The Shoshong valley |
World Spine Care (WSC) was founded in 2008, the inspiration
of Scott Haldeman, D.C., M.D., Ph.D., a 1964 graduate of Palmer
College of Chiropractic and world-renowned researcher, academic,
author and lecturer, as well as a leading expert in the assessment
and treatment of spinal disorders. WSC was founded to
“fill the profound gap in the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal
conditions found in the developing world,” Dr. Haldeman says.
Palmer College of Chiropractic was the WSC’s earliest supporting
organization, with a primary vision of expanding and enhancing
the Palmer Clinic Abroad Program. In 2008, Palmer provided Dr.
Haldeman with funding to explore the feasibility of establishing a
WSC model clinic in the village of Shoshong and Mahalapye
District Hospital in Botswana, where officials were asking for a
spinal care clinic. Dr. Haldeman’s team was warmly received in
Botswana, and government officials there agreed to provide facilities,
staffing and housing for the WSC doctors.
After receiving donations from four foundations, Dr. Haldeman
was able to set up a non-profit foundation and officially
launch World Spine Care in 2010. The Vickie Anne Palmer
Foundation also supports the WSC, along with the Bechtel
Trusts, a private foundation in Davenport. In early 2011, the
Palmer Board of Trustees officially endorsed World Spine Care
and its efforts worldwide.
Next came a fortuitous meeting. Dr. Haldeman and his WSC team
were introduced to 1984 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Archbishop
Emeritus Desmond Tutu, who agreed to join the WSC advisory
committee, providing some much-needed momentum. WSC
is focusing its initial efforts on two projects: a spinal care
clinic in the rural village of Shoshong, Botswana, and another
in Ranthambhore, India. WSC is endorsed by the Steering
Committee of the Bone and Joint Decade Initiative, established
by the United Nations/World Health Organization.
Palmer College has continued its support of WSC on several
levels. In addition to financial support, Palmer is providing expert
assistance through its people. Board of Trustees Chairman Trevor
Ireland, D.C., serves on the WSC board of directors. Maria
Hondras, D.C., M.P.H., a faculty member at the Palmer Center
for Chiropractic Research, is a member of the research team and
will be conducting research on the WSC project as part of her
Ph.D. requirements in epidemiology. The research team will
conduct studies in the communities where WSC establishes
spinal care clinics before and after treatment begins to determine
whether the clinics improve the peoples’ lives. Also, Palmer and
Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College officials are considering
preliminary discussions about setting up a joint educational
program for volunteers or students to rotate through WSC clinics.
The clinical model developed by WSC involves an interprofessional,
multidisciplinary approach to spinal disorders
that incorporates the best available scientific evidence into the
cultural, political, medical and economic values of the targeted
communities. WSC is a multinational not-for-profit organization,
bringing together the full spectrum of healthcare professionals
involved in spinal health—medical physicians, surgeons,
chiropractors, physiotherapists and scientists. WSC integrates
its approach into existing local healthcare systems and takes
steps to ensure that the care provided to people with spinal
disorders continues on a permanent basis.
Conducting research in the community before and after
establishing a spinal care clinic is an important component
of the WSC mission. Palmer researcher Dr. Maria Hondras is
spearheading the first research project in Shoshong, Botswana.
Botswana is an African country north of South Africa with a
population of more than two million people.
Dr. Hondras joined the WSC research team in late 2010, and a
year later was on the ground in Botswana, visiting the capitol of
Gaborone as well as Mahalapye and Shoshong. “My first trip
was focused on making key connections and concrete plans to
conduct a fairly large epidemiological study (interviewing at least
3,500 people) and smaller-scale qualitative research projects in a
rural community that has few resources for spine care,” she says.
“We want to document the spine care behaviors and beliefs of
villagers and healers in Shoshong and compare the similarities and
differences with other developing and developed countries. My
vision is to examine how chiropractic care can integrate with
traditional healing practices and other recognized healthcare
disciplines in areas of the world where few resources exist.”
In late 2011, Dr. Hondras spent five weeks in Botswana, first
meeting in Gaborone with Ministry of Health and World Health
Organization officials as well as staff at a consulting agency and
the University of Botswana who might be interested in assisting
with data collection efforts in Shoshong. Then she worked
with WSC lead clinician Geoff Outerbridge, D.C., M.Sc., in
Mahalapye and Shoshong to refine WSC protocols that are
currently used with
patients at the Mahalapye
District Hospital and are
planned for patients in
Shoshong and additional
WSC clinics worldwide.
The current clinic in Shoshong,
Botswana. The spinal care clinic
will be a separate facility. |
“I also conducted informal
interviews with
Shoshong Clinic patients
and staff, where patients
spoke about medications
prescribed by the clinic nurses and visiting medical doctors for
their muscle, bone and joint pain and were not aware of other
treatment options unless traveling far distances, which many
are unable to do,” Dr. Hondras says. “The Shoshong nurses told
me that working with and caring for people with spine pain is
challenging. It became clear that we must engage villagers in
the process of developing practical and relevant questions
in order to determine the true impact and burden of spinal
disorders in Shoshong.”
On Nov. 25, 2011, Drs. Hondras and Outerbridge met with
the Shoshong village chief and Shoshong Clinic head matron
to update them on progress. The plan is for Dr. Outerbridge to
continue treating patients in the hospital in Mahalapye until
the building and staff are in place in Shoshong in spring 2012,
conduct focus groups in mid-2012, and begin household
surveys in 2013. “My first trip to Botswana was an amazing
experience,” Dr. Hondras adds. “The people of Shoshong have
such community spirit. I hope we can capture this spirit in our
research efforts and incorporate villagers’ preferences and
values into sustainable spine care delivery.”
The efforts of WSC will take volunteers, financial donations
and grant funding to carry out the work. If you are interested
in contributing, contact Dr. Scott Haldeman at scott.haldeman@
worldspinecare.org. To learn more about WSC, go to www.
worldspinecare.org.