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Sharing chiropractic in a pandemic

Health Center

Among the essential workers of the COVID-19 pandemic, chiropractors are finding various ways to work around the many challenges that the novel coronavirus poses for health care professionals. Following are just a handful of the stories we’ve discovered in which chiropractors continue to support their staff and their patients as they strive to relieve the burden on all health care workers.

Dr. Claudia Anrig

Dr. Claudia Anrig

Dr. Claudia Anrig: This former president of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association met with Life West President Ron Oberstein for an interview recently. A graduate of Life West in the early days, she reflected on the ways she was supporting her staff and patients in Fresno, California, during the pandemic. “I started calling everybody just letting them know our practice is considered essential,” she said. “Ihad three patients coming in and one of them just started crying, saying, ‘I was so glad you’re open … I knew that you were going to give me optimism beyond the adjustment,’ and so I would encourage all of my fellow colleagues to call them up, and not to try to schedule them, but just let them know that you are available.”

Dr. Paul Reed

Dr. Paul Reed

Dr. Paul Reed: Some chiropractors have offered free care to front-line health care workers. Dr. Reed, a Life West DC Ambassador who practices in Vancouver, Washington, knows that front-line workers can be on their feet for 10-12 hours at a time, which can negatively affect the spine. “These teams are under extreme amounts of mental and physical stress while providing the necessary care,” Dr. Reed said. The doctors and support staff of Bridge Chiropractic want to help all of the front-liners stay healthy so they can continue to focus on helping our community recover from this crisis as quickly as possible.”

Dr. Reed is not alone in wanting to help front-line medical workers. Other chiropractors, like Dr. David Hausmann, of Stronghold Health in Nashville, are making the news for providing help to doctors and nurses looking for care. Dr. Hausmann told Nashville News4 that the harsh conditions that front-line medical workers are experiencing has been compressing their spine, “and the problems that they were already dealing with now all of a sudden are intensifying.”

Dr. Shane Smith

Dr. Shane Smith

Dr. Jason Gonzales

Dr. Jason Gonzales

Dr. Jason Gonzales and Dr. Shane Smith: These two Life West graduates, who practice in Chico, have found a creative way to help front-line workers and restaurants simultaneously. Their grass-roots effort is called Feeding the Front Lines, and they recently partnered with Zrock 107.7 FM to donate $500 worth of gift cards from the restaurant La Cocína Economíca to front-line workers. “We’re hoping to encourage people in our community to follow up with our donation and keep the ball rolling,” Dr. Gonzales said. “They’re out there working massive 12-hour shifts,” Dr. Smith said. “They’re in a crisis mode and helping everybody out.”

Dr. Scott Donaldson

Dr. Scott Donaldson

Life West Health Center: After closing briefly to move new safety measures into place, the Life West Health Center, deemed an essential service in California, reopened in April and has taken the necessary measures to continue supporting patients without COVID-19 who still need care. Dr. Scott Donaldson, who manages the Health Center, said: “Based on CDC and Alameda Public Health Department guidelines, we created screening protocols, and cleaning and sanitizing protocols, to ensure a safe environment, all with intention to act responsibly during this time.” Now doctors, staffers, and patients are checked for their temperature at the center’s entrance, among other measures, as the Health Center continues its work in the community.

“It’s very important to us to be able to serve our patients cautiously and with respect to the public health crisis that is occurring around us,” Life West mentor doctor Lauren Clum, DC, said shortly after the Health Center re-opened. “We’ve put a lot of precautions in place to make sure we’re adhering to guidelines put out for health care facilities and honoring what’s going on with the public health crisis.”

“Not only are we helping patients manage or rid themselves of pain, but we provide a welcome break for them during their day,” said fellow mentor doctor Paula Murillo, DC. “They enjoy coming to a place that is safe, and where they can interact with friendly staff and loving interns and doctors during this challenging time.”

Dr. Donaldson said the Health Center is proving that chiropractors are essential personnel as its doctors continue to provide care for men, women and children. He added that he has also consulted with other doctors and clinics to help them on their way to reopening.

“Our doctors are taking care of non-COVID patients and helping to relieve the rest of the health care system, which is under extreme pressure right now,” he said. “By remaining open in a responsible way, we relieve some of that pressure. Everyone who is not dealing with COVID patients is essential to providing the care they need.”

How to volunteer: In California, chiropractors have been able to volunteer with the California Health Corps by signing up on their website. “We need all health care workers out in the field,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said when shelter-in-place orders were issued. “This is an all-hands-on-deck situation as we prepare for what’s ahead.”

 

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