The International Chiropractors Association (ICA) proudly announces the newest inductees into the distinguished Fellows of the ICA (FICA). This prestigious recognition is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to the profession and to the ICA through outstanding service and dedication. 

Fellowship in the ICA is a mark of honor and merit, with candidacy determined by the Fellows at-large. It reflects a commitment to professional excellence, leadership, and the advancement of the profession. 

The 2025 FICA inductees were nominated during the Fellows Lunch on Friday, April 4, held as part of the ICA’s 99th Annual Convention in Clearwater, Florida. Attending inductees were formally pinned during the Awards Banquet that evening.

The ICA congratulates the following new Fellows:

• Rachae Bell, DC, DCCJP
• James Chestnut, DC, CCWCP
• Bradley Glowaki, DC
• Andrew Jeter, DC, PA
• George Lubertazzo, DC
• Shantell Missick, DC, CLT, CKTP
• Benjamin Oien, DC
• Gary Stewart, DC
• Angel Tribuno, DC
• Jeffrey Wack, DC

These doctors exemplify the values and mission of the ICA through their leadership, service, and dedication to chiropractic. We are proud to welcome them into this distinguished community of Fellows. 

Falls Church, VA — The International Chiropractors Association (ICA) is proud to announce Dr. Ron Oberstein as the recipient of its highest annual honor, the ICA Chiropractor of the Year award. The award was presented during the Awards Banquet at the ICA’s 99th Annual Convention in Clearwater, Florida, on April 4, 2025. 

Dr. Oberstein has dedicated more than four decades to advancing chiropractic worldwide through clinical excellence, educational leadership, and service. He has served as President of Life Chiropractic College West since 2017 and will retire from the role in June 2025. Prior to his presidency, Dr. Oberstein practiced in San Diego and served on the Life West Board of Regents from 1991 to 2016, including two years as Chairman of the Board. 

A Lifetime ICA member and distinguished Fellow of the ICA (FICA), Dr. Oberstein has been a trusted voice for the profession and a champion for chiropractic vitalism. He previously sat on the ICA Board of Directors and served as Vice President. He has taught chiropractic technique, philosophy, and principles at colleges around the world and most recently served as Chair of the Association of Chiropractic Colleges. 

Together with his wife of 30 years, Dr. Mary Oberstein, Dr. Oberstein has practiced and mentored new graduates since 1986. They co-founded a nonprofit organization that delivers chiropractic care globally, with a focus on underserved children and families in Tijuana, Mexico. Their legacy continues through their three daughters—Drs. Lauren, Morgan, and Sydney—who have each entered the chiropractic profession. 

The ICA congratulates Dr. Oberstein on this well-earned recognition and thanks him for his decades of service to the chiropractic profession. 

About the Award:  The ICA Chiropractor of the Year Award was created by ICA’s Founder  Dr. BJ Palmer in 1950 and presented annually to one exceptional individual who has distinguished themselves throughout their career through extraordinary service to the ICA and the chiropractic profession. Its recipient is elected during the annual meeting of the Distinguished Fellows of the ICA held in conjunction with the Association’s annual meetings. 

About the ICA:  The International Chiropractors Association is the oldest continuously active international chiropractic organization. Established in 1926 by the developer of chiropractic,   Dr. B.J. Palmer, the ICA represents practitioners, educators, students, and lay persons worldwide who are dedicated to the chiropractic profession. The ICA has traditionally been and continues to be recognized as representing the moderate voice of the chiropractic profession. 

The ICA represents and promotes the interests of chiropractic, chiropractors, and the patients they serve through advocacy, research, communication, and education. The ICA Mission is to protect and promote chiropractic throughout the world as a distinct health care profession predicated upon its unique philosophy, science, and art of subluxation detection and correction. 

For more information, visit www.chiropractic.org. 

Media Contact: 
Beth Clay, Executive Director 
bclay@chiropractic.org 

The International Chiropractors Association (ICA) is thrilled to announce the names of awardees of the Dr. Coralee Van Egmond Student Scholarship Fund, given during the Boots and Bourbon Scholarship Fundraiser Dinner, held Saturday, April 13, 2024, as part of the ICA 98th Annual Convention – Serving Those Who Served.

Three outstanding chiropractic students were recognized for their achievements and commitment to the field: Student Dr. Lydia Hill from Cleveland University Kansas City, Student Dr. Joeli Koenig from Palmer College of Chiropractic, and Student Dr. Marjan Sadeghi, also from Cleveland University Kansas City. Each recipient was awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the Coralee Van Egmond Student Scholarship Fund.

Scholarship winner Joeli Koenig expressed her enthusiasm for the Student International Chiropractors Association (SICA), saying, “Being a part of the SICA has been one of my favorite parts of school, and I look forward to many, many more years of being part of such a GREAT association with such great values.”

Marjan Sadeghi also conveyed her gratitude: “I [want] to express my heartfelt appreciation for being selected as a recipient of the Coralee Van Egmond scholarship. Your support means the world to me, and I am truly honored to receive this recognition. Thank you for this incredible opportunity. I look forward to the impact this scholarship will have on my academic journey.”

The Boots and Bourbon Scholarship Fundraiser Dinner was not only a celebration of academic excellence but also a testament to the generous spirit within the chiropractic community. During the event, ICA received pledges totaling nearly $10,000. These continued donations allow the ICA to continue to support chiropractic education and the future leaders of the profession while honoring long-time staffer, Dr. Coralee Van Egmond.

Beth Clay, ICA Executive Director, said, “All who knew Dr. Coralee Van Egmond, recall her dedication to the profession and the ICA. In her name, we deliver on our mission to grow chiropractic worldwide. We are immensely proud of the scholarship recipients and grateful to our donors whose contributions make this possible.”

The ICA is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of chiropractors who will continue “to protect and promote chiropractic throughout the world as a distinct healthcare profession predicated upon its unique philosophy, science, and art of subluxation detection and correction.”

Donations to the Dr. Coralee Van Egmond Scholarship Fund may be made online or by calling the ICA home office.

We had the chance to chat with Dr. Charmaine Herman, one of our featured speakers for the ICA 98^th Annual Convention – Serving Those Who Served. Dr. Herman is a multi-faceted professional, serving as a member of the ICA Board of Directors, Full Professor at Life University in the College of Chiropractic, and published researcher, in addition to maintaining an active practice in Alpharetta, Georgia, where she specializes in the Blair upper cervical chiropractic technique. She has been recognized as Chiropractor of the Year by the Blair UC Society (2016) and one of the Top Chiropractors in Atlanta by Atlanta Magazine (2018). She was also awarded Upper Cervical Researcher of the Year by the ICA Council on Upper Cervical Care in 2019.

Dr. Herman is an active member of the Title IX Review Board, Conduct Review Board, Research Track Committee, and COC Assessment Council at Life University. She is also the cultural competency trainer for the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI). She supports student chiropractors in her roles as club advisor for the Blair UC Technique Club as well as the Student American Black Chiropractic Association (SABCA).

We are fortunate to have Dr. Herman as one of our speakers at this year’s convention where she will be sharing her expertise on cultural competency with our chiropractors. The following is taken from a conversation Taylor Carter, our Communications Manager, had with Dr. Herman about her experience on the topic in preparation for the convention.

—

Taylor Carter: I’m glad we were able to fit in a time together because I know you’re super busy. One of our stated values at the ICA is equitability and inclusion and that’s something we’re really trying to focus on, so, number one, I’m glad you’re going to be at our convention to speak about this, and, number two, thanks for having this conversation with me now so we can get people prepared ahead of that. Could you give me a quick definition for what cultural competency is? I know it can be a complicated thing, so just a couple sentences –

Dr. Charmaine Herman: It’s not that complicated, I like to keep it simple. Cultural competence is realizing, appreciating, and educating yourself about your own culture and the cultures of people that surround you. That’s as simple as it is. People seem to think that to be culturally competent, I need to learn everybody’s culture around the world. No, that’s too hard. But what it means is I evaluate and know my culture, so I know the things that may be comfortable for me based on how I was raised – my beliefs, my values – and the things that don’t make me comfortable. Once I realize those things that don’t make me comfortable, for the sake of being a doctor, I learn how to put those things aside so I can treat my patients fairly and provide the services that they need.

TC: I really love that definition – a lot of people hear the words cultural competency or diversity, equity, and inclusion, and they get this kind of kneejerk reaction of, “oh, I don’t know if I want to talk about this,” or they think people are focusing on it too much, but I think when you boil it down to that, just looking at your community and making sure that people at least have a comfortable and safe environment around you –

CH: And being willing to be inquisitive enough to find out more about their cultures.

TC: Yes!

CH: Most people don’t realize their own culture. For me, I’m a black female, I’m a chiropractor, I’m an educator, I grew up in the north, I live in the south, I’m almost 60 years old – all of those things are dynamics that make up your culture. People are a combination of their experiences and their environment. Not just the holidays you celebrate, not just the foods that we eat – all of that is part of our culture, too, but there’s also those underlying things that we don’t see: how people feel about personal space, how people think about modesty, how much of my flesh do I want to show? There are different things that we don’t think about as chiropractors, and those are things that I teach in my class at Life. I get into those topics that people aren’t “comfortable” with but should be addressed, because you don’t know what you’re going to see, you don’t know who’s going to walk in your office, and you want to be able to put yourself aside.

TC: I 100% agree. I am a second generation American – my mom is an immigrant from Hong Kong – and so I have my own cultural mismatch with living in typical American suburban society. Even bringing friends to my house as a kid, I would have to give them the rundown on how to address my parents, here’s some things you shouldn’t do in my house, take off your shoes – it just makes it more comfortable for everybody. And if that’s the prep I have to do for people just coming to hang out, I can only imagine how much more you have to prepare to have anybody walking into your practice.

CH: Mhmm. You know, we all have prejudices, we all have those things we don’t like to admit, but we do. That’s just who we are. And knowing – saying, ok, let me just put this aside because I can’t let that interfere with giving service or care to that individual – lets you feel more comfortable when you’re delivering service and care to them. Even as far as your media, how you advertise, your websites, social media, who do you interact with? People pay attention to all those things when choosing a provider so they’ll know whether they’ll be comfortable to be in your office. It’s not hard, I tell people, cultural competence is just how we live in a society that’s diverse.

TC: Would you mind sharing in your own words some of the things that led you to chiropractic, to upper cervical chiropractic, and specifically focusing on cultural competence and diversity, equity, and inclusion?

CH: Well, I was not a chiro kid. My parents raised us to be healthy, but if we had to go to the doctor, we were in a doctor’s office. My family is from Jamaica, and we moved to New York when I was about three years old, so I grew up in Brooklyn, New York. I didn’t know anything about chiropractic, never saw a chiropractor, never knew what a chiropractor was. I do remember seeing some of the offices, but never looked into it any more than that. I ended up at the University of South Carolina and started working after school in environmental labs and things like that. I worked for the Department of Environmental Health in South Carolina. For 10 years, I was a laboratory evaluator, so I traveled around the state evaluating wastewater labs.

So again, nothing about chiropractic on my radar until my minister was using my bike in my apartment and something happened to her hip. I took her to urgent care and they gave her some muscle relaxants. When I took her back the next day, the doctor looked at her and just gave her more pills. She was down for about two weeks and could hardly walk. I went to a store that we normally frequent – a health food store – and a nurse asked me how [she] was doing. I said, “Well, she’s got this thing in her hip and her back and I don’t know what’s going on.” So she said, “Have you taken her to a chiropractor?” and I looked at her like, “Huh? What is that?” At this time, I had a master’s degree, two bachelor’s degrees, had managed my own laboratory, and I had no idea what a chiropractor was. She gave me a card for her practice, so I took my minister to her chiropractor. Two adjustments later, she started moving, and the next visit she was up and going. I was like, “Oh my gosh, what is this?” That started me thinking and as my journey through life went on, chiropractic was always on my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about this way of helping people by moving bones and without medication, so when I made up my mind – and I’m so thankful I did – I went back to that same chiropractor’s office, but he had moved on. But a Sherman chiropractor had purchased that practice and he and his wife would talk to me about chiropractic. He gave me an application to go to Sherman.

Around my 5^th or 6^th quarter, something started to happen. I had just turned 40 around that time and I had developed a hip pain that would not go away. I went to my intern, I went to doctors on campus, and it was not going away. I was really at the point where I said, “You know what, maybe chiropractic isn’t going to work for me, so how can I tell other people that it’s going to work for them?” Thankfully Dr. Susan Hooper came on campus to teach the Blair elective, but at 5^th quarter I couldn’t take it yet, so I asked her if I could be the patient. She took my x-rays and said, “Oh, you’re perfect for this module, so I’ll get you adjusted today.” In my mind I said, “You know what, if this does not work, I’m going to do something else because I can’t tell people something works if it doesn’t work on me.” So, Dr. Susan took my x-rays, got me down on the table for an adjustment – and again, this is an upper cervical adjustment so she just adjusted me at the atlas – once she did the adjustment, I kid you not, the first place I felt heat was in that hip. It was like someone set it on fire. It was just burning up. She rested me for about 30 minutes on one of the benches in the clinic. I laid there and I rested and went right to sleep. When I woke up, I promise you my hip pain was g-o-n-e.

TC: Wow

CH: I felt nothing in that hip. I stood up and I was like, oh my gosh, you adjusted me here and this went away? I said thank you, now I know what I want to do. I know exactly what I want to do. I’m going to be a Blair Upper Cervical chiropractor because I know it works. So, I tell my patients I’m not only someone who has learned this technique, I’m also a beneficiary of this technique. But I’m so thankful that a hip pain led me – and God took me – to the Blair technique. That’s what I do today.

TC: That’s incredible. I mean, I deal with so many chiropractors day to day with our membership and there’s a lot of them where it’s a family business, so I love hearing stories from people who, like you, found it a lot later in life,

CH: Oh yes.

TC: And you felt called to it in a really meaningful way, so I love hearing your story, thank you for sharing. Joining chiropractic a little bit later, you’ve already had a whole career in a different field and a bunch of degrees under your belt, did you notice things in the way that you were treated or the people around you were treated in chiropractic that led you towards this focus on cultural competency?

CH: Well, you know, cultural competence actually came out of my career working for the state Department of Health. We had issues where people were not being treated fairly. It came up, for example, that we were issuing citations for people in the mountains for burning rubber. In South Carolina, people have been burning rubber in the mountains for generations and generations, but here comes the “government” saying that they can’t do that anymore and issuing citations, so a lot of our agents were met with rifles, buckshot, and gunshot. Another example is that the nurses would go out for home health care – they would go to people’s houses and call an elderly person by their first name, and some people complained that the nurses were disrespectful. The state government started issuing a directive for cultural competence training. All of the departments had to send someone to be trained, and then go back and train their colleagues. I was the cultural competence trainer in my department, so I saw on the state level how much of a difference it made in how we treated people, how we did our job.

I’ve noticed I’m a minority, no matter where I go – whether I work for federal government, state government – wherever I am, I am always female, a black female, I am always a minority. That’s something I was used to, but in chiropractic, I noticed that as well. We were blessed at Sherman that our president at the time was Dr. Jerry Hardee, who is maybe the second African American president of a chiropractic school. At that time, Sherman also had a very large African American population. There was a lot of recruiting being done at historically Black colleges and universities, so a lot of students were coming on campus. I would hear comments from faculty about what was happening to the school and the different students, so I started doing some research. I found some really good articles that had been done back in 2012 talking about this same issue with chiropractic in the US. I actually did a research project looking at where we are as a profession and what we’re missing as a profession in order to better serve the communities as they change, because there’s always going to be changing communities. You’re always going to get an influx of people who “don’t look like you.” As a chiropractor, you don’t know who’s walking in your door, you want to serve the community that needs to be served. I found growing up in New York, as much as I thought that we were pretty much in a mixed community, I don’t remember seeing a chiropractor’s office. What I’ve found is that for most people who are minorities in this country who learned about chiropractic, it’s usually though trauma – a motor vehicle accident – and no one’s trying to tell them to bring their family to get care. So, looking at cultural competence, looking at which communities chiropractors open in and how often chiropractors go into other communities that aren’t theirs, and who they market to, those were the questions I was looking at. I was looking at the numbers, and I mean, [long pause] it was very disappointing, but also challenging, which is why cultural competence is so important to me. So, I started doing some research here at Life and putting out some numbers, and that’s what got me onto cultural competence in our profession.

TC: So, you research, you teach, you do all these things, but you do also maintain a very active practice. Within your own practice, how are you carrying out your commitment to serve a diverse population, and, also, how have you seen in other offices how cultural competency affects chiropractic?

CH: In my office, I am very particular about how my website is set up, I try to put up all my information and have different people’s faces on the website so they can find me. In my reviews, things like that, I don’t want anyone to feel like they’re not welcome. The Bible says do unto others as you would have them do unto you, and that’s how we treat our patients when they come to our office, like they’re family. I can’t help it if some people don’t realize I’m a Black chiropractor – sometimes they don’t feel comfortable, but after a while we have a conversation, I’m still a doctor, so they calm right down, and they feel comfortable, and they refer family members. I go to the ends of what I can do as a person who wants to be culturally competent and if I don’t understand the culture, I will take some time to look it up. I ask questions, I want to know, I’m always inquisitive about my patients, because they want help but they’re still people, they’re not just an atlas that walks, or a sacrum that needs readjusting. They’re actual individuals wrapped in a whole lot of skin and a whole lot of emotions, a whole lot of feelings, a whole lot of experiences. I try to make myself open to that.

Because I teach students, people come back and report to me things that they see in other offices since I do talk about cultural competence. I had a student come back two or three quarters ago who went to shadow a doc. She said it was really interesting, but she was very disturbed. It was a Caucasian male doctor, a recent graduate, and she stayed all day with him and watched him adjust patient after patient. She said something changed when he had one patient come in, and he turned out to be an African American male. She said every time he adjusted the patients, he would wipe off his hands on his legs. I mean, I get patients sometimes that are a little, you know, dirty, and sometimes a little odor-y, but she said, no, he came in a suit, he looked like a businessman, but every time he adjusted him, he wiped his hands off on his clothes. She said it made her feel very uncomfortable watching that. He probably didn’t even know he was doing it. It was deeply ingrained, and he probably didn’t even think about what he was doing. I asked her, “No other time?” and she said, “No, that’s the only time he did that.” So, cultural competence is people being aware of their own biases and prejudices and understanding that they do have them so they can put them aside. A lot of people don’t think about that, these unconscious thoughts, unconscious attitudes.

TC: That’s so unfortunate! But it’s good to see that with the work that you do in teaching students and working with the next generation of chiropractors coming up, they’re able to spot those things, so the fact that the student is able to see that this is an inappropriate way to be handling your patient and then can use that as a learning opportunity to make sure that their patients are handled better, I think if there has to be an upside, at least we have that.

Speaking of all the things on your plate, coming up in April we’ve got the ICA 98^th Annual Convention and we’re so excited to have you. The theme for this year’s convention and throughout our whole year is Serving Those Who Served – so it’s a focus on veterans and their families, their particular needs, and how we care for them. I think what I’ve learned from our talk together today is that cultural competency covers a lot more than just the aspects that I would have typically considered, and I think I think cultural competence obviously includes the special care needs that veterans have.

CH: That’s exactly right.

TC: So, can you elaborate a little bit on how your presentation, how your topic, how cultural competence in general ties in with the theme of serving those who served and caring for veterans?

CH: Well, veterans have a separate culture all their own. Whether they were in the Army, Airforce, Marines… it’s still different cultures. And working with veterans, it’s important to understand that they have some stresses that come out of that culture. They have some different challenges. I think as chiropractors, we need to take that into account. I love when people say, oh, we just need to adjust. No, you can’t just adjust everything. You have to also be willing to talk and listen and hear and realize that people’s experiences can definitely shape how they come to your office. So, I think as chiropractors we should be more mindful of that separate culture because it is a separate culture. I’ve never been in the military, so all I can do is hear what they have to say and have an understanding ear and a willingness to learn – it’s always about a willingness to learn – what they’ve been through, what things are important to them, so when they’re on my table, I’m paying attention to things that are also important to them and just taking the time to get to know them. I think that’s a big part of any time we work with anyone, but especially our veterans. Some of them have experienced some horrible things in their life and you want to be that person that’s not adding more stress but helping to relieve not only the subluxation, but maybe a lot of what’s going on mentally.

TC: Thank you. That was a great preview and I’m looking forward to your entire presentation coming up in April. As we wrap up, we’re in February now – obviously, that’s Black History Month. It’s a great time to reflect on how we as individuals and how we as a society interact with the Black and African American members of our community now and in our history. Having that context in mind, can you speak a little bit on the importance of diversity and inclusion within the chiropractic profession, especially as it relates to recognizing and celebrating Black chiropractors?

CH: Here at Life University, the Student American Black Chiropractic Association Life University chapter does an annual Black History Month gala. It’s a big event, and because we’re chiropractors and chiropractic students, we honor the folks in chiropractic who people don’t know about. We talk about the first person to be ever adjusted, Harvey Lillard. We give honor and credence to him because he didn’t have to let DD Palmer adjust him. We talk about all the unsung heroes. I think we need to have an understanding of where African Americans fit in chiropractic history, looking at what BJ Palmer taught, and how he did support African American chiropractic colleges –  because students at Palmer wouldn’t allow them to come there – by being willing to help support smaller chiropractic schools that were just for minorities. We need to talk about those unsung heroes: [Dr. Fred] Rubel and all the others who have come into the profession who have done great things. The American Black Chiropractic Association was established in 1985 to support and help African Americans in chiropractic school because there was such a dirge of people helping each other. So that’s why we do what we do. You know, there were so many more people than just the ones we talk about all the time when we talk about chiropractic history. We always say we want to take chiropractic to the world, we want to serve the world, we want to serve everyone, but we need to take a look and appreciate those around us who are chiropractors. I am so glad that Dr. Deborah Little is the first African American female of the Georgia Chiropractic Association. I’m so proud of her and I’m so happy for her and pay tribute to the work that she’s done. She’s a Life graduate and those things we really need to pay more attention to and not ignore. And I do think if it’s not on your radar, you don’t think about it. But there’s so many unsung heroes. I think I’m the first African American Board Member of the ICA. Those are things that look like small things, but in making headway and breaking through some barriers that have been there for a while, I think that’s an important thing to celebrate.

TC: Absolutely! I have a thousand more questions I could ask you, but I know that you’re very busy and we’re out of time, so thank you so much for taking time out to talk with me and to share things with our chiropractors. This is such an important topic that I think they’re not getting to interact with enough, so thanks for bringing that to our organization, for all the communities that you already deal with. It really is such a blessing to be able to speak with you today.

CH: Thank you.

Dr. Herman will be speaking at the ICA 98th Annual Convention – Serving Those Who Served, to be held April 11-13, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. To learn more about the Convention and to register, please visit icaevents.org/convention2024.

October 13, 2023 (Falls Church, VA) – The International Chiropractor Association proudly recognizes Dr. Brant Hulsebus for his exemplary contributions to the field of chiropractic. Dr. Hulsebus has been given a prestigious honor by the 103^rd General Assembly of the State of Illinois for being inducted into the Palmer College of Chiropractic Academy of Chiropractic Fellows on September 16, 2023.

A third-generation chiropractor, Dr. Hulsebus graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 2002. His dedication to the profession is evident through his active involvement as a Fellow of the ICA (FICA) and his role as the Representative to the Assembly for Illinois. He was awarded the 2022 ICA Legislative Leadership Award, an honor named after his father, the legendary Bob Hulsebus.

Additionally, Dr. Hulsebus serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Illinois Prairie State Chiropractic Association, contributing to the advancement of chiropractic in the region. For over a decade, he has provided his expertise as the team chiropractor for the Rockford IceHogs hockey team.

Dr. Hulsebus’ dedication, passion, and significant contributions to the chiropractic profession make him a deserving recipient of these prestigious accolades. His unwavering commitment to the well-being of his patients and the chiropractic community is truly commendable. We are proud to have him as a member of the ICA.

October 4, 2023 (Falls Church, VA) – The International Chiropractors Association (ICA) is pleased to announce that three ICA Board members and several other ICA members were honored with 2023 Lasting Legacy Awards during Life Vision Extravaganza, the annual fall homecoming and continuing education event hosted by Life University. These awards recognize outstanding achievements and contributions to the chiropractic profession.

Dr. Amanda Apfelblat, a member of the ICA Board of Directors, received the Honors “To Give” Award in recognition of her incredible generosity to Life University and chiropractic.

Dr. Julie Mayer-Hunt, another distinguished ICA Board Member, was honored with the Spirit of Philanthropy Award. This award pays tribute to Dr. Mayer-Hunt’s boundless generosity and unwavering commitment to the chiropractic community.

Dr. Stephen Welsh, ICA Immediate Past President, was honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award for Honors for having reached the pinnacle of success in his career and has brought credit to himself and to Life University for the work he has done to promote and protect chiropractic.

Additional ICA Members who were recognized include:

Dr. Deed Harrison was presented the Honorary Alumnus Award. This accolade celebrates Dr. Harrison’s profound success in his career, as well as his contributions to the profession, community, and the university – especially in the field of research.

Dr. Stuart Hoffman was presented with the Lifetime Giving Award. This prestigious recognition acknowledges Dr. Hoffman’s lifelong commitment to excellence in chiropractic care and his lasting positive impact on the profession. It was announced during the award ceremony that Dr. Hoffman has generously committed $500,000 towards the Dr. Chuck Ribley Lasting Purpose Alumni Event Center.

Dr. Marcus Hummel received the Young Alumnus Award for his outstanding achievements in the field and his contributions to his community in the short time since his graduation.

Dr. Eric Plasker, a long time ICA member was honored with the Life University 2023 Chiropractor of the Year Award. This high honor recognizes Dr. Plasker’s exceptional leadership, innovative contributions, and unwavering dedication to advancing the field of chiropractic. Dr. Plasker has taught the 100 Year Lifestyle to over 10,000 chiropractors.

We are thrilled to have these chiropractic leaders as members of our organization, and we look forward to their future contributions to chiropractic and healthcare.

May 12, 2023 (Falls Church, VA) It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of ICA Lifetime member and renowned chiropractor Dr. Patricia Foster McLean on May 8, 2023. The wife of former ICA President Dr. Michael McLean, Pat dedicated her life to her family including her five children, two of whom are chiropractors; the ICA; chiropractic; and health promotion.

After conducting her undergraduate studies at Old Dominion University, Pat attended Life University in Marietta, Georgia and graduated with her Doctor of Chiropractic (Cum Laude) in 1984. A lifelong learner, Pat studied directly with Dr. Richard von Rumpt, founder of Directional Non-Force Technique (DNFT), and obtained certification by him in 1980. She also completed a 120-hour Physical Therapy Certification in 2007 at Parker College of Chiropractic which included “Cutting Edge Therapies” instructed by Dr. Ken Thomas. In 2009, she became a Certified Laser Specialist, studying advanced phototherapy with Douglas Johnson, LAT, ATC, EES, CLS. In 2010, she certified in the Activator Methods Technique, obtained certification in the 100 Year Lifestyle, and had advanced training in Flower of Life Meditation.

Dr. Patricia McLean was a true pioneer in the field of chiropractic. Along with her husband, Dr. Michael McLean, she developed the LightForce® Chiropractic Technique and Corrective Care to address chronic and recurring issues. Since 1984, she and Dr. Michael McLean have been in active full-time practice at Ocean LightForce® Chiropractic, P.C. In Virginia Beach, VA. In the spring of 2013, Pat founded and ran Ocean LightForce® Chiropractic – Maui.

Pat was not one to hide her light under a bushel. She took what she learned and shared it widely through teaching, advocacy, and corporate activities. These included: Cofounder and past Secretary of the Virginia Society of Chiropractic, where she was recognized as Chiropractor of the Year in 1997 and received the Distinguished Service Award in 1994; Co-Founder and Vice President of the Association of Research of Directional Non-Force Technique; member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association; founding member and former Vice President of the League of Chiropractic Women; and instructor and lecturer on low level LASER Therapy, teaching LASER therapy techniques to doctors and other health care professionals in the United States.

Dr. McLean also taught continuing education courses (CEU) for the International Chiropractors Association as well as at California Chiropractic Association, Parker Chiropractic College, Colorado Chiropractic Association., Life University-College of Chiropractic, Bridgewater College, and the 100 Year Lifestyle Program. She was an award-winning speaker on chiropractic philosophy with numerous organizations including New Beginnings, and Dynamic Essentials, where she was an 8-time Life Dynamic Essentials Team Speakers Awardee.

Dr. McLean served as a Representative for the state of Virginia to the ICA Assembly. In recognition of her extensive service to the ICA and chiropractic profession overall, Dr. McLean was inducted as a Fellow of the ICA in 1994. Through her years of service, she proved to be an indispensable asset to our organization and to chiropractic.

Pat was a highly successful entrepreneur. Dr. Patricia McLean, in addition to having two successful chiropractic offices with her husband, was a highly successful businesswoman the health promotion field. She reached Diamond Executive level status with The BioMat Company, served as Vice President of Corporate Programs, Multi Radiance Medical from 2009 to 2012 and was a Diamond level Partner with Young Living.

Pat with her husband Michael have set an example for philanthropy in chiropractic education. Drs. Patricia and Michael McLean are members of Life University, College of Chiropractic, President’s Circle; Life Chiropractic College-West, President’s Circle. Pat also previously served on the Sherman College of Chiropractic, Board of Regents.

“I have considered this beautiful lady a dear friend, sister and mother,” said Dr. Selina Sigafoose-Jackson, current ICA President, while sharing memories of Dr. McLean. “She has had such a massive impact in my life. In 2014 at Cleveland Chiropractic College, when the ICA had our annual meeting on campus and my father last spoke, Pat is the one that said to me first, ‘You will be the President of ICA.’ I never thought it possible. She saw things in others and never hesitated to speak it. She was a beacon of power, light, strength, courage, integrity all animated inside such a beautiful shell of a human being. More than 35 years ago, I remember her walking around the halls of DE, pregnant, with a beautiful flowing dress on, and smiling ear to ear, sharing so much love and compassion.”

“She lived large and loud and was a massive asset to chiropractic, let alone humanity,” continued Dr. Sigafoose-Jackson. “Her footprint on this earth will never be forgotten and I, for one, will be filled with joy and a smile whenever I hear her name and think of her. Thank you, Pat, for a life well lived. Thank you for being a champion for women and chiropractic. Thank you for always speaking your mind and your truth. Thank you, Michael McLean, for saving this woman’s life so we all could be touched by her. My heart is broken as many of ours are, but Pat would prefer it if we laughed out loud and danced. So, in memory of my dear friend, sister, and mother, I will laugh and dance; not today, because today my heart hurts, but I will soon.”

Dr. Pat will be deeply missed by her family, friends, and colleagues. Her passion and commitment to her patients were evident in every aspect of her practice. Her legacy will live on through the countless patients and doctors she helped over the years, the organizations she supported, and her contributions to the field of chiropractic.

Our thoughts and condolences go out to Dr. Pat’s family during this difficult time. She will be remembered as a compassionate and skilled practitioner who dedicated her life to helping others.

Information on a memorial service or funeral will be updated as it is received.

October 19, 2022 (Falls Church, VA) This month’s cover story of Masters of Health magazine was written by long-time ICA member Eric Plasker, DC. Dr. Plasker explores the history of chiropractic, from D.D. Palmer’s first adjustment in 1895 to the essential role of chiropractors in worldwide communities today. In the intervening years, chiropractic and its practitioners have consistently faced societal and legal prejudice, but through the persistence of chiropractors and key leaders, chiropractic has been established as a formally recognized and respected health care choice.

Dr. Plasker comments on the current status of chiropractic: “Today chiropractors are taking the lead, being the first choice for healthcare because of their safe, holistic approach.”

Dr. Plasker’s article is a well-researched, well-written piece focusing on the story of chiropractic. He includes the key players and legislation that have led to chiropractic’s modern proliferation. He also looks to the future development of the profession, recognizing that everyone can benefit from the chiropractic approach to wellness.

“Living a healthy lifestyle, eating right, and exercising are not enough if your spine and nervous system are not healthy… Chiropractic is not just about treating symptoms, it’s about optimizing the function of the nervous system,” writes Dr. Plasker.

Eric Plasker, DC, is a bestselling author and the mind behind the international phenomenon, The 100 Year Lifestyle. Dr Plasker graduated from Life University, formerly Life Chiropractic College, in 1986, and has been in practice since. His practice treats everyone from families to champion Division 1 collegiate athletes. Through his practice and The 100 Year Lifestyle, he promotes innate intelligence, natural healing, and wellness through every phase of life.

You can read Dr. Plasker’s article, “The Chiropractic Journey – From Persecuted to ESSENTIAL,” in this month’s edition of Masters of Health magazine, found at https://www.mastersofhealthmag.com/.