2018 was an exciting year filled with many accomplishments for National University faculty, students and alumni. In March, NUHS hosted a popular, first-of-its-kind nutrition conference, attracting various types of physicians and the local community. Outside of NUHS, the chiropractic profession in Florida received exciting news regarding landmark legislation.

Now that the year is coming to a close, revisit the top news viewed on the National University website.

5. ACA Names NUHS Alumnus Researcher of the Year

The American Chiropractic Association presented Dean Smith, MS, DC, PhD, a 1997 NUHS alum and senior clinical faculty member at Miami University, Ohio, with the George B. McClelland, DC, Researcher of the Year Award during the National Chiropractic Leadership Conference (NCLC) in March.

Some of Dr. Smith’s recent research has examined the effect of chiropractic extremity adjustments on postural control and how aerobic exercise impacts movement time. As part of a recent research grant awarded from the U.S. Department of Defense, Dr. Smith has also studied the effect of chiropractic treatment on improving reaction and response times of special operation forces (SOF) military personnel.

4. Mind, Body, Spirit: How NUHS Supports the Natural Progression of One Student’s Career

This popular story featured a yoga teacher turned NUHS chiropractic medicine student. Jeffrey Manning, who is also a massage therapist, opened his own yoga studio in Aurora in 2009. He decided to pursue chiropractic medicine after hitting the limits of his scope of practice. “The longer I was in practice as a therapeutic yoga instructor and massage therapist, the more complex cases were coming to me,” he said.

With his degree Manning plans to build a holistic system of care offering yoga, massage therapy, chiropractic medicine, recreational therapy, acupuncture, and nutrition all in one suite of patient services.

3. 2018 Nutrition Conference to feature the latest in food movements and trends

National University hosted the first conference of its kind focused on the latest research and trends in nutrition March 24-25, 2018, at its Lombard campus and via webinar. The 2018 Nutrition Conference was targeted to health care practitioners, students and the public. Attendees learned about various food movements and how to implement these food diets or strategies to optimize health.

“Between Dr. Oz, local trainers or posts on social media, it’s hard to know what to listen to about nutrition,” said Jenna Glenn, DC, ND, MS, conference organizer and dean of the NUHS Postprofessional Department. “This conference provided some of the best evidence-based information available, encompassing various kinds of diets that can address multiple patient concerns.”

Read the post-event story here.

2. Florida – Ground-Breaking Direct Primary Care Law Effective July 1

Earlier this spring, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed landmark legislation for the provision of health care services in the state. The new law, effective July 1, will allow chiropractors, among other providers, to enter into direct agreements with employers to provide primary care services to employees as a benefit. Additionally, providers can make arrangements to deliver care for affordable monthly fees, personalized to a family or individual. However, most importantly, these primary care agreements are exempt from insurance regulation.

The new law also has important implications for students at NUHS. “It raises the awareness of what we do, or can do. It also provides the opportunity for our graduates to practice to the full extent of their education,” said Dr. Stiefel, president, National University of Health Sciences.

1. NUHS Students Score Victory in NMSA Trivia Cup Competition

The Chicago Chapter of the Naturopathic Medical Student Association (NMSA), comprised of National University of Health Sciences students, secured a win July 14 as champions of the annual NMSA inter-school Trivia Cup Competition.

This year’s three-day competition took place during the AANP/NMSA conference in San Diego, California. The NMSA Cup is an annual trivia competition among students at the seven accredited Naturopathic Medicine schools across the US and Canada. The rigorous competition tests knowledge of the basic sciences, clinical sciences, naturopathic philosophy, and clinical therapeutic modalities.

Led by captain Kareem Kandil (tenth trimester student), along with Michael Robinson, Polina Robinson, and Haley Doherty (eighth trimester interns) the team battled through four cup rounds against students from Bastyr University-Washington, University of Bridgeport, and The Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine (last year’s cup champion), going on to defeat Boucher again in the championship round.