Northwestern’s president Mark Ziegler, DC, has long supported greater involvement in public health activities for doctors and students of chiropractic. The university has a tradition dating back decades of involvement in the AHPA. Dr. Ziegler is personally committed to attending APHA annual meetings and supporting Northwestern faculty and researchers who participate there.

“Northwestern is dedicated to providing students the best chiropractic education,” said Dr. Zeigler. “Emphasizing the importance of public health is important in giving students a well-rounded curriculum.”

Along with paid APHA membership dues, students will receive complimentary subscriptions to the American Journal of Public Health, a monthly online resource for evidence-based skills and applied community health and wellness; and The Nation’s Health, a newspaper published 10 times annually which covers all major news in health care.

NHSU becomes the fourth chiropractic college program in the United States to pioneer this program for their students.  In 2009-2010 the Southern California University of Health Sciences, New York Chiropractic College, and the University of Western States all pioneered APHA membership for their students as well.

According to Rand Baird, DC, MPH, public health committee chair for the World Federation of Chiropractic, there are many advantages to establishing closer ties between the chiropractic and public health professions.

"This is an important step in inculcating a public health and service mentality in a generation of our young chiropractors," he said "That will be really good for them, and for the public. The Chiropractic Health Care section of APHA is the voice of chiropractic in public health. This ongoing infusion of new members will make it a stronger and more effective voice, increase its working budget, and its number of delegate seats in the APHA Governing Council.”

For more information on NHSU, please visit www.nwhealth.edu