The National University of Health Sciences community is mourning the loss of one of its most distinguished alumni, N. Ray Tuck Jr., DC, ‘97, who has passed away.

Dr. Tuck was past president of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) and National University of Health Sciences’ 2019 Alumnus of the Year. In 2019, he was also named ACA’s Chiropractor of the Year. 

“It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of Dr. Tuck, a cherished member of our university community,” said NUHS President Joseph Stiefel, MS, EdD., DC. “Dr. Tuck was not only a distinguished graduate of our institution but also an exemplary individual whose contributions to chiropractic medicine left an indelible mark on society. As an alumnus, he embodied the values and spirit of our university, and his accomplishments serve as an inspiration to current and future generations of students.” 

Across Southwest rural Virginia, Dr. Tuck played a crucial role in increasing access to chiropractic medicine. Starting in 2002, he bought two practices from his late father (NUHS ’78) and expanded them into 10. By 2011, Tuck Chiropractic Clinic was named one of the top 50 rising and growing companies in Virginia by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce.  

One of his most recent ventures included Tuck WorkWell, which provides on-site primary care, chiropractic, and occupational health services for employers.  

“I asked how can I swap the traditional business around in order to offer patients what they want, which is high accessibility to care,” Dr. Tuck said in a 2021 NUHS article. 

When Dr. Tuck graduated, the traditional business model for DCs were largely solo practices. Instead, Dr. Tuck decided to take a more team-based, integrative approach. Compared to his father’s days in practice when rent, staff and other overhead costs were much lower, Dr. Tuck said today’s DCs operate on a much smaller margin, which can make working as a solo-practitioner more difficult. Being business-savvy has also become increasingly more important. 

“You have to have a good business structure in order to provide great care,” he said in the article. 

N. Ray Tuck Jr., DC, ‘97, speaks to students at the 2022 Fall Commencement Ceremony.

In 2022, Dr. Tuck, shared his advice and expertise with students as Fall commencement speaker. He discussed one concept that he hoped students would remember throughout their health care careers: the platinum rule. Similar to the golden rule (to treat others as you would like to be treated), the platinum rule is about treating others as they would want to be treated.  

According to Dr. Tuck, the challenge of the golden rule is that it assumes everyone has the same experience as you. He encouraged students to partner with their patients to help them achieve their unique goals.  

“I think if you did that, the success you would have in today’s health care world would be tremendous,” said Dr. Tuck, our distinguished Fall ‘22 commencement speaker.