‘I see a big need for chiropractic in all levels of sports and all levels of skills.’ as medical practitioner in major sporting events is typically an unpaid volunteer gig. “Finding out that I was selected, I was thrilled,” Howitt recalls. “At the same time, in the back of my mind I was saying to myself, ‘I have to figure out what I’m going to do with my clinic, what I’m going to do with my responsibilities at the CMCC, and of course to get my wife to give it a thumbs-up’. I have a three-year-old and a six-year-old.” There is a lot that a clinical practitioner would have to consider before applying to and accepting a role at a big event such as the Pan Am Games. In Howitt’s case, living in the Athlete’s Village for a few weeks means he is unable to provide patient care in his clinic for the duration of the Games. He is also taking a leave of absence at the Canadian www.canadianchiropractor.ca Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC), where he is cur-rently a member of the faculty. And, perhaps more impor-tantly, he will not be available to do his regular Dad duties around the house during those times – cut the grass, drive the kids to where they need to be, pick up groceries on the way home… you get the picture. But with enough preparation, Howitt says, all will be fine. “It’s just actually taking the time to really think about that and plan that.” Dr. Tony Varsalona, chiropractor from Grimsby, Ont., is undergoing the same preparations. He is volunteering as part of host medical services, a multidisciplinary team of health practitioners providing support for all athletes as well as staff and volunteers at the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games. A graduate of New York Chiropractic College (NYCC), Varsalona has been in practice for 15 years. He and his wife, Dr. Megan West who is also a chiropractor, run the West Niagara Chiropractic and Wellness Centre in Grimsby, Ont. Varsalona is not new to sporting events, but the Pan Am and Parapan Am are the biggest events he has ever been to date. Ever since he learned his application to volunteer was accepted, the Grimsby chiropractor has been informing his patients about potential disruptions in his schedule in the summer – and all were generally happy for him and are willing to accept the scheduling changes. Unlike Howitt, host medical team volunteers are only required to show up at specific events and work at specific shifts. They are not required to live in the Athlete’s Village. This means Varsalona does not have to be away from his clinic for long periods of time. “Once I got my schedule for the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games I adjusted my clinic schedule to the Pan Am sched-ule,” Varsalona explains. He also has a reliable partner at the clinic, his wife, whom he trusts his patients with – and his patients know her as well. Preparations for the Games get even trickier when the volunteer health-care practitioner is coming from outside the province – adding cost of airfare and accommodations to things that need to be considered. Dr. Jennifer Forbes, who owns Heritage Chiropractic and Laser Therapy in Chilliwack, B.C., is also volunteering with host medical at the Toronto Pan Am Games. She has been preparing her clinic and her patients in anticipation of her absence. “(Pan Am organizers) didn’t release the schedule until April so it was a challenge for any chiro or anybody coming from Western Canada to find flights,” Forbes says. Of course, flights from B.C. to Toronto get more expensive the closer to the date it gets. Even more so for Forbes who plans to bring her entire family to Toronto with her, includ-ing her two girls who are nine and 11 years old. “I am flying my entire family out there not because they necessarily want to see the Pan Am Games, but because I’m going to be there for a pretty large chunk of time and that is too long for me to be away from my girls,” Forbes ex-plained. She will be doing eight shifts over 12 days. Another expense to consider when volunteering from out of province is accommodation for the duration of the vol-unteer shift. Forbes is fortunate she has a relative who lives in Etobicoke, Ont., whom she and her family will be staying July/August 2015 Canadian Chiropractor 29 Photo: Christian Ryan Photography
Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor July August 2015: Page 29
