VA prepares to move forward with chiropractic residency program

July 26, 2013 — The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) today announced that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has released a request for proposals to establish a chiropractic residency program at VA medical facilities. The program will support up to six residencies for chiropractic physicians at VA medical centers around the country and expand partnerships between VA centers and local chiropractic schools.

VA medical facilities with existing chiropractic clinical programs are eligible to apply for this program. In the months ahead, VA will review proposals and select three to five facilities to participate for three years, beginning in 2014-2015. The application process for individual chiropractic residents will be announced after the participating facilities are identified, likely in early 2014. ACA will keep the chiropractic profession abreast of all program details as they become available.

“I am impressed and grateful that the VA has made a significant enhancement in providing top-notch care to veterans by strengthening its ties to the chiropractic profession. The services provided by doctors of chiropractic can play an important role in improving the health of America’s heroes,” said ACA President Keith Overland, DC. “The program will also offer the highest quality, integrated training for chiropractic physicians.”

All veterans are eligible to receive chiropractic services, and nearly 50 major VA treatment facilities around the United States have on-site chiropractic clinics. This is significant when considering that a 2013 report from the Veterans Health Administration indicated that more than half of all veterans returning from the Middle East and Southwest Asia who have sought VA health care were treated for symptoms associated with musculoskeletal ailments–the top complaint of those tracked for the report.

In addition to clinical care, VA conducts the nation’s largest education and training program for health professional students and residents, with the goal of educating future health care providers to serve veterans and the US at large. The chiropractic residency program marks the next step in the evolution of the profession’s academic efforts with VA, and will lead to high-quality innovative training that will benefit future patients.

Source: American Chiropractic Association, acatoday.org