Implementing Health Promotion and Motivational Interviewing in your Chiropractic Practice

Dr. Leach earned his Master of Science degree in Health Education and became a Certified Health Education Specialist in 2006. Previously a recipient of numerous awards from the Mississippi Chiropractic Association, in 2007 he was named, “Health Educator of the Year” by the Mississippi Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAHPERD), and in 2020 became a Master Certified Health Education Specialist. A 1978 graduate of Life Chiropractic College, he has practiced continuously since 1979. His classic textbook, “The Chiropractic Theories,” used by chiropractic colleges around the world is now in its fourth edition, and he is credited with dozens of peer reviewed research papers, abstracts, and lectures throughout the U.S. and Canada. He has served as a Delphi Panelist for numerous published best practices guidelines in the past decade including recommendations for chiropractic care for infants, children and adolescents, for older adults, and for health promotion, disease prevention, and wellness. Dr. Leach is the Mississippi Delegate to the American Chiropractic Association HOD since 2013, and currently serves on the Public Health and Research Committees. In 2021 he was voted Chair Elect of the Chiropractic Section of the American Public Health Association.

Dr. Will Evans is professor of public health and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for the College of Nursing and Health Professions at The University of Southern Mississippi. He holds a PhD from the University of Alabama in health promotion with concentration in epidemiology and a DC from Logan University. He is a Master Certified Health Education Specialist, a Certified Wellness Practitioner with the National Wellness Institute, and a Fellow of the Kansas Public Health Leadership Institute and the Southeastern Conference Academic Leadership Development Program. He is also a Fellow in the Mississippi Rural Health Leadership Program (2019) and in the Food Systems Leadership Institute (2019-2021). In 2020, he was named a Fellow of the International College of Chiropractors, Inc. His research interests include modification of health care provider behaviors related to patient health promotion, smoking cessation research, including smoking ordinance modification, infection control measures for manual therapists, and nutrition and health behaviors in sport. He is the author, with Cheryl Hawk, DC, PhD, CHES, CWP, of a 2013 text entitled, Health Promotion and Wellness: An Evidence-Based Guide to Clinical Preventive Services. In 2017, he was honored with the Sara Mazelis Award for Outstanding Practice in Health Education, Health Promotion, and Health Communication by the American Public Health Association’s Public Health Education and Health Promotion Section.