05/15/2019

Were You In Kalamazoo for the MAC Spring Convention?

Spring Convention Award Winners

In late April, the MAC presented our Spring 2019 Convention & Exhibition at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Kalamazoo. Hundreds of doctors and CAs attended the weekend program, which was highlighted by a dynamic rostrum of renowned speakers and educators. Also in attendance were representatives from dozens of different companies offering attendees a wealth of products and services.

Stay tuned for a full report on the Spring Convention!

MAC Spring Convention: Awards

At each MAC Spring Convention, we reward the hard work and dedication of our leadership and members with a number of awards, including the Pioneer Award, Chiropractic Advocate Award, and CA of the Year.

Pioneer Award – Dr. Lewis Squires

Each year, the MAC gives out our “Pioneer Award” to a doctor “in appreciation for a lifetime of loyalty, dedication and commitment to the chiropractic profession and the principles of the MAC.” This year’s recipient, Dr. Lewis Squires of Scottville, perfectly embodies this sentiment.

A longtime member of the MAC Board of Directors, and a former president of one of our forerunner organizations, Dr. Squires also serves on the MAC Government Relations and Leadership committees. Along with his duties with the MAC, he serves as the state of Michigan’s Alternate Delegate to the ACA and as the chair of the ACA Political Action Committee (ACA-PAC). He regularly advocates for non-drug pain management, full inclusion in Medicare, and increased access to chiropractic care in the Veterans and TRICARE health systems to members of Congress, including Reps. Jack Bergman, Bill Huizenga, and John Moolenaar. His efforts in the political realm were recently honored by the ACA with their “F. Dow Bates PAC Bulldog Award,” given annually to an ACA member who has shown outstanding advocacy and political leadership on behalf of ACA and chiropractic patients.

He is also very involved with the Palmer College of Chiropractic Alumni Association, and he won the Association’s Distinguished Service Award in 2018. He is a Fellow in the Palmer Academy, a former President of the Michigan Palmer International Alumni Association, and Michigan Palmer International Alumni Association Outstanding Alumni President Award winner.

And, as if that wasn’t enough, Dr. Squires is also a member of the Michigan Board of Chiropractic. He was first appointed to the BOC by former Governor Rick Snyder in 2012 and re-appointed in 2016 to a term ending December 31, 2020.

Dr. Squires also serves as a member of the Mason County Board of Commissioners. His civic involvement led to his being the recipient of the MAC’s inaugural Community Champion Award, given “in recognition and appreciation of [his] unselfish commitment to serving others and [his] community,” in 2012.

All in all, Dr. Squires has an incredible legacy of leadership and service, and with this award the MAC recognizes his many years of unparalleled dedication to the MAC, Michigan chiropractors and their patients, and the profession as a whole. Congratulations, Dr. Squires!

Chiropractic Advocate Award – Dr. Leigh Elceser

At every Spring Convention, the MAC honors a chiropractor or non-DC chiropractic supporter with the “Chiropractic Advocate Award,” “in appreciation for outstanding commitment and valuable contribution to the chiropractic profession.” This year, we honored a longtime MAC Ambassadors Club member who currently serves on the MAC Government Relations Committee, Dr. Leigh Elceser of Pontiac.

Her advocacy, including testifying before important committees in the Michigan Legislature, has been a great help to the profession. Her efforts to get her patients involved in such activities as the fight to update Michigan’s chiropractic scope of practice have been invaluable. Dr. Elceser has been a driving force of our political action committee, MAC-PAC, ensuring that we have the resources to support lawmakers and candidates who support chiropractic. She has held numerous fundraisers for legislators in her district, including former state Senator Jim Marleau, who at the time was Chair of the Senate Health Policy Committee.

She was the first Chair of the MAC Membership, Recruitment and Benefits Committee after the merger, guiding our new organization during a period of unprecedented membership growth. Among her many Michigan awards from the profession are the MAC Visionary Award in 2011, President’s Award in 2009, and Chiropractor of the Year from one of our forerunner organizations.

Dr. Elceser also serves the profession as a member of the Michigan Board of Chiropractic, being appointed by Governor Snyder in 2018 to a term beginning January 1^st of this year and ending December 31, 2022.

A Fellow of the Palmer Academy, Dr. Elceser has also served on the Board of Directors of Chiropractic Federal Credit Union, the nation’s only financial institution founded by and for the chiropractic profession.

Congratulations, Dr. Elceser!

Chiropractic Assistant of the Year – Ms. Crystal Webb

Every Spring, the MAC names the Chiropractic Assistant of the Year, “In appreciation for dedication, loyalty, and service to the chiropractic profession.” In his nominating letter, Dr. S. Scott Tenniswood of Michigan Center calls our 2019 CA of the Year a “Rock Star CA.”

Dr. Tenniswood recently sold his practice in Wisconsin to return to his roots in the Jackson area, purchasing a “somewhat struggling” existing practice. Crystal had been working for the previous doctor for about six months, mainly answering phones and scheduling appointments – all insurance-related matters were being outsourced.

“In the last six months of taking over, she has excelled in every area I have needed her,” Dr. Tenniswood says.

Crystal has learned how to bill insurance, studying on her own time and staying current by being active in chat groups regarding all things chiropractic. She spent many weekends learning and improving, to bring the practice up to where it needs to be. At the time of his letter, Dr. Tenniswood says the practice has broken records every week for more than a month. “It has been such a joy to watch the enthusiasm in her as we have grown together,” he says.

Crystal has become an amazing advocate for - and champion of – chiropractic, and the clinic is now in the position to hire another CA. Dr. Tenniswood has all the confidence in the world in Crystal’s ability to train and teach that new employee to be an incredible member of the team.

In closing, Dr. Tenniswood says that he and his wife are simply blessed to have inherited this amazing CA when he acquired the practice. “We would not have grown as fast or have been able to see as many patients as we do without her,” he says. “We are forever grateful to her and her family. She deserves all the recognition in the world.” Congratulations, Crystal!

Fall Convention Awards

At each MAC Fall Convention, we bestow a number of prestigious awards, including the Community Champion Award, Visionary Award, Rising Star Award, Dedicated Service Award, Exemplary Service Award, President’s Award, and, of course, Chiropractor of the Year! Stay tuned!