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The Profession's Most Influential Chiropractors
By Amy Selby
Our list of the best and brightest—ages 40 and under.
Each chiropractor profiled on the following pages was chosen carefully by our editorial board and trusted sources throughout the profession for their achievements, innovations and the promise and potential they offer to chiropractic. We feel this esteemed group of doctors is a glimpse into the near future of our profession. They are agents of change, innovators, dreamers and effective leaders. They are young and they are tirelessly working toward a better tomorrow. They are teachers, philosophers and vitalists. We believe they are the most influential chiropractors.
Brad Anchors
Dunwoody, Ga.
His Chiropractic Story: Brad Anchors grew up listening to some of the profession’s greatest minds, thanks to the guidance of his father Jim Anchors, D.C. “I remember going to Parker seminars as a child and listening to Jim Parker,” says Anchors. “Years later that had a greater impact on me, as I was finally able to put what he was talking about together.”
Anchors graduated from Life University in 1997 and joined his father in practice in suburban Atlanta.
Why He’s On Our List: Anchors has started a group that welcomes chiropractors (by invitation only) to reconnect and rediscover their passion for the profession. His vision for the group is to bring chiropractors together. His inspiration for this group stems from his involvement with CLA’s Total Solution program and Dr. Troy Dukowitz.
The Change He’d Like to See Within the Profession: “Unity. I once heard Dr. Larry Markson say, ‘We are the only profession in the world who circle the wagon and fire inward.’ While we don’t need to be clones of one another, we definitely don’t need to tear each other apart either,” says Anchors. “It’s alright for us to disagree as long as we represent chiropractic favorably. I believe as chiropractors we do more harm to ourselves than any media exposure could.”
Jason Deitch
San Diego, Calif.
Why He’s On Our List: The reasons are many. Deitch is a best-selling author (“Discover Wellness, How Staying Healthy Can Make You Rich”), the founder and CEO of Discover Wellness Center and he was chosen as The Master’s Circle’s first chief wellness officer. Deitch is also releasing his second book “Discover Wellness at Work: The Ultimate Solution to America’s Health Care Crisis.” We could go on, but there’s no need to.
His mission: “I practiced for almost nine years and retired because of my personal mission for the profession. My personal mission is to create the most advanced tools, techniques, technology and trainings for chiropractors to transform their practices into the profitable wellness centers of their dreams so that together we can transform our country’s failed health care system.”
His Legacy: “I would like to leave an impression of being an agent of change. I have a tremendous love for our profession and sincere concern for its future. I want to one day look back on this time and see this was a time of transformation from a profession focused on what we want, to a profession focused on what we can offer,” he says.
“The wellness industry needs a leader and I have a vision that our profession takes the leadership role. If we don’t, another profession will and another generation of chiropractors will wonder why so many people just don’t ‘get it.’”
JC Doornick
Harrison, N.Y.
His Chiropractic Story: As an athlete, JC Doornick has been under chiropractic care since his childhood. With the help of his local DC, JC avoided disc surgery when he injured his lower back. Today he has a high volume practice and specializes in sports injury care, pediatric chiropractic and expectant mothers.
Why He’s On Our List: Doornick caught our attention because he is building a chiropractic school in the Dominican Republic through his ChiroMission Foundation. He has been a chiropractor to the NHL Hockey team, the New York Rangers. We’ve also learned that he is in the process of writing a book that he believes will impact the world’s perception of chiropractic.
His Vision for the Profession: “As a result of cultivating more warriors that have the WIT (Whatever It Takes) philosophy, chiropractors will get the respect they are due. I see chiropractors as the front line of defense for the new improved system of health care. I look forward to the day that other health care professionals will require a referral from us!”
Sarah Farrant
Waiheke Island, New Zealand
Her Chiropractic Story: Sarah Farrant says she grew up in a vitalistic household in terms of wealth creation, but a mechanistic household in terms of health. At the tender age of 10 she linked those vitalistic views to health and repeatedly affirmed to herself, “I will be a doctor and change people’s lives.” Since those early years she attended a physical education college in Australia, went on to study psychology and was introduced to chiropractic philosophy through Ken Parker and Karen Pedley.
Why She’s On Our List: Farrant commanded our attention when we discovered her book “The Vital Truth: Accessing the Possibilities of Unlimited Health.” She is also part of a book series titled “Thank God I…” representing a vitalistic perspective of organized intelligence. She’s also penning another book, this time tackling home birthing. Her biggest project to date would be her three children under 5 years, which she home schools.
A Change She’d Like to See: While the vitalistic philosophy and unlimited potential to change the way the world views health inspires her regarding the profession, Farrant recognizes there is room for growth. “Being able to move with the times as new information comes to light from other philosophical disciplines or scientific quantum mechanic understandings would be where I would like to see the profession be more sensitive. When people take this journey into the chiropractic lifestyle and philosophy it has been my observation that they undergo a transformation. We are asking them to change and view their life differently. There is change in all areas of their life. The question becomes is the profession willing to do the same; to change, grow and evolve in how we view ourselves and our philosophical approach to what we do?”
Brian Flannery and Michael Headlee
Marietta, Ga.
Why This Duo is on Our List: Together Brian Flannery and Michael Headlee began LifeQuest, a weekend retreat program for DCs, CAs and students. The program pushes its campers to their mental, physical and emotional limits to usher in a breakthrough to live life in an extraordinary way.
The Influence of Chiropractic Philosophy: Headlee was introduced to chiropractic care in his early teens and has wanted to share the benefits of that care with others. “I love the fact that the body can heal itself and everything that is needed is within. I also love the fact that our philosophy is based on universal and biological laws that haven’t changed in the last 112 years and I don’t see them changing in the next 112 years either,” says Headlee.
“Since change is the only constant in our life, I feel that being an agent of change is critical to be successful in the future and so is having chiropractic philosophy as the foundation of all that you do. Chiropractic philosophy should be every chiropractor’s guiding compass and lifelong study.”
Flannery intended to be a research microbiologist; during a lab class in his undergrad years he was struck with the idea that that path was not for him. Eventually he he found chiropractic. “I just fell in love with the philosophy that life is the expression of intelligence through matter, and that we are designed with the ability to be healthy throughout the course of our lifetime. And it’s a concept that is so simple, isn’t it? Yet most chiropractors find it so hard to be congruent with that philosophy even to the point where they will compromise their values in order to pay the bills,” says Flannery. “What I want to change is the myth that many students have about starting their own practice and just doing chiropractic. I want to help them understand that that is all they need to be successful.”
The Drive To Do More: “I feel obligated to work hard every day, to carry on the tradition of the early chiropractors that sacrificed so much for us to practice today [like going to jail]. I feel it is the most pure and true philosophy that can help so many people in so many ways that I want to teach and promote chiropractic to make sure the world is better for me being in chiropractic,” says Headlee.
“Something snapped for me when my kids were born, that catapulted our practice to new levels and fuels my teaching today. It is the worst thing in the world for me to have my kids subluxated, and I recognized that if I feel that way about my family, why would anybody else’s family be any different,” says Flannery. “It then became a mission to me to educate as many people as possible about how devastating subluxation is for humanity.”
Shawn Ferguson
Acworth, Ga.
His Chiropractic Story: While in the Air Force National Guard, Shawn Ferguson helped produce a series of chiropractic commercials. This was his first introduction to the profession. Shortly after working on the commercials he met his now wife who was a sergeant studying for her chiropractic exam. When he refused a vaccination, he was honorably discharged. Ferguson started his chiropractic education, married the sergeant and graduated from Life University in 2000.
Why He’s On Our List: Ferguson manages one of the largest practices in Georgia and serves on the Board of Trustees at Life University.
His Three Wishes for the Profession: “To be able to see into the future and realize the part chiropractic will play. Unlimited wealth, abundance and prosperity. Every patient that a chiropractor comes in contact with learns and starts living a wellness lifestyle.”
Howard Fidler
St. Louis Park, Minn.
Why He’s On Our List: Howard Fidler is a chiropractic superstar—he has won the Minnesota Young Chiropractor of the Year award; he’s a member of the Minnesota Board of Chiropractic Examiners; and he’s an ACA delegate for Minnesota.
His Vision for the Profession: The future Fidler would like to see involves “chiropractors actively treating patients in every hospital, every VA facility, being actively commissioned into the Armed Forces as officers,” he says. “I envision every newborn being checked by a pediatric chiropractor. I also envision chiropractors as the first choice for all NMS conditions and as the gatekeepers for health care.”
Fidler also believes that every chiropractor has three responsibilities: “To support your college, your state association and your national association.”
His Current Project: As vice chairman of the ACA’s Political Action Committee, Fidler is working to support and elect chiropractic-friendly candidates for Congress. “It does not matter if they are a republican or a democrat, as a chiropractor I feel I have a responsibility to get pro DC candidates elected to congress.”
Stephen Franson
Beverly, Mass.
Why He’s On Our List: Stephen Franson has been promoting and living a wellness-based lifestyle and he teaches this lifestyle to patients through the Well People Program. Franson’s program is founded on a wellness paradigm and encourages participants to seek out a wellness DC as their family’s health coach. And, when he’s not working, Franson is an avid surfer, which instantly adds to his coolness quotient.
How Chiropractic is an Inspiration: “The timelessness of chiropractic astounds me. Our healing art always seems to be in exactly the right place at the right time. Starting with its humble beginnings as “the simple solution” at the turn of the century through to today’s fashionable interest in the science of wellness and evidence-based health care, chiropractic has always been perfectly positioned to blossom into its magnificence—if only its practitioners would embrace our principle.
The Change He is Working Toward: “As a profession we need to engage the public on the platform of “Inside-Out” living. It is not only our uniqueness but our contribution to humanity. As the various health care players fumble around the arena of wellness and holism trying to secure their “market-share”; chiropractic has seemingly cast aside the cornerstone of our profession: The Principle. We must reclaim our post in the bigger picture of health care and assume our rightful position as the leaders in the Wellness Revolution.”
Marc Gottlieb
San Diego, Calif.
Why He Made Our List: Marc Gottleib is a part of CORE (Chiropractors on the Road to Excellence). This group meets monthly “to keep the fire in chiropractic alive,” says Gottleib. CORE attracts philosophically based DCs and has hosted Dr. Sigafoose, Dr. Gentempo, Dr. Kimes, Dr. Singer, Dr. Plaskar and Dr. Gibson.
His Mission: “To teach and inspire people as to the healing abilities of the human body and to shift the health paradigm through proper care of the nervous system—chiropractic care. I strive to teach people that they have a choice and can heal without drugs and needless surgeries. It is only through education that we are going to shift the mindset of an entire culture.”
Building a Legacy: “I want to leave this profession, when I die, knowing that I gave 100 percent every day in practice and out to the principles of chiropractic. I lived by the word in which I speak daily and was always congruent in my beliefs and my actions,” says Gottlieb. “My vision for the profession is that over 50 percent, especially children, of the world’s population are using chiropractic for prevention and wellness on a weekly basis.”
Rok Marin and Jeffrey Slocum
Bath, Maine
Why This Duo is on Our List: Rok Marin and Jeffrey Slocum are well-known for their development of Learning Curves, a chiropractic marketing program that reconnects DCs with their passion and purpose.
About 10 years into practice, Slocum, a fourth generation chiropractor, found himself facing burnout. The experience sent Slocum grappling with confusion and doubt—with his rich chiropractic history how could he end up in burnout? It was a question that haunted him until he considered other DCs. This along with a series of serendipitous events, led Slocum and Marin to develop Learning Curves. “These experiences told me that I needed to become clear on what I’m going to do in my life, in my practice and create a pathway for all chiropractors to stay connected with the initial passion and interest in chiropractic that they had in the first place,” says Slocum.
Living Out a Vision: “I would like to see chiropractors having the tools and resources they need to be able to match their passion and to serve with the ability to create balance and abundance in life,” says Slocum. “I would like to see chiropractors identifying who they are genuinely—what are their values, what is their vision, their purpose, their goals and not someone else’s. I’d like chiropractors to be able to recognize from early on what it is that they want to achieve and how they want to serve.”
Leaving an Impression: “When I look back on my career I want to be known as a loving healer by my community and an inspired teacher by the profession,” says Marin. “I want people to know that I love what I do and I take it very seriously, but I don’t take myself seriously.”
Molly Meri Robinson
Northfield, Minn.
Why She’s On Our List: Molly Meri Robinson has an impressive resume—National Legislative Chair for the Student American Chiropractic Association, World Congress of Chiropractic Students Regional Representative and the first chiropractic intern at the World Health Organization (WHO).
Serving in a New Capacity: While at the WHO, Robinson isn’t in practice, something she misses, but she is serving the profession and her patients on a larger scale. Currently she is working in the Traditional Medicine Program, which oversees all of the global Traditional Medicine/Complementary and Alternative Medicine practices. “From this position, I can assist with the creation of a global environment which will enable more doctors of chiropractic to reach even more patients and provide quality care. To me, this is the best thing I can offer the profession and those patients right now, and that is why I do it,” says Robinson. “I look forward to returning to patient care when I am done with the work here, but I will always stay involved, as there will always be more work that can be done.”
Her Message to the Profession: “I would like to help people understand how important it is to think about taking care of the profession as a whole, because once they understand that, they will realize that state and national association dues are just as important as paying the lease, and that a little time on behalf of chiropractic will make each one of us a better chiropractor.”
Michelle Rose
Virginia Beach, Va.
Why She’s On Our List: Michelle Rose has started a grassroots effort to build community and support for area chiropractors through organized events.
Inspired by Chiropractic to Do More: “I believe in the power that made the body heals the body. Look at our environment today. People are unhealthier now than ever before. The more “advances” modern medicine makes, the less people take responsibility for their own health. I teach my patients to take control of their lives and bodies.”
Her Three Wishes for the Profession: “Chiropractors are a lot like professional athletes; we get into what we do for the love of the game (adjusting and removing subluxations) but somewhere along the way we get distracted. The profession needs to get back to the basics. Remember why we began to play in the first place.
For getting adjusted to be essential in everyone’s life, like eating healthy and exercising.
For chiropractors to be on staff in hospitals so that every patient (newborns, sick and surgeries) be required to get adjusted as part of their treatment plans.”
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