News/Publications

News

News / Publications

Dr Chris Cassirer named as new Public Health Chair

August 31, 2016

Northwestern President appointed to lead WFC committee

TORONTO, Canada—The World Federation of Chiropractic has named Dr. Chris Cassirer, President and CEO of Northwestern Health Sciences University, as Chair of its Public Health Committee, which oversees efforts to promote health and wellness worldwide.

Cassirer, 52, has been President and CEO of Northwestern since 2014. He holds a Doctor of Science Degree from Johns Hopkins University, a Master of Public Health Degree from Yale University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in psychology from Rutgers University.

“I am honored to work with my colleagues at the Federation and to help advance chiropractic care globally,” Cassirer said. “At Northwestern, we educate our students to become leaders in an evolving health-care world, where chiropractic is recognized as playing a vital role in providing safe, economical, clinically effective, non-invasive patient care. I’m eager to begin working with the Federation and its global partners to offer a shared message of hope and healing around the world.”

Cassirer becomes the first non-chiropractor to receive such an appointment by the Federation, a non-profit organization advocates for the chiropractic profession worldwide and is a non-governmental organization in official relations with the World Health Organization.

WFC President Dr. Espen Johannessen said: “We are delighted to have someone of Dr. Cassirer’s caliber as the new Chair of the Public Health Committee. His experience and enthusiasm for the chiropractic profession will ensure that the profile of public health, as it relates to doctors of chiropractic, will be significantly elevated.”

Secretary-General Dr Richard Brown said Cassirer’s experience in public health and as an educator will help chiropractic increasingly be seen as an important part of an integrated approach to health care worldwide.

“With the agreed identity of chiropractors as spine-care experts in the health care system, the Federation is keen to intensify its participation in public health and wellness initiatives,” Brown said. “Dr. Cassirer’s stellar track record in public health means that the Federation can take a central role in delivering initiatives that will support chiropractors and the patients they serve.”

Founded in 1988, the WFC represents the chiropractic profession internationally. Its voting members are the national chiropractic associations of nearly 90 countries in 7 world regions. The WFC advocates for the highest standards of professional conduct, education and research. In advancing the chiropractic profession, its work centers on support, empowerment, promotion and unity of the chiropractic profession. Its head office is in Toronto, Canada.

WFC Elections See Host of New Faces on Council

February 1, 2016

The World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) has announced the results of its recent elections for the period 2016-2019.

Those who will take office at the WFC’s annual Council meeting, to be held in May in Dubai, United Arab Emirates include newly elected members from the African, Asian, European, North American and Pacific regions.

Ballots were held in the African and European regions, where the number of candidates exceeded the number of Council vacancies. In both areas, participation in the ballot was strong, with the vast majority of member associations submitting their votes.

Current WFC President, Canada’s Dr Greg Stewart, commented, “This year’s elections prompted a high level of interest, which reflects the WFC’s reputation as the respected leader in the international chiropractic community. While we shall be sad to see the departure of longstanding members of Council who have decided not to seek re-election, the fact that over 30% of our new Council comprises women is an endorsement of the WFC’s stated commitment to equality and diversity.”

Dr Stewart added, “These are extremely exciting times for the chiropractic profession. Transformation in health systems is seeing chiropractic increasingly positioned as a leader in non-surgical spine care and the chiropractic momentum is building. The WFC is proud to be at the forefront of these developments, which is seeing more and more patients benefit from the services doctors of chiropractic are providing around the globe.”

WFC COUNCIL 2016-2019

Africa	Dr Musimbi Ondeko	Kenya
Asia	Dr Kei Takeyachi	Japan
Eastern Mediterranean	Dr Efstathios Papadopoulos	Cyprus
Europe	Dr Espen Johannessen	Norway
	Dr Vivian Kil	Netherlands
Latin America	Dr Carlos Ayres	Peru
North America	Dr John Maltby	USA
	Dr Michele Maiers	USA
	Dr Rick McMichael	USA
	Dr Deborah Kopansky-Giles	Canada
	Dr Greg Stewart	Canada
Pacific	Dr Laurie Tassell	Australia
	Dr Corrian Poelsma	New Zealand

Quarterly World Report

Subscribe to QWR here.

April 2020

January 2020
January 2019	April 2019	July 2019	October 2019
January 2018	April 2018	July 2018	October 2018
January 2017	April 2017	July 2017	October 2017

March 2016

June 2016

September 2016

Click here for more past issues

WFC Athens Congress – A Huge Success!

June 2015

The 13th Biennial Congress of the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) was held jointly with the 2015 Annual Convention of the European Chiropractors Union (ECU) at the Athens Hilton Hotel in Greece from May 10-16. It was hosted by the Hellenic Chiropractors’ Association, attracted over 900 delegates from 50 countries, and was the largest chiropractic conference ever held in Europe.

The meeting brought the chiropractic profession home to its Greek roots – the language that gave DD Palmer the word chiropractic, and the country that championed spinal manipulation and natural healthcare in the classical era.

“This was my first WFC Congress,” said Dr Anthony Hamm, President of the American Chiropractic Association, “and everything about it was outstanding, highly motivating, and beyond my expectations. This included the quality of the academic and social programs, the exposure to colleagues from throughout the world, and the overall optimism and enthusiasm for chiropractic and its future.”

The Congress began with a 2-day WFC Assembly which featured country reports from all world regions and a keynote John A. Sweaney Lecture from Dr Vivian Kil, an impressive young leader from the Netherlands who endorsed and expanded upon the vision of primary spine care excellence given earlier this year by Dr Scott Haldeman in his McAndrews Lecture in the USA.

The four well-received speakers for the discussion forum, this year on the role of traditional chiropractic language in practice today, were Dr Philip McMaster, President, New Zealand College of Chiropractic, Dr Mark Gurden of the UK, Dr Amy Bowzaylo of Bahrain and Dr Carol Mwendwa of Kenya. Dr Mwendwa challenged the profession and the WFC to produce agreed definitions of core chiropractic terms such as adjustment and subluxation.

    Vivian Kil web
Dr Vivian Kil delivers the John A Sweaney Lecture             Forum speakers (from right) Dr Carol Mwendwa, Dr Phil McMaster,
                                                                                                                         Dr Mark Gurden and Dr Amy Bowzaylo

WFC Publishes New Online Reading List

Monday January 26, 2015

The World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) is pleased to announce the debut of an important, online, free service for the chiropractic profession and the public it serves - a Suggested Reading List of key research papers.

When you want an overview of research on a chiropractic topic, for yourself, for patients or to advocate for the profession, wouldn’t it be nice to have access to relevant papers collected in one location?

WFC/ACC Education Conference. Miami, Florida, October 29 - November 1, 2014

November 2014 WFC ACC logo

Top Policy Advisers at WFC ACC Conference

ACC President Dr Brian McAulay
opens the conference

Delegates at a high-powered conference held in Miami October 29 – November 1 on the opportunities for chiropractic in changing healthcare systems in the USA and internationally, heard that chiropractic was well-positioned for substantial growth.

This would depend, delegates were told by experts, upon whether doctors of chiropractic could deliver superior patient results and satisfaction at a competitive cost in the prevention and management of common neuromusculoskeletal disorders. Increasingly, health systems are requiring and rewarding delivery of value, rather than paying attention to the professional designation of the provider. This provides new opportunity for chiropractors.

The theme of the conference, held by the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) and Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC) and jointly hosted by the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) and International Chiropractors’ Association (ICA), was Chiropractic Education for a Changing Healthcare Environment.