October 2016
Save the Date!
2017 Chiropractic Homecoming and Winter Gathering
February 2-4, 2017
Leadership News
 Northwestern President Named to Health Leadership Role
Northwestern President Chris Cassirer has been named Chair of the Public Health Committee of the World Federation of Chiropractic, which promotes global health and wellness.
The World Federation of Chiropractic has named Dr. Chris Cassirer, President and CEO of Northwestern Health Sciences University, as Chair of its Public Health Committee, which oversees efforts to promote spinal health and wellness worldwide.
Cassirer, 52, has been President and CEO of Northwestern since 2014. He holds a Doctor of Science Degree from Johns Hopkins University, a Master of Public Health Degree from Yale University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in psychology from Rutgers University.
“I am honored to work with my colleagues at the Federation and to help advance chiropractic care globally,” Cassirer said. “At Northwestern, we educate our students to become leaders in an evolving health-care world, where chiropractic is recognized as playing a vital role in providing safe, economical, clinically effective, non-invasive patient care. I’m eager to begin working with the Federation and its global partners to offer a shared message of hope and healing around the world.”
Cassirer becomes the first non-chiropractor to receive such an appointment by the Federation, a non-profit, non-governmental organization that has been in official relations with the World Health Organization since 1997. Northwestern celebrated its 75th anniversary this year. Along with chiropractic, it offers degree and certification programs in acupuncture, massage therapy and nutrition.
Federation President Dr. Espen Johannessen said: “We are delighted to have someone of Dr. Cassirer’s caliber as the new Chair of the Public Health Committee. His experience and enthusiasm for the chiropractic profession will ensure that the profile of public health, as it relates to doctors of chiropractic, will be significantly elevated.”
Federation Secretary-General Richard Brown said Cassirer’s experience in public health and as an educator will help chiropractic increasingly be seen as an important part of an integrated approach to health care worldwide.
“With the agreed identity of chiropractors as spine-care experts in the health care system, the Federation is keen to intensify its participation in public health and wellness initiatives,” Brown said. “Dr. Cassirer’s stellar track record in public health means that the Federation can take a central role in delivering these initiatives that will support chiropractors and the patients they serve.”
Industry News
 MN Fair Care
Discriminatory practices are all too common in health care today-- whole categories of providers are reimbursed at different rates than other providers for the same covered service; insurers apply arbitrary caps on care based solely on provider type; insurance plan design often steers patients toward less effective, more costly care.
A coalition of patient advocacy groups and provider organizations, called MN Fair Care, was formed to end discriminatory practices that limit patient choice, access and reimbursement. Led by Michele Maiers, Director of Northwestern’s Center for Healthcare Innovation and Policy, MN Fair Care been working together since 2014 to address patient access and provider discrimination in Minnesota. Groups who have collaborated and partnered with MN Fair Care include:
Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Assn. MN
American Massage Therapy Assn. MN
American Physical Therapy Association, MN
Integrative Healthcare Policy Consortium
MN APRN Coalition
MN Assn. of Naturopathic Physicians
MN Chiropractic Assn.
MN Occupational Therapy Assn.
MN Organization of Registered Nurses
MN Physician-Patient Alliance
MN Podiatric Medical Association
State Pain Policy Advocacy Network
During the 2016 session, MN Fair Care introduced patients’ rights and provider non-discrimination legislation (SF3046/ HF3291). Key points of the bill will:
Ensure patients rights to financial control of their healthcare costs, by
• Improving patient access to low-cost providers
• Applying the costs of care delivered by any state-licensed health care provider to an insurance deductible.
Empower patients to seek care from the provider of their choice, by
• Removing arbitrary and discriminatory insurance limitations against categories of state-licensed providers.
• Combating the opioid abuse epidemic by increasing access to non-drug pain therapies
Help transform health care into a system that encourages patient centered decision making! Join MN Fair Care in promoting legislation in the 2017 Minnesota session that will correct discriminatory practices. Contact Michele Maiers at mmaiers@nwhealth.edu for more information and learn how you can get involved.
Alumni Spotlight
 Research in the Antimicrobial Activity of Chinese Herbs
Pictured in the lab (left to right):
Kristin Blake, L.Ac. and current Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Med student and Jessica French, current Oriental Medicine student
The alarming growth in antibiotic-resistant microorganisms should worry all of us, as both healthcare providers and as patients. This concern is motivating researchers worldwide to seek alternative answers to this potential crisis. Northwestern Health Sciences University is in a unique position with a fully stocked Chinese herbal dispensary, many highly qualified experts on the use and administration of Chinese herbal medicines, as well as researchers interested in microbiology and cell biology in the College of Health and Wellness.
Starting in the summer of 2016, students in both the undergraduate and Oriental medicine programs were offered the opportunity to participate in a directed research course created to investigate the antimicrobial properties of Chinese herbs. The class gives students experience in designing experiments based on their interest in specific herbal compounds, as well as a chance to investigate the properties of different preparations or formulations of the herbs.
Currently, we are assaying the anti-growth properties of these compounds against selected microorganisms. We have identified a number of compounds that have antibiotic activity against Gram-negative bacteria, and we are now investigating their effect against Gram-positive bacteria. Plans are also underway to test the anti-fungal activity of some of the compounds, as well as their activity against other eukaryotic cells. At present, we are comparing the activity of these compounds in their powered versus raw (decocted) form to compare the efficacy of these two methods of preparation in preserving the anti-bacterial activity. Ultimately, our goal is to determine the mechanism of action for these compounds in the hope of contributing to the discovery of new antimicrobial compounds.
Events
 Discovery Day:
Saturday, November 5
Did you know that a quarter of all applicants for our next term start in January 2017 were referred to us by a graduate like you? And that, of the applicants who have already applied to begin next fall, that percentage is even higher at 40 percent? Thank you for sharing your passion for helping people live healthier lives by encouraging those who share it to explore our programs!
Prospective students thinking about a career in natural health care can also explore our programs at a Discovery Day event. The next one will be held on campus on Saturday, November 5. Last year, we welcomed an average of 75 students at each of our four Discovery Days, so they are terrific opportunities to connect with a lot of students with a shared passion at once. An easy way to do so is by joining us for lunch this day. Please reach out to me, Erin Kahn, Director of Admissions, at ekahn@nwhealth.edu by Tuesday, November 2 if you would be interested in doing so!
We can also connect you with prospective students at other times: at Information Sessions on campus or at recruitment events closer to where you live or work. Please also be in touch about these opportunities if interested!
Thank you again for your efforts to support our work with prospective students! Please continue to let us know about those you meet with an interest in what you do through our referral form. We love connecting with them!
In the News
 There’s a New Wonder Drug on the Market
Well, now that I’ve got your attention, it’s not a drug produced by "Big Pharma," but it is one that can be prescribed by chiropractic doctors or any other clinician. It’s also cheap, effective and its generic name is EXERCISE!
We now have hundreds of studies and meta-analytic reviews of the scientific literature confirming the benefits of exercise for a wide range of health conditions for which no one drug is effective.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve been following the blog posts and other articles of a physician from the Indiana University School of Medicine. His name is Aaron Carroll and he published an article in the New York Times this past June that’s a straight-forward summary of the many health benefits of physical activity.
The list is long and includes musculoskeletal diseases (including arthritis and back pain), heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and depression. And one of the best things about physical activity is that it works at just about any dose and, most importantly, even benefits the elderly.
A year ago, we also produced a short public service announcement about the benefits of walking. It’s posted on Northwestern’s YouTube channel and, if you want to make it available on your website, I’ll send you the video file. Just contact me, Chuck Sawyer, at csawyer@nwhealth.edu.
Department News
H.C. Sweere Center
 The Ergonomics division of the H.C. Sweere Center, led by Chad Henriksen, DC, DACBOH, continues to successfully establish onsite care programs. In September, NWHSU signed one-year, renewable Onsite Services Agreements with Fairmont Homes Inc., Nappanee, IN and with Nationwide Homes Inc., Martinsville, VA; a third contract is pending with Fleetwood Homes Inc., Riverside, CA.
For each onsite program, Dr. Henriksen interviews and carefully selects a highly qualified chiropractor who can engage employees in the treatment room as well as in their work environment. “We start the onsite provider selection process by reaching out to alumni in the area. We have data that shows Northwestern graduates provide more effective and efficient care; this instills trust with our corporate clients," explains Dr. Henriksen.
The Biomechanics Division of the Sweere Center, led by Greg DeNunzio, DC, BSME, is conducting a normative data study in regards to running gait analysis and to date has completed 55 of 80 assessments for the study; 75 analyses have been performed overall, including fee-for-service and demonstrations for clinic owners, running store owners, and coaches. During the month of August, Dr. DeNunzio presented weekend running seminars covering different topics at Lululemon Athletica in St. Paul. Another series is planned in the spring.
The vision for the Biomechanics division is to have a 3D movement lab, expanding beyond gait analysis and has begun analyzing the power lifts, specifically the squat movement. Look for continued expansion of the analysis of different types of movements.
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