Providing Pain Relief and Healing
October 05, 2021
Chiropractic physician Dr. David Vincent, recent winner of a “Dinner with the Doc” award, leads a team of providers integrated across the UH system
UH Clinical Update | October 2021
David A.Vincent, DCIn three years, David A. Vincent, DC has built the chiropractic program at UH Connor Integrative Health Network from the ground up, and has established a team of six highly qualified chiropractic physicians.
That team is integrated throughout the UH system, including at the UH Pain Management Institute, the Comprehensive Pain Center at UH Parma Medical Center, the UH Spine Institute, and UH Sports Medicine.
Dr. Vincent and the other five chiropractic physicians also have created an internal “on call” system so they can meet the needs of patients with acute pain or injuries. “Being available to patients in acute pain is not only important when working with our colleagues in sports medicine, but opens up opportunities to bring value to the system as a whole,” he says.
Recently, Dr. Vincent was one of seven physicians recognized as part of the new “Cliff Appreciates” initiative for caregivers who demonstrate an exceptional Commitment to Value or who have Advanced Systemness. He has been cited for fostering a clinical environment that allows providers to perform at their best and provide outstanding care, which garners extremely positive feedback from UH patients.
Since joining UH, Dr. Vincent also has cultivated relationships with prestigious chiropractic schools. Last year, this led to UH Connor finalizing an agreement with Logan University and Logan College of Chiropractic in Missouri to send chiropractic interns here for clinical rotations.
"Since I’ve arrived at UH, I’ve looked forward to the time when we could partner to create clinical experiences for chiropractic interns,” he says. “This collaboration allows students to work alongside our integrated chiropractic team in the areas of pain management, sports medicine, and physical medicine and rehabilitation, while developing an understanding of their role as a vital component of a large health system."
Dr. Vincent highly encourages research and discovery from his team, to contribute greater understanding of the chiropractic field, including a number of articles in prestigious medical journals and textbooks. In the last three years, they have published four research papers and one case study and three additional research papers and another case study have been submitted for publication.
As a result of his dedication, Dr. Vincent was named the Buoncore Family Endowed Director of Chiropractic Medicine, the first endowed chiropractic physician at University Hospitals.
In addition to directing the chiropractic team, Dr. Vincent also is the director of UH Connor's massage therapy program. The seated massage program facilitated by Dr. Vincent's team of Licensed Massage Therapists is one of the most popular and appreciated ways UH Connor supports caregivers throughout the system. In 2021 alone, the massage therapists have provided seated massages for 2,649 caregivers.
David Vincent grew up in Missouri, and excelled at playing the saxophone, and winning statewide awards and scholarships. Upon his high school graduation, Vincent decided to join the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Navy Band.
He soon realized, though, that as much as he loved performing, he also knew that music was powerful medicine – and that was what drew him to healthcare.
He attended the U.S. Naval School of Health Science and became a surgical tech specializing in head and neck cases, then managed the otolaryngology department at the Naval Research Medical Center in Pensacola, Fla. There, his mentors encouraged him to pursue pre-med, so he attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, with a focus on neuropsychology.
While he was considering specialties, he met a surgeon who said he might find chiropractic care a compelling choice. Vincent knew something about it because the Logan College of Chiropractic was in his home state. Logan was a pioneering institution and in the early 1980s, the field was gaining attention as research and technology increased understanding of biomechanics and its effect on back and neck pain.
“Logan’s approach to medical education is grounded in evidence-based care and was at the forefront of the integrated healthcare movement," says Dr. Vincent. “I witnessed how this non-pharmacological approach could decrease a patient's pain and disability.
“Spinal manipulation or adjustments are important tools, and we were taught to also incorporate other physical modalities like physiotherapy, acupuncture, and rehabilitation as part of chiropractic care."
After graduating, Dr. Vincent pursued private practice and also was recruited to join the Kaiser Permanente Northeast Medical Group in Albany, N.Y. as the director of chiropractic, complementary and alternative medicine. He started the first clinical practice of chiropractic at Kaiser.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Vincent has seen chiropractic become an increasingly valued component of healthcare. Today, it is not only covered by Medicare and Medicaid, but nearly universally covered by commercial insurance.
“I love the hands-on approach of chiropractic care,” he said. “It's so gratifying to see the profound effect on people who suffer from chronic pain.
“But patients do not need to be in pain to benefit – many athletes also seek this type of care not only to enhance performance and to maintain balance, mobility and flexibility, as do many people who are not athletes."
Chiropractic care – and the UH Connor Integrative Health Network’s other offerings - are part of the fabric of University Hospitals, says Dr. Vincent.
“And chiropractic is a valued part of our health system,” he says.
Congratulations to Dr. Vincent on his “Dinner with the Doc” award.
To nominate a UH physician caregiver for this award, please visit https://uhcommunity.uhhospitals.org/News/Documents/Cliff_Appreciates_Dinner_w_Doc_Nomination_Form-_FINAL.pdf
The next deadline is Nov. 5.