Department of Veterans Affairs DC named Chiropractor of the Year

October 19, 2011 — Michael Pavalock, DC, MPA, at the G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery Veterans Medical Center, received the 2011 Chiropractor of the Year Award from the Mississippi Chiropractic Association for his contributions to the chiropractic profession, career achievements, and his leadership within the federal chiropractic arena.

The Chiropractor of the Year award recognizes a chiropractor who exemplifies the highest standards of professional leadership, service, and quality healthcare.

Pavalock is one of a few select chiropractors pioneering the integration of chiropractic care into the Department of Veterans Affairs. In this role he has established the capabilities and value of chiropractic care through clinical excellence and organizational integration. His work to control outsourced neurosurgical expenditures is yielding significant savings to the Medical Center while improving the care of veterans.

Pavalock also is the director of the Chiropractic Academic Affiliation program. This highly competitive four to six month competency training program has been designed to welcome select students into the G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery Medical Center and to provide advanced clinical multidisciplinary training.

The program’s expansion now involves Medical Doctors in the University of Mississippi Medical Center Pain Management Fellowship Program. Fellows, as a component of their rotation through the VA, spend two days in the chiropractic clinic for training on non-invasive pain management methods.

Pavalock presented the chiropractic program integration to the South Central VA Health Care Network’s Executive Leadership Council composed of 10 VA medical centers’ executive staffs from MS, LA, TX, OK, and AR. As clinical adjunct faculty at Palmer College of Chiropractic, Pavalock also traveled in 2011 with a delegation of faculty and students into the Amazon of Brazil providing care to the medically underserved.

“It has been a great pleasure to be part of the integration of Chiropractic into the VA and to demonstrate the expanded capabilities and value of the profession here in Mississippi. Everyone wins,” said Pavalock.

Source: G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center, www.jackson.va.gov