Palmer San Jose campus alumna earns one of five inaugural VA chiropractic residency appointments

September 18, 2014 — The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently announced the inaugural selections to the VA’s new “Chiropractic Care Residency Training Program,” which include Amanda Dluzniewski, DC, Palmer San Jose campus alumna (’13), among the initial five appointments..

The pilot program will be located at five VA health centers throughout the U.S., and includes funding for up to six full-time resident positions in the first year (2014), with initial funding planned for three years.

Dluzniewski (pictured, left) began her assignment Canandaigua VA Medical Center in New York in July, and she is equally excited and honored about her appointment.

“I was ecstatic when I learned that I was selected to be one of the chiropractic residents, and could not be more excited and grateful for this opportunity — not only for myself, but for the chiropractic profession, as a whole,” said Dluzniewski, who graduated with academic honors, and served as president of the San Jose campus student chapter of the American Chiropractic Association, executive officer of the Associated Student Government, as well as a member of the Campus Guides, and the Sports Council.

“Palmer’s San Jose campus produces the elite, and my Palmer experience was nothing short of amazing. I would not have gained this opportunity were it not for the education I received, and all of the amazing extra-curricular opportunities and unique learning experiences available to Palmer San Jose students,” said Dluzniewski, who prior to graduating completed a five-month rotation in the Palmer VA/DoD internship program with David Paris, DC (San Jose Campus, ’01, pictured right) at the VA outpatient clinic in Redding, California.

Dluzniewski says the collaborative approach to patient care she experienced during her Palmer internship at the VA clinic inspired her to pursue one of the initial VA residency positions.

She sees the VA’s Integrated Clinical Practice model, which utilizes Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACTs), as the ideal approach to achieving optimal results for the veterans who seek noninvasive and drug-free alternatives to achieve relief from chronic pain.

“It’s exciting to work as a part of a multidisciplinary team, and working in an integrative setting, and providing chiropractic care for U.S. veterans is a dream come true for me! I’m honored to serve a patient population that truly loves chiropractic care, and I believe that chiropractic care will continue to expand within the DoD and VA health care systems,” said Dluzniewski, whose primary duties in the residency position are to provide full diagnostic and management services of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions under the mentorship of the three attending DCs at the Canandaigua VA Medical Center, which serves 30 to 40 chiropractic patients daily.

“I can’t think of a better choice for this program than Amanda; I’m sure she will do exceedingly well, not only in the quality of care she provides to our nation’s veterans, but also in the manner she represents herself, Palmer, and the chiropractic profession,” said Greg Snow, DC, San Jose campus dean of Clinics.

Source: Palmer College of Chiropractic