The 1999 World Chiropractic Alliance Awards

The World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA) is proud to announce the 1999 recipients of its annual Chiropractic Awards, given to honor individuals who have advanced the cause of health around the country and the world.

Humanitarian of the Year: Barbara Loe Fisher

It's never easy being a David to the medical Goliath. But that has never stopped Barbara Loe Fisher from fighting against what she feels is one of the most serious threats to our country's health: mandatory vaccines.

As co-author of "DPT: A Shot in the Dark" and a co-founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center, Ms. Fisher has helped educate hundreds of thousands of parents about the risks inherent in vaccines.

In addition, she has served on the National Vaccine Advisory Committee and is a member of the Vaccine Safety Forum at the Institute of Medicine.

She is the editor of a national, bi-monthly newsletter, The Vaccine Reaction, and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research.

To make sure that health care consumers have all the facts they need to make informed decisions about vaccines, Ms. Fisher has appeared on hundreds of radio and television programs, including "The Today Show," "CBS Evening News" and "Nightline."

She also speaks at health care conferences and community meetings advocating the human right to informed consent to any medical intervention which carries the risk of injury or death, including vaccination.

"Ms. Fisher deserves this honor for many reasons," said Terry A. Rondberg, D.C., president of the World Chiropractic Alliance. "First, for helping to raise awareness of a serious situation affecting everyone in this country, particularly our children. But also for her unflagging energy and commitment. She shows us what one person can accomplish when they are driven by passion and dedication to a cause."

Chiropractor of the Year: Dr. Elizabeth Anderson-Peacock

To be named the WCA "Chiropractor of the Year," a doctor has to have made a significant contribution to the subluxation-based chiropractic community. If anything, the word "significant" is an understatement when describing the efforts of Dr. Elizabeth Anderson-Peacock.

The Ontario doctor recently was instrumental in the distribution of the Council on Chiropractic Practice's (CCP) "Clinical Practice Guideline: Vertebral Subluxation in Chiropractic Practice."

Like their American counterparts, subluxation-based doctors in Canada have be subjected to a Mercy-like set of guidelines known as the Glen Erin guidelines.

Glen Erin was developed by a small group of doctors, without input from the profession in general and represents mechanical low-back-pain syndromes and musculo-skeletal treatment in a medical model.

"The Canadian Chiropractic Association distributed it (with the members paying for it through association dues) to all association chiropractic members and certain groups outside the profession such as insurance agencies without first previewing it to and with the association members' acceptance," Dr. Anderson-Peacock explained in a recent issue of The Chiropractic Journal.

She knew that her colleagues needed the CCP guidelines to counter the affects of Glen Erin. But the high cost of printing and mailing had made it impossible for the CCP to distribute copies to all Canadian doctors.

That's when she moved into action, coordinating a network of subluxation-based practitioners and raising funds to help pay for the printing of extra copies of the document. When contributions fell short, she used her own money to complete the project. She even enlisted the help of her husband, who owns a printing company.

"Truthfully," Dr. Anderson-Peacock admitted in the Journal article, "I couldn't afford to do this project with the many other things going on in my life and practise. But then again, I couldn't afford NOT to do this as the picture is bigger than me and my practise. If the guidelines help one more chiropractor to practise better chiropractic, then the cost and effort is worth it."

In presenting the award, Dr. Rondberg praised her dedication and determination. "Half way through this project, most of us would have given up," he said. "But I don't think the work 'quit' is in Dr. Anderson-Peacock's vocabulary. She persevered and, thanks to her, many Canadian doctors now have access to the most important subluxation-based document to be developed in recent years."

Outstanding Service: Dr. Michelle Whitney

Dr. Whitney's success almost didn't happen. Early on in her career -- just two years after graduation -- she successfully ran for a seat on the College of Chiropractors of Ontario (CCO), the licensing body for chiropractic in Ontario.

The experience soured her on chiropractic politics. "After two years of beating my head against the wall at that political level, I decided not to run for re-election."

That could have been the end of Dr. Whitney's activism and, although the profession would have been blessed with a great practitioner, it would have missed out on a valuable leader.

Instead, she attended DE meeting in 1997, and decided it was time to form a new Provincial organization in Ontario.

"The Ontario Chiropractic Association and the federal organization, the Canadian Chiropractic Association were doing everything in their power to destroy the vitalistic spirit of ChiropracTIC," Dr. Whitney explained.

In May, 1997, Dr. Whitney and a dozen other principled chiropractors ("including my sister Rebecca, who has always been a source of inspiration") formed the Chiropractic Awareness Council.

Since then, the organization's membership has grown to include almost 300 D.C.s and students as well as Spousal, CHA, and Corporate/Affiliate memberships.

"Our mission is very clear: to promote and preserve the Vitalistic Principles on which Chiropractic was founded," she states with pride. "Our Vision: a subluxation-free world."

The group is far more than a mutual support system. It has sponsored three major chiropractic public education events; published a booklet on how to practice principled, subluxation-based chiropractic in Ontario; donated funds to the effort to print and distribute the CCP subluxation-based guidelines, and is fighting the CCO's proposed endorsement of vaccination as a "cost-effective" means to protect health.

"Too often, a bad experience in chiropractic politics or organizing has chased good people away from leadership positions," stated Dr. Rondberg when announcing this award. "The story of Dr. Michelle Whitney shows that working with organizations can be a positive and even joyous experience, if you pick the right organization. And if that organization doesn't exist where you practice, you can follow Dr. Whitney's lead and start one!"

Researcher of the Year: Dr. Roy Sweat

The image of the chiropractic researcher has taken a beating in recent years. They are often viewed as ivory-tower elitists who have lost touch with and empathy for field doctors.

No one has ever had that perception of Dr. Roy Sweat, the elder statesman of chiropractic research who, after nearly half a century as a D.C., still epitomizes the ideal marriage of science and philosophy. Known as much for his compassion and kindness as for his technical innovations, Dr. Sweat has demonstrated an uncanny ability to rise above politics and win the acclaim of the entire profession.

Dr. Sweat, a 1950 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic, boasts one of the most illustrious careers in chiropractic. As early as 1960, he was already embarking on the journey that would transform him into a chiropractic icon of sorts.

It was in that year that the famed Dr. John F. Grostic chose him to be an instructor at his seminars and help present the Grostic programs. When Dr. Grostic died in 1964, Dr. Sweat and four other doctors organized the Grostic Presentation Seminars and continued the specialized training seminars.

By 1977, interest in the technique had grown so much that Dr. Sweat organized the Society of Chiropractic Orthospinology, and continued providing the specialized programs. In 1981, he created the Chiropractic Atlas Orthogonality program, which carried on the work.

In addition, Dr. Sweat has written a series of four books on Chiropractic Atlas Orthogonality, as well as 30 articles published in various chiropractic magazines.

Although those contributions alone would have cemented his place in chiropractic history, Dr. Sweat had more to give to the profession he loves so much.

He has designed a chiropractic adjusting instrument, an Atlas Orthogonal X-ray frame, X-ray chair and attachments for the X-ray machine, an Atlas Orthogonal computerized radiographic analysis program, three radiographic analysis templates and a right-handed Cartesian orthogonal coordinate system vector booklet (currently in its third edition).

So popular is the Atlas Orthogonal program that it is taught as an elective course at Palmer, Life and Sherman colleges.

Currently an associate professor at Life, Dr. Sweat is still associated with their research program and continues to present the Atlas Orthogonal program at the Parker seminars.

Despite all his contributions in technique research, publication, and education -- or perhaps because of them -- Dr. Sweat has never lost touch with mainstream doctors, who continue to praise him for his deep and intuitive understanding of their needs.