I N P R AC T I CE
Where
are they
now
Dr. Jon Carlson
Practicing Chiropractic Integration 14 FALL 2013
From the time he was a Logan student, Jon Carlson, DC, CCSPR, was certain of one thing: Patient-centered care requires integration. He believed in a care model where a dedicated health team would practice with one focus: the patient. And his career goals centered on placing chiropractic as a centerpiece of a collaborative sports medicine team. “If we’re truly practicing patient-centered care then we must collaborate with other health care providers and avoid isolation,” he said. “In an integrated role, you work together with other providers to do what’s best for the patient—helping patients meet their health and performance goals.” After earning his Doctorate of Chiropractic degree from Logan in April 2009, Dr. Carlson began building his
professional resume, working to earn a position on an integrated health care team. He became a Board Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician in April 2011, and sought opportunities to work with spine and sports medicine surgeons. While in private practice, he traveled whenever possible to participate in integrated sports medicine programs that offered athletes both chiropractic and medical protocols. Before long, Dr. Carlson became an independent contractor for Pennsylvania State University Wrestling. He served as the official sports chiropractor for the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, a USA Wrestling regional training center; and for Team Puerto Rico. Dr. Carlson also worked with the integrated health teams for USA Pro Beach Volleyball and several other collegiate teams. His experience working with these programs developed his understanding and appreciation of the integrated sports medicine model. “I was like the hub of a wagon wheel, helping link health care providers—from pain management and athletic trainers to physical therapists and surgeons—to achieve the best patient outcomes,” he said. His experiences treating athletes and working as part of an integrated health team led him to London for the 2012 Olympic Games. There, at the world’s greatest sporting event, he kept his wrestlers on the mat with chiropractic care. After three years of traveling, networking, presenting at universities and meeting with leadership from private health care systems, Dr. Carlson achieved his career goal. On August 1, Integrated Sports Medicine and Spine debuted at the DuBois Regional Medical Center in Pennsylvania, the first integrated chiropractic and medical program in the area—a program Dr. Carlson created.