chiropractic College West bookstore, your best source for chiropractic supplies, as well as a large selection of books on food, nutrition, health, and wellness. The bookstore also sells many nutritional supplements, water filters, fitness supplies, and plenty of Life West gear. Visit us at lifewestbookstore.com.
• The Jim Hawkins Scholarship will honor academic excellence in basic sciences. • The Jackie Biron Scholarship, named for the Director of Student Life who many students know as “Mamma Jackie,” will honor student leadership and students who demonstrate commitment to and involvement with community service. • The Nancy McKillican Scholarship will acknowledge chiropractic philosophy. Nancy, a longtime cheerleader for chiropractic and the former Alumni Coordinator, passed away in February 2018. You can find links to make a taxdeductible donation directly to each of the alumni scholarships on the Life West website. Watch Biron and Hawkins talk about the scholarships in videos available on the Life West YouTube channel.
REBUILDING AFTER NOR-CAL FIRE The Camp Fire that engulfed California’s Butte County in early November forced tens of thousands to evacuate to a safer area. Dr. Lauri Lawton Greitzer ’88 was one of those people who lost her home in the Paradise, California fire known as the Camp Fire. Dr. Greitzer’s practice was located a few blocks away from her home, and that was also burned down. Nancy Jochims, Dr. Greitzer’s cousin, took to GoFundMe in a campaign to help Dr. Greitzer rebuild her life. The goal Jochims set for the campaign was $5,000, and she used Facebook to spread the word. The campaign was shared more than 70 times, and within a month her efforts raised over $5,110. You can still help. Head to gofundme.com/ hm8jm-paradise-fire-tragedy to donate. LIFE STYLES | VOL 40, ISS 1
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
DR. GERALDINE MULHALL-WRIGHT FROM STUDENT TO PROFESSOR Dr. Geraldine Mulhall-Wright, ‘97, who has practiced chiropractic for more than 20 years and also teaches at Life West, has a simple message for parents: The average American child is on their way to diabetes and heart disease by the age of 12. If you want to shift that, you have to do something different than the average American. Her answer is chiropractic care. Dr. Mulhall-Wright grew up in a chiropractic family. Her dad, now a retired firefighter, made sure that she and her siblings received chiropractic care weekly. She’s a third-generation chiropractic patient, and there are three chiropractors in her generation of the family. She has a family practice and specializes in families and pediatrics. She also developed and teaches the Pediatric Adjusting course at Life West.
“ The people who continue to move the college forward are incredible!” “It’s amazing to see kids grow and develop under chiropractic care,” she said. Most parents don’t know how chiropractic care can be a resource to aid with the physical, chemical and emotional traumas/exposures of birth, growth and life. She and her husband, Scott, are also foster parents, and they specialize in infant care. “That’s been an amazing journey,” Dr. Mulhall-Wright said. A foster child can stay anywhere from one week to six months or more. Afterward, there are always emotions to process. But the act of taking in and caring for a child who has faced trauma at a very young age has given her a way to Give, Do, Love and Serve—a core part of the Life West mission. “Be a part of the village that you believe in,” Dr. Mulhall-Wright urges. VOL 40, ISS 1 | LIFE STYLES
Whether it’s through her practice, volunteer work or teaching, she sees a way to be part of the village. But in her early 20s, Dr. Mulhall-Wright couldn’t see a clear path. When Dr. Jerry Behymer, DC, her chiropractor in Lafayette, California, since she was 8 years old, asked if she ever thought about being a chiropractor, she responded: “I don’t think I have the DNA for it.” Dr. Behymer told her there were entire colleges full of people who embraced the chiropractic philosophy, and they would teach her. That led to Life West (and later, he introduced her to her husband). What has life at Life West been like? “You will get out of it what you put into it,” she said. “If you hit a wall, reach out, get help and move on, because you can do it. Pay attention in school and you can make it happen.” Finding a way through the obstacles guides her as a teacher, too. “One of the things that I really enjoy about teaching is that these students are making me a better doctor,” she said. “They ask questions in a way I have not thought about. It makes me think, ‘Let me check and see what’s true or not about the way I am practicing.’ ” As a graduate and now a teacher at Life West, Dr. Mulhall-Wright is certainly getting something from this community. She’s joined the President’s Circle, a group of committed donors who help support the college’s mission to spread chiropractic. “When I left school, I realized how much more there is to know. I got back to school and saw the quality of the school, I saw my teachers and mentors were still here, and I thought it feels like coming home.” “My husband and I believe in putting our money where our passion is,” she added. “I’m so blessed to be part of this community. I never thought I would feel so strongly about the team here. The people who continue to move the college forward are incredible!”
ABOUT Owns and practices at Mulhall Family Chiropractic in the Bay Area
Teaches the Pediatric Adjusting course at Life West
Teaches CE Infant and Toddler Adjusting for the Practicing Chiropractor
CACCP Certification through the ICPA
Vice president of the Life West Alumni Board 17
HAWK TALK
EVERY STUDENT WHO STARTED AS A FRESHMAN AT LIFE WEST IN THE PAST 40 YEARS HAS HAD DR. JIM HAWKINS FOR AN ANATOMY CLASS. HIS LIST OF ALUMNI CONTACTS (LIFE WEST HAS MORE THAN 5,000 GRADUATES) IS UNRIVALED BY ANYONE ON THE SAN FRANCISCO EAST BAY CAMPUS.
You may have already heard I am retiring from Life Chiropractic College West after 40 years. It has been my honor to have taught every single student who went on to graduate as a doctor of chiropractic. Many, such as you, have also become lifelong friends.
He’s been to 73 graduation ceremonies—all but one in the college’s history—and he’ll attend more as his current students earn their degrees.
I have witnessed tremendous growth and change in my four decades, immersed in the development of chiropractic. Much of that change has resulted from the philanthropic support from members of the President’s Circle. My wife, Kathleen, and I have been members for several years. We recognize the importance of demonstrating support through our own personal philanthropy. Among my last acts at Life West is my commitment to enrolling 40 new members in the President’s Circle— one for each year I have taught at the College. Your assistance would be invaluable. If each person reading this letter helped enroll a new President’s Circle member, collectively we could achieve my goal. Please send the email or other contact information of anyone you believe is dedicated to the mission of Life West. The Institutional Advancement staff will follow up in a professional and respectful manner. Call our office at (510) 780-4500, ext. 2420. It is my privilege to expand through the President’s Circle the vision of Life West Founder Dr. Sid Williams and our current President and leader, Dr. Ron Oberstein, whose boundless energy and leadership are paving the way for the next generations of chiropractors. In parting, I thank you for your support of the mission of Life West and for your friendship. Although I will not be on campus every day, my heart and my spirit will continue to be dedicated to the chiropractic community at the College. I look forward to your response to my request on behalf of Life West and the President’s Circle. In Life and Health,
Dr. Jim Hawkins 18 18
But in December, he taught his last class and celebrated his retirement. Dr. Hawkins had no experience with chiropractic philosophy when he got a call about teaching anatomy in the mid-1970s. He was teaching anatomy at different Bay Area colleges when Pacific States Chiropractic College called. Although he wasn’t set on a career at that time, he was happy to get the call. He was taken by surprise when he met his first students.
BY
Kathy Miedema
Mamma
FROM A TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE TO THE LEADERSHIP OF LIFE WEST. IT ALL BEGAN WITH A TEMPORARY WORK ASSIGNMENT IN LIFE CHIROPRACTIC COLLEGE WEST’S STUDENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT. Jackie Biron’s first job was followed by stints in the Finance Office, the Financial Aid Office and then back in student services, which later became Student Life. “As Jackie was introduced to Life West and moved from office to office, the attraction between her and the college grew with each assignment,” recalls Dr. Gerry Clum, former President of Life West. “It was clear to me that Jackie had a rare combination of sound judgment, a problem-solving orientation, an incredible work ethic and a desire to do something new.” “I knew instantly that this was not only a unique and amazing opportunity, but it felt like home to me,” Biron says. She retired in December after 20 years. “I never viewed my time at Life West as a job—I always felt that I was called to be here.” Biron transformed the college’s student services department into a studentcentered, student-responsive environment that adapted to the needs of the student body.
Shortly before Biron took over the reins of student services, the institution began the acquisition and development of its current campus in Hayward. The site was the former corporate headquarters of the Mervyn’s department store chain. In the late 1990s, Life West was spread among three locations in the East Bay, and the college was not getting a warm reception in Hayward, where city leadership wanted a business that would bring in more tax revenue.
Biron worked with the administration to help prepare witnesses to testify at hearings with the city. “We convinced the Hayward planning commission to grant permits to have the college here, then worked with architects to turn this from a corporate facility to an educational institution—and to do so on a very tight budget.”
Jackie Biron LIFE STYLES | VOL 40, ISS 1
“I discovered a really different place and way to teach,” he said. “They were really interested in my subject. In community colleges, anatomy was a requirement for something else and their level of interest … varied. But the chiropractic students really wanted to know, and that was very refreshing.” Dr. Hawkins was offered a full-time position after his first quarter teaching, and he accepted “even though the pay was modest.” In 1979, Pacific States Chiropractic College was a struggling new school founded by Dr. George Anderson and Dr. George Wentland. Students had just begun to attend classes in the months before. One day after a break, the money for paychecks didn’t get deposited. The founders asked the handful of teachers to take a pay cut, promising to pay them with interest once they got through the storm.
Dr. Jim Hawkins
college to fold,” Dr. Hawkins said. “We stuck in there, and 9 months later, Life College and Dr. Sid Williams came through with a proposal. The board of Pacific States Chiropractic College agreed to become Life West and got seed money to keep going.” Dr. Williams also gave a raise to the teachers. Dr. Gerald Clum came from Life Chiropractic College in Georgia to lead the school, and remained president of Life West for 30 years until 2010. “All that struggle was part of what made Life West what it is today,” Dr. Hawkins said. “It really knit us together as a community. We were forced to stick together.”
thing is that you seldom see people at Life West who are unwilling to make eye contact. That’s an important part of what creates a community, when people are willing to literally see each other. I think that’s a really great part of the Life West culture.” Dr. Hawkins says he wants to do some writing after he retires, maybe about his experiences in Africa. He’s always enjoyed visiting the offices of Life West graduates, and he’ll likely combine that with travel. In a recent Hawk Talk, Dr. Hawkins wrote, “My life’s purpose has been to attempt to flood the world with chiropractors – not just doctors of chiropractic, but passionate human beings who find fulfillment in serving others.”
Dr. Hawkins Jackie “We all shrugged our shoulders and realized the alternative was for the
Biron says she is most proud of physically moving Life West to its new home. She worked with the buildings and grounds director and 20 work-study students. They rented trucks, packed up departments, labeled everything, brought it to
He feels a deep sense of community at Life West. “You can’t walk around the halls of Life West and not have people come up to you and ask if they can help. The other
There can be no doubt that he’s done that.
called Life 101, introduced by then-president Dr. Brian Kelly. “From the first day of Life 101, Dr. Kelly called me Mamma Jackie. The students heard it, embraced it, and ran with it.” She also coordinated graduation and commencement activities for many
“ I always felt that I was called to be here.” the new campus and set up the college. “It was a miracle,” Biron says.
With student services, Biron also assisted students with employment opportunities. To learn what other institutions were doing, she joined the Western Association of Student Employment Administrators (WASEA) and the National Student Employment Association (NSEA). She was appointed to key committees and board positions and later served as WASEA president. She also represented Life West as the President of NSEA for two terms and spoke at conferences in the U.S. and U.K. Biron has received many awards from both associations for her service. She came to be known as “Mamma Jackie” in 2011 as she worked on a project VOL 40, ISS 1 | LIFE STYLES
years and created opportunities for students to volunteer in local community service projects.
Biron may come back to Life West from time to time and consult with the college, as needed. But she’s happy to hand the keys over to Dani Lorta, the new Student Life Manager, and let her make the program her own.
19 19
35th Annual
THE WAVE CHIROPRACTIC DOCTORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD GATHERED IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, FOR THE EIGHTH ANNUAL WAVE CHIROPRACTIC CONFERENCE THIS PAST AUGUST. ATTENDEES EXPLORED CHIROPRACTIC
GOLF CLASSIC Join the Life West Community of Alumni and Friends at one of the East Bay’s most exciting and challenging golf venues Proceeds to benefit the Life West Alumni Association’s Scholarship Program
SESSIONS AND EVENTS WITH THE CONFERENCE THEME “OPTIMAL POTENTIAL.”
Paralympic Snowboarder Amy Purdy Lights Up the Stage
Keynote speaker Amy Purdy, a double amputee, told her story of triumph over illness and disability. Purdy is a three-time Paralympic snowboarding medalist, “Dancing with the Stars” runnerup, author, actress and a designer. Head to the Life West YouTube channel to see a video with Life West President Dr. Ron Oberstein as he interviews Purdy and fellow amputee and keynote speaker Dr. Liz Anderson-Peacock.
Thursday, May 9, 2019
Shotgun Start at 1:00 pm Tournament Dinner and Awards to follow
Boundary Oak Golf Course
3800 Valley Vista Road, Walnut Creek, California
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL $149
through March 31, 2019
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER FEE including dinner $175 from April 1-25, 2019 TOURNAMENT AND AWARDS DINNER $50
www.lifewestwave.com
A LOOK BACK AT 2018 Oakland’s Dr. Willard Smith Honored
Oakland-based chiropractor Dr. Willard Smith received the 2018 Service to Humanity Award at The WAVE conference. Life West’s Dr. Oberstein said Dr. Smith was recognized for his perseverance and breakthrough in representing African-Americans in the chiropractic profession. His recognition was part of the theme of diversity and inclusion throughout the conference.
Life West Connects Students, Doctors at The WAVE
Doctors and senior students got to know each other in a stylized event meant to help both sides meet each other and explore connections for the future.
For sponsorship opportunities email thyland@lifewest.edu or call (510) 780-4500, ext. 2060
lifewest.edu/lifewestgolf 20
“The Mentor Meet Up was a successful effort to bring doctors in to hire or be mentors, and fill needs for senior students,” said Dr. Palmer Peet, Director of Alumni Relations at Life West and an organizer of the Mentor Meet Up. Read more online at www.lifewest.edu/lifestyles. LIFE STYLES | VOL 40, ISS 1
GRADUATION
THE FUTURE OF CHIROPRACTIC
CLASS OF SUMMER/FALL 2018 AND WINTER 2019
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More than 84 students earned their doctor of chiropractic degrees during the 74th commencement of Life Chiropractic College West, held in the Standard Process Assembly Hall in Hayward, California. The graduation ceremony conferred degrees on graduates from the Fall 2018 and Winter 2019 classes.
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The ceremony began with the National Anthem, sung by Life West staff member Shawna Darling, with aid from the Brassview Quintet. Life West Alumni Ambassador and Master of Ceremonies for the commencement, Dr. Jim Hawkins, introduced Life West President Dr. Ron Oberstein, who welcomed the Board of Regents: Dr. Jimmy Nanda ’03, board president; Dr. Jeanne Ohm; Dr. Mark Kimes; Dr. Steven Silk ’91; Mr. Cameron Hastings; and Dr. Angel Ochoa-Rea ’14.
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Fall 2018 valedictorian Dr. Anja Huq and Winter 2019 valedictorian Dr. Ashley Davies came on stage, each presenting a riveting speech to their peers, family and friends in attendance. Dr. Oberstein also recognized Dr. Claire Kilgos and Dr. Karen Seth for their salutatorian honors. Dr. Oberstein introduced Dr. Cliff Hardick, Executive Chair of MaxLiving, as the commencement speaker for the evening. Dr. Hardick has a private practice in London, Ontario and has been in practice for nearly 50 years. He is a 1969 graduate from Logan Chiropractic College and served as President of the College of Chiropractors of Ontario from 2015 through 2017. Presidential Awards were awarded to those who showed an all-around ability to thrive in the areas of academic performance, leadership and participation, clinical excellence and chiropractic philosophy. Dr. Federico Angel and Dr. Kelsey Bjola were honored with the awards.
4 1) Graduates celebrating; 2) Commencement speaker Dr. Cliff Hardick; 3) Fall 2018 Valedictorian Dr. Anja Huq; 4) Health Center Mentor Dr. Susan Goodwin with Dr. Shane Kenning
The graduation culminated when Dr. Oberstein presented the graduates with their degrees as they walked the stage, and faculty member Dr. Pamela McBride performed the ceremonial turning of the doctoral hood. The graduates then recited the chiropractic oath and flipped their tassel from left to right, signaling their completion of chiropractic college. BY Raymond Ibale
SUMMER 2018
FALL 2018
Lauren Aalders Joshua Adams To DO Award Morgan Anderson Alan Bertolero Kevin Camacho To GIVE Award Arlene Chang Aaron Cheng Jacqueline Chu Lynn Do Allen Du Chase Dudley Alexander Duff To SERVE Award Ysel Ganda Aubrey Hefner Salutatorian Mario Huerta Roman Adrian James Bryan Kao Malena Kaufman Henry Kornegay Trevor Marum
Danielle Amari To GIVE Award Student Champion Federico Angel To LOVE Award Presidential Award Jordan Brand Jessica Bourke Michael Cheung Evan Chin Sarena Creggett Hannah Emmett Patricia Guzman Williams Kelsey Hudson Anja Huq Valedictorian Matthew Hux Vivian Kan
Joseph Martin Scott Mitchell Evelyn Moseley Calvin Nell Jana Okus Tory Paulson Sukhveer Riar Shahrzad Saba Willie So Alison Scarbrough Gary Tao Victoria Thompson Christina Van Moorsel Brandon Velasco Noah Volz Samantha Voss Jonathan Warren Elizabeth Wells Colby Wilmer Kira Wong Salutatorian To LOVE Award Suzanna Wong Valedictorian
VOL 40, ISS 1 | LIFE STYLES
WINTER 2019 Amit Khimji Claire Kilgos Salutatorian Student Champion Yoonjip Kim Christian McCallum Nicholas Nelson Daryn Rainer To DO Award Student Champion Dacy Mari Ricardo Sean Riley Rehana Sadiq To LOVE Award BreAnne Sargent Student Champion Moses Villarreal Jeremy Wroten Laura Zelko
Dallas Ausmus Jacob Bartelt Kelsey Bjola Presidential Award Student Champion Vincent Blincoe John Bulmer John Bynum Anthony Carrillo Chan Choi Brandan Chretien Nogol Daneshvar Ashley Davies Valedictorian Surdeep Dhaliwal Bradley Finlayson Katayoun Firouz Megan Frias Hector Garcia Amninder Gill Brian Glynn Didar Grewal Cindy Guizar Tyler Harrison
Christine Jarvis Shane Kenning Balraj Khakh Rachael Knopf Nemani Lalanabaravi Delaibatiki To SERVE Award Kristine Loharun To DO Award Student Champion Lars Lucear Acacia Mason Eric McQueston Kevin Moc Luke Nikitow Peyton O’Connor To LOVE Award Student Champion Michael Parzych Karen Pazera Puja Patel Jamie Pestana Eric Pinto
GRADUATES
Summer 2018 graduates walked in an earlier ceremony.
Richard Poulsen Alexandra Powers Christopher Pruter Joseph Pulitano Peter Quigley Anthony Quintos Jimmy Ramil Melissa Rodriguez Tyler Sargent Lauren Schreiber David Sedghi Rachel Selnick Karan Seth Salutatorian Kevin Slocum Julie Soloduka Cedric Stewart To GIVE Award Nadzeya Stokes Nicole Strasko Anne Thompson Matthew Wittwer Rafael Zamofa 21 21
ATHLETICS
CLUB OF THE YEAR GLADIATRIX JOINS NEW LEAGUE Rugby Club Of The Year honors go to the Life West rugby teams, according to a just-released announcement from FloRugby, an online sports media service. That’s not the only thing the Life West Gladiatrix is celebrating—the women’s team also defeated the DC Furies in November to earn a spot in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) for the 2019 season. The match was held at Life University’s Lupo Field in Marietta, Georgia. After winning back-to-back national titles in USA Rugby’s Women’s Division I competition, the Life West women’s rugby team prepared in the past months to compete in the WPL—the most competitive women’s rugby division in the United States. The league consists of 10 women’s teams from across the country. GLADIATRIX STAY HOT IN ATLANTA The road to the WPL and to defeating the D.C. Furies started in early September when the Gladiatrix made the crosscountry trip to Marietta, Georgia. Playing at the familiar Life University, another chiropractic college with ties to Life West, the Gladiatrix first secured a 29–14 victory over the Atlanta Harlequins, an opponent they will soon face regularly in the WPL. The game was hard-fought in Georgia’s humid summer weather
and did not come without struggle. The competition at this level is most definitely higher, but the women slowly chipped away at a seasoned Atlanta team with patience and grit. The following day the Gladiatrix played a Life University Running Eagles squad looking for the upset. Because rugby is such a physically demanding sport, the Gladiatrix were feeling the effects from the previous game. The Life West Sports Performance Institute team, headed by Dr. Scott Lessard, provided constant and immediate chiropractic care to the players. The Gladiatrix pulled off a 32–13 win over Life University before heading home. BATTLE OF DIVISION I CHAMPIONS One week later, the Gladiatrix were back on the pitch playing an extremely competitive match against the Lindenwood University Lions from St. Charles, Missouri—last year’s DI Collegiate National Champions. The Gladiatrix played without several key players and very few substitutions. The women saw their first defeat in the program’s history, losing 24–38. The Gladiatrix will start back up when the WPL season kicks off in Fall 2019. Key players will also play in the USA Rugby Sevens in Las Vegas in March. BY
Raymond Ibale
Award Named for Life West Rugby Player Jenn Sever Women For Rugby, a charity launched in July in Oakland to support the growing sport, has created an annual award called the Jenn Sever Award. This award represents a player/person who has made sacrifices—financially, physically, or emotionally—for the greater good of the sport. As a foundation member of the Life West women’s rugby program, 22
player Jenn Sever has seen the program grow from a small beginning to one of the strongest programs on the national scene. Including herself, Life West now boasts more than 12 players who have represented the USA Women’s National Team. None of this would have happened without the unwavering support and unflappable efforts of Sever. “Jenn’s tenacity on and off the field make her a special person to this program,”
explains Life West Athletics Director Adriaan Ferris. “Singlehandedly, she has helped to recruit players to Life West. On the field, she is a powerful athlete who displays the passion and conviction that this program has to be the best it can. She is a special player and a special person.” Sever attends Life West as a student and player. To learn more about Life West Rugby, visit lifewestrugby.com. LIFE STYLES | VOL 40, ISS 1
RESEARCH
ALAN BERTOLERO
Republic. I am fortunate to have linked is in the Dominican Republic for a year up with this amazing not-for-profit with the World Spine Care program after graduating. His student research honors charity organization. I am serving as program project focused on Evolutionary Percussive Instrument Corrections (EPIC). clinic supervisor in the Dominican How do you hope this research will Republic for one year. Tell us about your research. be used? Their mission statement is “to improve I wrote a case study using EPIC, an upper cervical technique that uses a sound wave instrument directed toward the atlas. It attempts to establish proper atlas alignment and brain stem function.
The benefits of this technique are vast. It uses an instrument that standardizes the force delivered during the adjustment, minimizing human error as well as allowing it to be more replicable. The specificity and care toward the upper cervical complex is what initially drew me to this technique. The x-ray analysis is extensive. It attempts to figure out the orientation of the atlas and mathematically calculate a vector with X, Y, and Z coordinates, which the instrument uses to make the correction.
I looked at this as an opportunity to introduce the EPIC technique to the literature with a clinical example. This case study goes through the workup of a patient’s case in the health center as well as the treatment plan. It also discusses the benefits and limitations of the EPIC technique. You’re joining the World Spine Care program. How did this come about?
I heard about this organization on the Chiropractic Science podcast, hosted by Dean Smith, DC, PhD, who interviews leading chiropractic researchers from around the world. With this in the back of my mind, I saw a position online for World Spine Care in the Dominican
lives in under-served communities through sustainable, integrated, evidenced-based spine care.” My favorite part is the “sustainable” aspect. This clinic is within a public hospital in Moca, Dominican Republic, where we have a permanent area for seeing patients. They also have a research committee that is helping further the research in chiropractic and spine-related health.
SHARING THEIR
RESEARCH STORIES NOAH VOLZ
works at Benjamin Chiropractic in Oakland, California after graduating recently. He studied the effect of atlas realignment via NUCCA in patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and persistent symptoms. How did you choose this project? The pieces of this project came together slowly. First, my best friend’s son had a concussion playing sports and had to drop out of school. He wore sensory deprivation ear muffs and glasses in order to function. I knew there must be a way to help him. Then I went to The WAVE (Life West’s annual conference) and learned what Dr. Scott Rosa was doing with concussion patients at his clinic. Lastly, Dr. Sean Drake, the first Sports Performance Institute director at Life West, offered me mentorship on treating concussions with chiropractic. When all this came together, I chose to use the upper cervical technique NUCCA for the VOL 40, ISS 1 | LIFE STYLES
project. Dr. Drake’s successor, Dr. Scott Lessard, set up the baseline SCAT5 and IMPACT studies on the athletes. How did this project change the course of your studies? I had no idea how difficult writing a research paper would be. It was one of the most challenging things I did at Life West. I get to share my work at the ACA Sports Symposium in Minneapolis, Minn., and hope to bring it elsewhere. I think that research like this is vital for students to learn—it is the language that the medical profession uses to determine when and if an intervention works. How do you hope others can use this? As this is a case series, it serves as a spring board for others in the profession to explore the possibilities of using chiropractic adjustments for concussion in random controlled trials or other forms of research that can be published
in an indexed journal. I hope that other students will be inspired by this research to write up the cases that are close to their heart. For me personally, this research has already had a huge impact. I have learned so much about concussion and have been given the opportunity to share what I have learned at conferences around the country. My hope with the research was always to explore alternative options to the “watch and wait” approach that was used for concussion. We need to shift the conversation around concussion from return to play guidelines to focusing on the long-term health of athletes and to how to minimize the detrimental effects of high-impact sports. This intention goes along with the national conversation happening around concussion. 23 23
ON CAMPUS Life Chiropractic College West and the Monte H. Greenawalt Health Center are delighted to announce that the college and health center have been recertified as a Bay Area Green Business. The news came in late December 2018.
LIFE WEST HANGS ANOTHER GOLDEN HEART ON ITS WALLS Life Chiropractic College West has recently been named a winner of the Golden Heart Award from Oklahaven, a nonprofit chiropractic center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, that offers care to children. This is the 6th consecutive year that the award has been given to Life West. The Golden Heart Award is chosen by the Oklahaven Board of Directors after its annual “Have-A-Heart” campaign each February, which raises awareness about health treatments for children and seeks funding for the center’s mission. Life West shares this year’s Golden Heart Award with Family First Chiropractic, home to Dr. Jonas Marry and his staff, in McMurray, Pennsylvania. It was also awarded to Parker College in Dallas, Texas, Oklahaven said in a news release. In a letter to Life West, Oklahaven Executive Director Frank San Antonio wrote, “We appreciate the teamwork and generosity of everyone whose hard work and dedication have helped to make the 2018 “Have-A-Heart” campaign a great success. By uniting our consciousness, we have raised the awareness of the power of chiropractic for healing the children.”
HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT THE NEW CE PORTAL YET? Life West launched a new Continuing Education (CE) portal at ce.lifewest.edu recently.
“This is a sophisticated system that is built for regulated continuing education,” said Laurie Isenberg, Director of Life West’s CE program. “It’s built for exactly what we do. It’s a great, great leap forward.” The new system is more streamlined, it has a contemporary design, and it offers a more professional presentation of Life West’s CE services. Registering is simple, and full-service online courses are available.
Kerri Duggins Rames, DC, said the path to recertification was harder after green business standards were raised from the initial certification four years ago, but the journey has been worth it. “This is an example of positive change that has occurred here at Life West due to our collective efforts across many departments, combined with leadership support and facilities follow-through,” she said. Dr. Duggins Rames is a leading member of the committee charged with implementing green programs and standards at Life West. She said she is grateful for advice from City of Hayward employees and the county coordinator who helped Life West achieve recertification as a green business. Projects prompted by the desire to be an environmentally friendly business include building an air-scrubber to improve air quality, reducing water use both indoors and outdoors for campus landscaping, bringing in more and larger plants to help with oxygen flow, adding separated waste receptacles to encourage recycling and composting, and reducing the amount of plastic used on campus by, for example, using biodegradable utensils in the college café. For more on those projects, see the Life West online magazine.
LIFE WEST EARNS GREEN BUSINESS CERTIFICATE Among the most convenient new options for CE program participants is that everything is self-service. Participants can register, take a course, and then print the certificate at home. This is a huge improvement over the past, Isenberg said, when certificates had to be signed and mailed from Life West. Participants who need to reprint certificates, check their records, or get a copy of their transcripts can also easily access the portal and print any time. “This system gives you more autonomy and control over your records,” she added. The same system is used for Life West’s face-to-face CE program. Participants have online access to their CE records and can respond instantly to board inquiries.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
LIFE STYLES | VOL 39, ISS 2
EMBRACING DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
LIFE WEST AT OAKLAND PRIDE
For the first time, Life Chiropractic College West participated in a Bay Area Pride event, which celebrates the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) community. Students and faculty were at Oakland Pride in September, representing the chiropractic community and offering chiropractic services. It’s all part of an ongoing effort to embrace diversity and inclusion at the Hayward, California campus.
It’s the first time any chiropractic college has participated in a Pride event. Oakland Pride, widely described as the second largest pride event in Northern California after San Francisco Pride, is a day long festival in the heart of Oakland. Life West was there for a series of events, including a fun run the day before, the parade on Sunday that kicked off the event, and an exhibitor booth set up during the festival that followed the parade. Being a part of events like this one, and embracing the concepts of diversity and inclusion in campus life, the chiropractic community, and the world at large, are an important part of Life West’s strategic outlook, said Life West President Dr. Ron VOL 40, ISS 1 | LIFE STYLES
Oberstein. “The Bay Area is home to one of the most diverse populations in the U.S., and we are committed to embracing diversity as a college in the East Bay.” Life West leaders say that not only is this the first time Life West has participated in a pride event, they believe it’s the first time any chiropractic college has participated.
Kristan Cassady, a senior chiropractic student at Life West and a founding member of the school’s Equality Council, led Life West contributions to the Oakland Pride event. Being there and a part of the day means a lot to her personally, she said. “I think the LGBTQ community is a vulnerable population that could benefit so much from chiropractic,” she said. “Being part of that community myself, that’s where part of my passion comes from for carrying this torch, but I also think it’s a great opportunity for the chiropractic world. I think more chiropractic schools and chiropractors should be tapping into the LGBTQ community for reaching multiple groups.” That’s exactly what was happening in Oakland during the pride events. About 20 students from Life West’s Monte H. Greenawalt Health Center, joined by faculty members Dr. Monique Andrews and Dr. Tamara MacIntyre, were at the 5K Oakland Pride fun run at Oakland’s Lake Merritt the day before the big event. They helped runners warm up and cared for those who wanted a little more stretching or had chronic injuries that needed attention. BY
Kathy Miedema
The Board of Regents at Life Chiropractic College West and the college’s president, Dr. Ron Oberstein, have made diversity and inclusion a priority for the college, believing that this initiative increases a person’s capacity to embrace others in a sensitive, respectful manner while becoming aware of one’s own understanding and unconscious biases. Ultimately through diversity and inclusion, one can have a betterrounded academic experience and be better equipped for a service-oriented clinical experience. This will prepare Life West graduates to practice chiropractic with individual sensitivity, compassion, cultural awareness and a love for all humanity. In a statement in October 2017, President Ron Oberstein wrote: “We are committed to Giving, Doing, Loving and Serving out of our own abundance while embracing each other and holding Life West as a safe place for family and temporary strangers alike.” Life West has been working on its own diversity and inclusion initiatives since that statement. In the past year at Life West: •A consulting firm has been working through exercises with students, staff, faculty and administration to determine where the college can grow in its commitment to diversity and inclusion. Our consultants have held on-campus interviews, conducted an in-depth online survey, and hosted open forums. The college community was offered the opportunity to further engage with our consultants to learn how Life West compares to other higher education institutions, and to ask questions and provide feedback. •A panel on diversity and inclusion was part of Life West’s annual August conference, The WAVE 2018, in Oakland. (See a video that includes excerpts from that panel on Life West’s YouTube channel.) •M embers of the Life West community have been very visible at events such as the Oakland Pride Parade this past fall. 25
LIFE WEST MENTOR PROGRAM
DR. SYDNE POMIN
“HOW CAN I HELP?” BY
Mary Lucus-Flannery
Mentorship takes many forms. One valuable way to make a difference is the Life West Mentor Doctor Program (formerly Champion Doctor Program). These chiropractors are interested in finding and mentoring the next generation of chiropractors. The Life West Mentor Doctors commit to sharing the story of a career in chiropractic —in their practice, at local colleges and universities, and everywhere they go. They partner with the enrollment team to get materials for students and be on the list of places where a student can shadow a chiropractor. Mentor doctors sometimes work with recruiters to deliver a presentation on a college campus near them.
“ I FIND OPENING THE EYES OF A YOUNGER GENERATION TO THE GENERAL ASPECTS OF A CAREER IN CHIROPRACTIC TO BE EXTREMELY FUN.” – DR. SYDNE POMIN GRADUATED March 2015 | PRACTICE San Rafael, California Dr. Sydne Pomin didn’t always plan to be a chiropractor. When she graduated from college and began working in corporate management, she quickly found herself bored and disconnected from her work. She recognized that she was unhappy and asked herself some key questions: Who is providing value in their work? Who is happy in their work? Her chiropractor, who had helped her recover from migraine headaches following a neck injury, seemed to absolutely love his work. She wondered what it would be like to have a job like his. As she considered changing careers, Dr. Sydne was afraid. What if she wasn’t good enough at science and math? Going back to school felt intimidating. She pushed through her fears and reenrolled in school full-time to get the science classes she needed to be admitted to a chiropractic college. Dr. Sydne chose Life West because it felt right. She remembers getting three hugs in the hallway the first day on campus. She knew she was home. Dr Sydne graduated from Life West in March 2015 and began to work as an associate. She didn’t have a concrete plan for transitioning into her own practice—but once again, the universe provided an opportunity to see herself in a new light. One of Dr. Sydne’s chiropractic mentors was injured and needed major surgery, so she asked Dr. Sydne to take over her 35-year practice. While Dr. Sydne and her partner (also a chiropractor) did not feel ready after only nine months of practice experience, they said yes anyway, trusting that they could rise to the challenge. “Entrepreneurship is deciding to jump off the cliff and build the airplane on the way down,” Dr. Sydne explains. “That sums up the experience. I have always been about saying ‘yes,’ even if I didn’t feel ready. It’s so uncomfortable. But then I learn. It turned out to be a great decision, despite the steep learning curve of owning and managing a practice and a high-volume patient base.”
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Dr. Sydne became an active Life West Mentor Doctor as soon as she graduated from Life West. She started her mentorship activity by hosting local students, allowing them to shadow in her office. Whenever she met someone who was interested in chiropractic, she invited them to sit on the bench in her office to observe the practice flow. The more they watched, the more questions they had. “I find opening the eyes of a younger generation to the general aspects of a career in chiropractic to be extremely fun. They resonate so much with wanting to help others with a natural, alternative health option,” Dr. Sydne said. She has gotten pretty good at seeing when someone has an “ah-ha” moment around chiropractic. When that happens, she will look them in the eyes and say, “You know what? You’d be a great chiropractor.” And that’s all it takes to start the conversation. Dr. Sydne has big dreams for chiropractic. Her long-term goal is to create a practice that serves as a space for new doctors to transition from a student to a doctor. She sees an opportunity to do things differently. As the profession grows and develops, Dr. Sydne believes that chiropractors need to adapt to the strengths and values of the next generation entering the profession. Her first associate position showed her how much opportunity there is to make this transition better. The impact of mentorship can be huge, and Dr. Sydne knows firsthand that mentorship matters. “We are watching the future of the profession unfold with a new generation that has a different set of tenets. I want to be a part of the future. The only way to get stronger as a whole is to reach out a hand and ask, ‘How can I help?’ I learned so much from outside docs that were willing to teach and answer questions. I feel it’s my duty and privilege to carry that torch.”
Champions Weekend is the perfect opportunity for future chiropractors to explore chiropractic and Life West. Send prospective students for two days of camaraderie and mentorship. Champions Weekend is held four times a year (January, April, July, and October) on the Life West campus in Hayward, California. Register online at lifewest.edu.
STUDENT PROFILE
DARYN RAINER CHAMPION FOR LIFE HOMETOWN Edmonton, AB, Canada What was your first experience with chiropractic? As a kid I was always the tallest in my class. I didn’t fit in the chairs, so I had some bruising on my low back. My aunt, a massage therapist, recommended to my mom that we see a chiropractor. As a byproduct, my spring allergies that were really severe every single year disappeared magically. What inspired you to become a chiropractor? My high school biology class is where my interest first piqued. I had a phenomenal teacher and was intrigued by how brilliant the human body is and how life develops. I knew I wanted to do something meaningful working with my hands and helping people. I also knew I wanted to run my own business. I did some research and I said. “There is no way I’m going to school for eight years to become a chiropractor!” Instead I went into business. I didn’t want to just wander into the sciences without a game plan, so I finished my business degree in accounting and finance, which I loved. Shortly after, I started working at a big accounting firm in Edmonton. It wasn’t long before it was clear to me that I couldn’t sit behind a desk for 40 more years. And I was literally sick, on and off for three months, for no reason. One night I wasn’t able to sleep. Later that week, while I was in side-posture about to get adjusted, it clicked, “Oh! I have to be a chiropractor!” Were you mentored by a chiropractor before starting at Life West? I was. Dr. Ken Bergquist really stepped up to the plate. I went in and got adjusted and said, “Man, I think I need to be a chiropractor.” I had like a million questions for him, and he said, “Ok, let’s go out for a beer.” What kinds of questions did you ask your mentor? To be honest, a big question was about money. It was a massive investment. I had a great job so it was going to be a lot of time, and I wanted to make sure that the payoff was there. Another big question I had was about energetic or personal boundaries, not taking stuff home and being able to be truly present with everybody. VOL 40, ISS 1 | LIFE STYLES
I also had concerns over my height. Some people say that chiropractors blow out their backs and their shoulders. I wanted to know if there was a technique I could do that would be safer or if I could adjust the table height appropriately. How do you like to present yourself as a student leader and mentor at Life West? I was really engaged in my first two and a half years in a lot of different clubs including Tic Talkers, Adjusting Ninjas, and the Canada club. I also hosted financial seminars. Conversations with my friends and colleagues at school showed a lack of understanding and awareness in regards to finances. I saw a lot of people graduate, and suddenly they understood what their loans meant. They were intimidated and ill-equipped to deal with them. I thought, “That’s not cool.” If you can’t make your loan payment and keep your lights on in your office, you’re not going to be serving, period. It’s that simple. I created evening workshops and coached close to 100 people. The response was overwhelming. My plan was to do it once, and then people kept asking about it. And they’re still asking. Why did you become a Student Champion? Because of my experience at Champions Weekend and the support that I had and how welcome I was. I think that it’s really important that people get a genuine sense of the student experience here at Life West, and the Student Champions are a pivotal piece of that. What has been your favorite moment in chiropractic school? The first adjustment. There’s all this build up into what it is: your training, your analysis, and you’re working toward it. And it’s this massive question, “Can I do it? Will I be enough? Will I be able to serve people and make a difference?” Once you get that first adjustment, and then you start getting a few more, and then all of a sudden… it takes a lot of time to feel really confident. But that first adjustment is just a huge accomplishment. Use one word to describe your chiropractic journey so far. Two words: paradigm-shifting. BY Crisselle Garrido
OUR MENTOR PROGRAM IS FOR DOCTORS AND STUDENTS WHO SUPPORT THE FUTURE OF THE PROFESSION BY ACTIVELY RECRUITING AND MENTORING FUTURE CHIROPRACTORS.
Welcome!
NEW MENTOR DOCTORS Summer and Fall 2018
Karl Baune, DC ‘14 Charlene Blades, DC ‘18 Christopher Boggess, DC ‘17 Ryan Bones, DC Tye Bratvold, DC Carliana Carpenter, DC ‘18 Dana Clum, DC Christina Coblish, DC ‘18 Dennis Cozzocrea, DC Luis Cruz-Marin, DC ‘18 Raymond Daniels, DC ‘18 Jeffrey Danielson, DC Brandon Frankel, DC ‘18 Warren Gage, DC Mary Garrett, DC ‘18 Amy Gates, DC ‘18 Tyler Goza, DC ‘18 Joshua Grey, DC ‘18 Zane Groves, DC ‘18 Jerry Hightower, DC Yvonne Ide, DC ‘18 Cari Jacobson, DC Elizaveta Krylova, DC ‘18 Seth Labott, DC ‘00
Thomas Lazzari, DC ‘18 Frank Lee, DC ‘18 Rebecca Lindesmith, DC Sarah MacArthur, DC ‘17 Gerald Majer, DC Daniel Miller, DC Laura Millis-Hansen, DC Bridget Monaghan, DC ‘10 Johnnie Morgan, DC ‘18 Ashly Ochsner, DC Tory Paulson, DC ‘18 Brian Pazera, DC Jennifer Pitcairn, DC Deanna Poneman, DC ‘18 Chanel Putras, DC ‘18 Arielle Rubinoff, DC ‘18 Jerome Rundall, DC Nima Samiee-Nejad, DC Alexis Sanchez, DC ‘18 Monica Scott, DC James Shannon, DC ‘18 Kaitlyn Shikada, DC ‘18 Shain Smith, DC ‘18 Lindsey Squibb, DC ‘18 Aura Tovar, DC Debbie Victoria-Seale, DC ‘93 Iris Williams, DC Bob Woolery, DC ‘92 Reema Zereh, DC ‘03
A special thank you to our Mentor Doctors who referred a student to Champions Weekend Summer and Fall 2018
Kevin Carey, DC ‘16 Jeff Devine, DC Jeff Scholten, DC Cliff Fisher, DC Matt Hubbard, DC ‘01
Henry Oyharcabal, DC ‘92 Bradley Pastro, DC Mindy Pelz, DC Christina West, DC ‘89
Congratulations to our Mentor Doctors who referred a student who started at Life West Fall 2018
David Amaral, DC ‘88 Jack Bourla, DC Kevin Carey, DC ‘16 Boris Cicak, DC ‘16 Sean Drake, DC
Lori O’Hara, DC ‘87 Brad Peterson, DC Sydne Pomin, DC ‘15 Ryan Sweet, DC ‘04 27
BOOK REVIEW BY DAN MURPHY, DC
THE CRANIOCERVICAL SYNDROME AND MRI
EDITORS Francis W. Smith and Jay S. Dworkin (2015)
ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY ARE ADDING TO THE SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENT. ONE SUCH ADVANCEMENT IS THE USE OF UPRIGHT, WEIGHT-BEARING MRI IMAGING OF THE UPPER CERVICAL SPINE AND HEAD. The basic premise is that water images differently than non-water on MRI imaging. Hence, if there is an accumulation of water, it can be observed/documented with MRI. Likewise, if an intervention reduces the accumulation of water, it can similarly be observed/documented. Importantly, these studies have noted that the position of the patient when the MRI is exposed influences the accumulation of such water fluid. Most relevant is the imaging difference between a recumbent MRI vs. an upright weight-bearing MRI. Over the past decade, a number of studies have proposed that if the atlas vertebra is not perfectly aligned with the occipital foramen magnum, it will result in a “corking” of the flow of cerebrospinal fluid and other vascular components that exist in the foramen magnum. This causes a variety of significant health problems, from demyelinating diseases to dementia to chronic headaches, etc. Stunning for most of the health care community, and even surprising many chiropractors, there is mounting evidence based upon pre- and post-specific chiropractic adjustment of the upper cervical spine that there is a significant and meaningful improvement of water fluid accumulation when the chiropractic adjustment realigns the atlas vertebra perfectly with the occipital condyles. The results are accompanied with often immediate improvement in a variety of clinical signs and symptoms. 28
A media case study is the improvement of the headaches and dementia of former Chicago Bears NFL quarterback Jim McMahon. McMahon was diagnosed with images from an upright weight-bearing MRI and adjusted with upper cervical chiropractic. McMahon credits his dramatic improvement to the specific upper cervical chiropractic care. This book by Smith and Dworkin is the best I have seen to scientifically support these concepts. Each chapter of the book has informative gems for clinical chiropractic. A sample of some of the verbiage includes:
“This is especially so at the craniocervical junction and in the cervical spine, where the weight of the head on the neck can result in significant alteration in the MRI appearance between supine and upright positions.” “Misalignments of Occiput-C1, C1-C1 ... may contribute to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF obstruction.” Upright MRI “as a means of evaluating misalignments at the craniocervical junction and the images obtained
THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT AND MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENT OF WATER FLUID ACCUMULATION WHEN THE CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENT REALIGNS THE ATLAS VERTEBRA PERFECTLY WITH THE OCCIPITAL CONDYLES. Upright MRI “has made it possible to visualize and quantify the dynamic flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the cranial vault and spinal canal.” “Magnetic resonance imaging (MIR) is conventionally performed in the supine position, in which no information about the effect of gravity on the patient in the upright position is possible.”
are used to calculate the propriate vectors to correct the misalignment. Post-corrective advanced upright MRI images are then used to validate the appropriate realignment of occiput-C1, C1-C2 to establish improvement in proper CSF as well as arteriovenous flow.”
In the upright position, “not only the alterations in the biomechanics of the body that can be observed, but also alterations in blood flow, venous drainage and cerebral spinal fluid flow that are now amenable to study under the effects of gravity.”
All chiropractors who want to remain current in some of the technology advances that are validating clinical chiropractic and to update their understanding of the physiological benefits of the chiropractic adjustment should read this book. LIFE STYLES | VOL 40, ISS 1
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