Jeremy Busch, DC, (NUHS 2007), chief executive officer of Performance Sport & Spine in Front Royal, Virginia, completed a highly competitive United States Olympic Committee (USOC) rotation within the Sports Medicine Clinic at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California, in February.
Throughout his two-week rotation, Dr. Busch worked as a member of the Sports Medicine Department providing chiropractic medicine, soft tissue mobilization, physical medicine, and rehabilitative exercises mainly to Olympic and Paralympic athletes in USA Rowing, Rugby 7s, BMX, track & field, soccer, archery, and field hockey.
“I was honored to have this rare opportunity to work with some of the best athletes, and best health care providers in the world,” Dr. Busch said. “This is a dream come true and an opportunity of a lifetime for me as a chiropractor and sports performance expert. This experience allowed me to put my skills and abilities to work and possibly secure a spot on Team USA during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.”
Dr. Jeremy Busch Trains
with USOC
Intense training is an important aspect of the Olympic Training Center. The athletes commonly have two-to-three high-intensity training sessions as well as a strength and conditioning sessions daily. The stresses on their bodies are continuous, therefore, the athletes are constantly evaluated and treated in order to continue their training sessions without the threat of injury. To maintain optimal performance, most athletes rely on a combination of chiropractic and physical medicine including rehabilitative exercises.
“I was pleased to see not only the level of full integration of chiropractic care, but that the chiropractic physicians were so heavily sought after by the athletes as a primary form of care,” Dr. Busch said. “Chiropractic care is definitely supporting our Olympic and Paralympic athletes as they approach Rio and I was ecstatic to be a part of the team.”
Dr. Busch training with an athlete.
Dr. Gantzer, who recently opened a practice in the Tampa Bay area, says, “The experience at Bay Pines was tremendous. I learned how to use different treatment modalities on chronic pain patients, and manage patients with mental health issues that often come with chronic pain in veterans, such as PTSD. The experience widened my scope of how I might handle my own patients, and helped define my model of care.”
NUHS and Bay Pines began a partnership in 2014 to offer an integrative medical experience for clinical interns in the doctor of chiropractic program. Under the partnership agreement, NUHS clinician Ryan Diana, DC, joins Bay Pines' Jason Napuli, DC, in supervising chiropractic interns.
The partnership has advantages for both participants. National University has been able to offer an exciting new hospital experience for its interns, and Bay Pines has been able to reduce previous waiting lists for chiropractic appointments and deliver care to more veterans.
Dr. Gantzer particularly cited the valuable experience she gained in an integrative system working alongside MDs who often had patients with multiple conditions and complex medical needs.
She says rotations like the one at Bay Pines, also help MDs understand and appreciate the chiropractic profession. “We need to show MDs that we are professionals that can offer valuable expertise, not just compete with them. Doing so helps us gain a more global view for our profession and integrate ourselves in mainstream health care as equals.”
Florida Alumna Praises VA Experience
Jennifer Gantzer, DC, a recent graduate of the NUHS chiropractic medicine program, has nothing but praise for her eight-week clinical rotation at Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, just a short distance from the NUHS-Florida site.
Dr. Jennifer Gantzer
Bay Pines VA Healthcare System