I started my practice back in November of 2010 (15 years next month!). Times were challenging with us relocating from Illinois, commuting from my in-laws in Sequim, and working 16-19 hour days three days a week. My wife was working when I wasn’t, also in Silverdale at the Chamber of Commerce. We had three kids at the time. It was definitely a season to grind.

I realized fast that I wasn’t going to be able to market my practice like I had marketed myself in Illinois. In Illinois, the scope of practice was different in Washington. The school I graduated from, the National University of Health Sciences, is a school that taught according to the state’s scope of practice. We were taught to be primary care physicians and were encouraged to specialize. I took every opportunity to do that which I chose to focus my clinical and field experience in Physical Rehabilitation and Orthopedics. I was able to learn from and work with some of the best. I had professors who taught at the university who also worked at the office I was at (Advanced Physical Medicine & Rehab). I was even on staff at the local hospital, St. Alexis Medical Center, as an Allied Health Provider. One of two Chiropractors at this amazing hospital.

When coming to Washington, medical professionals weren’t working with Chiropractors like they were in Illinois. I came to Washington with approximately 15 letters of professional recommendation, including the CEO of St. Alexis Medical Center and multiple well-known surgeons I worked with and even observed in the operating room. I couldn’t get anyone to give me the time of day here in Kitsap or Jamestown S’Klallam Counties. I tried to introduce myself to any healthcare professional I could. I did eventually get a lunch with a now close friend and the CEO of Kitsap Physical Therapy, Dave Damon. He is still a good friend to this day.

I realized fast that I had to do this differently. I discovered that the reputation of Chiropractic was not as well respected in Kitsap County as it was in Illinois. There were a lot of Chiropractors in the area. I was led to Silverdale, a town I only knew because of its retail reputation for those on the Olympic Peninsula. My research led me to conclude I had to separate myself from the rest. There were a lot of Chiropractors, but they all had a treatment philosophy of what I knew to be philosophically based or “straight Chiropractors” as they were coined. I had/have a treatment philosophy that is more science-based or “mixer Chiropractors” as they/we were coined.

What is this “straight Chiropractors” and “mixer Chiropractors” terminology, you may be asking yourself. I will try to keep it brief. There are 18 nationally accredited Doctor of Chiropractic programs in the United States currently, with 22 campuses across those programs, according to the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB). The Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) is the recognized accrediting body for these programs. With more straight Chiropractors around, separating myself wasn’t hard. It was just going to take time.

So I got involved everywhere. I joined the Chamber of Commerce, BNI (Business Networking International), did talks, screenings, and special appearances at my kids’ school. I volunteered my services at triathlons, fun runs, special events, high school football games, and even an annual 3 on 3 street basketball tournament.

Word started to get around. Patients were referring patients, teams were referring athletes, and then the athletes were bringing in their families (parents, relatives, kids). Quickly, other health care providers were asking who their patients were seeing. Then I started meeting the healthcare providers who were interested in working with Chiropractors of my caliber and character. From Family Practice or Primary Care Providers (PCPs) to Orthopedic Surgeons to Pain Management Specialists. Referrals were coming from everywhere and anything I participated in.

Soon after the rush started, I met Ashely and Erica Robinson, at the time owners of the semi-professional basketball team the Kitsap Admirals. I was interviewed by their board of directors for the Medical Director position. I wrote up a plan for the Medical Department under my direction, and wouldn’t you know, they loved it. I put together a team of healthcare professionals that would care for these elite athletes, now coming from as far as Tacoma to play with a team that had its own team doctor. I was known as “Doc”.  I traveled for all their day games throughout Washington, Oregon, and Vancouver, BC, Canada. The Admirals started to get invites to tournaments all over the state (Zeke-End in Tacoma – NBA star Isaiah Thomas’ invitational, Seattle Pro-Am – NBA star Jamal Crawford’s invitational) to all over the world (China, Japan, Czech Republic, Russia). I always wanted to be the Chiropractor for the NBA, but this was so much better. I personally didn’t have to travel anywhere longer than a day. I started vetting healthcare professionals to go instead of me once they started going out of my personal range.

Then came the Kitsap Fliers, a youth United States Track & Field (USATF) Club. Through relationships developed with the Kitsap Admirals, board members who moved on from the Admirals created this track & field club, offering me a walk-on position as Medical Director. This club was created for the goal of taking Kitsap County’s elite track & field athletes to higher levels, like districts, regionals, state, and nationals within the USATF. We have been credited with countless athletic scholarships for these incredible athletes. Now, 13 years later, these athletes have gone as far as the Collegiate level to US Olympic Team training camps.

In 2019, a group of three Silverdale Wellness Center Chiropractors (Dr. Lane, Dr. Christman, and me), along with several Kitsap Physical Therapy PTs, were invited to create a medical team for the now-named Olympic Peninsula Force, or the Olympic-Pen Force, a semi-professional indoor and outdoor soccer team. There would be 2 members of the medical team pitch-side for every game, with team development and combines created and performed. Year two, the team was now three to five PTs and me as the 2020-2021 medical team. Year three, it appeared I was the only one left as the point person for initial assessment and diagnosis, with treatment plans including the help of orthopedic surgeons and PTs from Kitsap Physical Therapy.  This arrangement still exists to this day.

As I reflect often on my current practice in Silverdale Wellness Center, I am in awe of what has come together. What started with four Chiropractors, three massage therapists, a weight loss practice and a pain management practice has evolved to have had clinical psychology, naturopathic medicine, traveling MDs, DOs, PAs, NPs to present day with three Chiropractors, two massage therapists, two weight loss practices, red light therapy, Acupuncture, IV therapy, and a Nurse Practitioner specializing in adult primary care, regenerative medicine, mental health, genetic evaluation and preventative care. Wow right?!?

Like I said in the very beginning… Integrated Chiropractic is my dream practice, and I am living my best life.

Thanks for reading. Stay well – Dr SJ