Cindy Howard, DC, to receive Dr. Beatrice B. Hagen Award

In recognition of her exemplary commitment to advancing chiropractic care and education, Cindy Howard, DC, DABCI, DACBN, FIAMA, FICC, will receive the Dr. Beatrice B. Hagen Award during Logan University’s Symposium 2026 May 1-2.

Cindy Howard’s connection with Logan began when she attended her first of many Symposiums in 2019, and her involvement grew, a Logan press release noted. She has been a regular speaker at Logan events such as the Women’s Health Symposium and Logan’s annual Symposium and counts many Logan alumni among her closest personal and professional friends.

“This award was very unexpected,” said Howard. “It’s a reminder that what I do every day matters and that I have friends and peers who took note that I make a difference in others’ lives.”

Cindy Howard earned her DC degree from National University of Health Sciences in 1998. In 2000, she founded Innovative Health & Wellness Center in Orland Park, Illinois, where she focuses on treating the root cause of disease with functional medicine, chiropractic and acupuncture. For more than two decades, she has represented Illinois through various roles with the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), including as a delegate. She is currently vice president of the ACA College of Pharmacology and Toxicology, a past president of the ACA Council on Diagnosis and Internal Disorders, and recipient of the ACA’s Flynn-Lynch Award, given to outstanding members of the house of delegates. She also was honored as Chiropractor of the Year by the Illinois Chiropractic Society.

“My mission is to help people and organizations find strength, joy and well-being in the middle of challenge—not after it’s over—because healing and happiness are choices we can make every single day,” Howard said.

A change in perspective

In 2013, after Howard noticed a swollen lymph node on her neck, she diagnosed and co-managed her own care for stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Based on her years of experience, she was intent on a treatment approach that combined chemotherapy with personalized, evidence-based integrative strategies.

Howard underwent six months of chemotherapy at the Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment in Skokie, Illinois, along with a supplement regimen and chiropractic care. Now cancer-free, she stresses how much the experience changed her perspective.

“It helps me empathize better,” Howard said. “I don’t know exactly what another individual is going through, but I can honor their experience.”

Howard’s battle with cancer was the inspiration behind her book, “Positively Altered: Finding Happiness at the Bottom of a Chemo Bag.”

“It’s about finding the fun and the gifts in every single day, even the very hard ones,” she said.

The book’s success has led to numerous national speaking engagements. Combined with running her private practice and a consulting business, teaching for the DABCI diplomate certification and serving on the medical advisory board for Fullscript Functional Medicine University and Inguardia Health, Howard’s schedule is packed, which is how she likes it.

“I don’t have any plans to slow down,” she said. “I am always looking for ways to promote the benefits of chiropractic care, and I want to stay in clinical practice forever doing what I love.”

Following the presentation of the Dr. Beatrice B. Hagen Award during Logan’s Symposium 2026, Cindy Howard will deliver a presentation, “SHIFT. Elevating Practice Through Intentional Change.”Register for Symposium 2026, or find more information, here.

About Logan University

Logan University has been dedicated to advancing health through education since 1935. Our consistently top-ranked health sciences programs combine hands-on training, immersive learning and world-class faculty to prepare graduates for fulfilling careers in health care. With state-of-the-art facilities, cutting-edge technologies and post-graduate support, Logan delivers a modern, comprehensive educational experience through 10 academic programs that empower graduates to make a difference in the health and performance of those they serve. Logan is located on a picturesque 112-acre campus in Chesterfield, Missouri, a thriving suburb of St. Louis. Discover more at logan.edu.