BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Michele Maiers, executive director of research and innovation at Northwestern Health Sciences University, has been named vice president of the American Chiropractic Association, the largest chiropractic organization in the United States.
As one of six members of the ACA’s board since 2016, Maiers has helped shape the organization’s business, policy, legislative and corporate activities. She was elected as vice president in January at the ACA’s Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
“The ACA is advancing the brand of patient-centered, evidence-informed collaborative care,” Maiers said. “I am excited to be part of a board that is living that brand, which aligns with NWHSU’s mission and values. There is great synergy between what is happening at the national level and what we are championing at NWHSU in our classrooms, in our work with patients and in collaboration with other health-care organizations.”
She added: “My goal is promote ideas that benefit both organizations so we can more closely shape the strategic direction of the profession and ensure that we are meeting the needs of ACA members as well as NWHSU graduates.”
Deb Bushway, president and CEO of NWHSU said: “Dr. Maiers plays an important role at our university, and we are proud to have her representing the profession at the national level. Her new leadership role in ACA has great synergy with our institutional efforts to connect the future of the chiropractic profession with the next generation of health-care leaders we are training.”
In addition to her executive director role at NWHSU, Maiers is a professor and a principal at the university’s Center for Healthcare Innovation and Policy. As an ACA board member, she has facilitated the organization’s adoption of clinical guidelines and its response to the opioid epidemic. She also has served as delegate for Minnesota ACA members and as the national adviser to the Student ACA.
Maiers holds a doctor of chiropractic degree from NWHSU, a master of public health degree from the University of Minnesota and a doctor of philosophy degree in clinical research and biomechanics from the University of Southern Denmark.
For more than 75 years, Northwestern Health Sciences University, based in Bloomington, Minn., has provided world-class professional education and research as well as comprehensive health and wellness services. Its more than 130 faculty members annually teach about 6,500 students pursuing degrees and continuing education in accredited programs in chiropractic, acupuncture, therapeutic massage, Chinese medicine, nutrition and other health treatments. Northwestern has more than 7,500 graduates throughout the U.S. and in 21 countries. For more information, please visit nwhealth.edu.
