Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP) Executive Vice President Sherry McAllister, DC, has been named to PR News’ inaugural list of the Top Women in Healthcare for 2019. The award recognizes the most innovative women leaders in the healthcare sector from agencies, corporations and nonprofits.
Other honorees include executives from some of the world’s best-known medical and dental organizations, including the American Dental Association, UnitedHealthcare, Optum and Dignity Health.
McAllister was one of the first to call attention to the opioid crisis in the U.S. As head of a nonprofit with limited financial resources, she recognized the power of public relations to raise awareness of a healthcare issue and used every tool at her disposal: from white papers to infographics and everything in between. Under her direction, F4CP launched a PR campaign three years ago focused on educating the public about the dangers of opioids and the benefits of non-drug approaches to manage pain, including chiropractic care. F4CP published several white papers, toolkits and eBooks, including “Chiropractic: A Safer Strategy Than Opioids,” “Chiropractic: A Key to America’s Opioid Exit Strategy,” and “As the Opioid Epidemic Rages On, Chiropractic is Recognized as Safer Option for Pain.”
“Dr. McAllister has led the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress from 8,000 members to more than 24,000 in just over three years,” said F4CP Chairman Kent S. Greenawalt. “She works tirelessly to elevate the profession’s profile in positive and meaningful ways and is never satisfied with the status quo, always striving to raise the bar each year.”
McAllister has been featured in Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, Becker’s Spine Review, Journal of the Mississippi State Medical Association, Employee Benefit News, Dynamic Chiropractic, Chiropractic Economics and many other trade and consumer-facing outlets.
“This award is tangible recognition of how far our profession has come and is gratifying on so many levels,” McAllister said. “For more than a decade, the Foundation has been knocking on doors in the media with little to no avail, and now, not only are we being answered, but journalists are seeking our insight and commentary about safe, effective and drug-free chiropractic care. More importantly, a growing number of doctors of chiropractic are being included in collaborative, multidisciplinary care teams not only to help curb opioid prescriptions, but also to help patients achieve greater sustained pain relief and mobility. Research has shown that the involvement of doctors of chiropractic with integrated care teams is having a profound effect on outcomes, as well as patient satisfaction.”
McAllister earned her Master’s Degree in Education from the University of California East Bay. She is a graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic West, where she taught as an associate professor. She has served as a qualified medical examiner, expert chiropractic witness for the State of California, and has been in private practice in San Jose since 1996.
The Top Women in Healthcare Awards Luncheon will take place on June 5, 2019, from 12-2 p.m. at The Yale Club in New York City. This celebratory event will bring together female healthcare executives who are advancing their profession in meaningful and moving ways, with an impact on patients, customers and culture at large.
