Michelle Rose, DC, president of the Unified Virginia Chiropractic Association (UVCA) and owner of Green Run Chiropractic in Virginia Beach, received the ChiroCongress Impact Award from the Congress of State Chiropractic Associations.
The award was presented “for her unwavering contributions to, and support of ChiroCongress, state associations and the entire profession” at the ChiroCongress Annual Convention in Denver, Colorado in November. One recent contribution has been Rose’s leadership in an investigation of the Hampton Veterans Association after numerous veterans reported having coverage of their chiropractic services denied.
“I am very honored to win this award,” said Rose, a 1998 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic, in a UVCA press release. “This cause has become a passion project for me. Our veterans deserve whatever healthcare works best for them, and I will continue to fight for them to have better access to chiropractic care.”
Fighting for veterans’ rights
Rose has been at the forefront of the movement to investigate the Hampton VA since October of last year.
“The Hampton VA’s denials have severely eroded the quality of life for dozens of veteran patients and directly impacted their ability to work, live and perform basic tasks without assistance,” noted a UVCA press release, “in many cases directing them to addictive opioids or alternative therapies instead that do not work for them.”
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After Rose spoke with the veterans about their service denials, she and several patients were interviewed by investigative reporter Margaret Kavanaugh of Channel 3 WTKR Hampton Roads. Rose secured the support of Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA), who chairs the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations for the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and started looking into the issue. Kavanaugh also interviewed Kiggans, then did a follow-up story a few days later, interviewing Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA).
The UVCA presented Kavanaugh their Journalism Award during the 2024 UVCA Fall Convention for her coverage of the issue.
Kiggans later released a report of the Office of Inspector General’s official investigation of the Hampton VA. To date, some of the patients’ cases have been resolved, while others have not.
The ChiroCongress Impact Award and other accolades
The ChiroCongress Impact Award is one of several honors Rose has received over the course of her career.
Today’s Chiropractic Lifestyle magazine included her in their “Most Influential Chiropractors Age 40 and Under” list, and the UVCA named her Chiropractor of the Year for 2018. She was elected UVCA president by a unanimous vote in 2021, already having served the organization as vice president.
Rose is also a member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association and a past president of the Hampton Roads Chiropractic Association.
About the Unified Virginia Chiropractic Association
The Virginia Chiropractic Association was established in 1925 and unified with the Virginia Society of Chiropractic in 2009. The UVCA is a nonprofit organization that is committed to helping doctors of chiropractic deliver exceptional care, as well as improving and advancing public health and well-being in the Commonwealth. For more information, visit virginiachiropractic.org.
