Dr. Kate C. Rufolo DC BS DAAPM has been in private practice since 1991. She studied at Rutgers University in the pre-med program and received a BS in Physiology. She then attended Pennsylvania College of Chiropractic and received her Doctorate degree magna cum laude. Dr. Rufolo was the Physiology and Ortho/Neuro instructor for the Chiropractic College as well as instructing Part I II and III Board review course for Irene Gold and Associates.   She received a Diplomate in Pain Management from the prestigious multidisciplinary group AAPM.  

She went on to serve as the first female president of the Pennsylvania Chiropractic Association and also held the chairman seat for Legislative Committee including testifying in front of the House and Senate, Membership Committee and Insurance Committee and also served a 2 year term as Chairman of the Board. Dr. Rufolo has served as Chair of Ways and Means for the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations and is currently the first female President-elect of COCSA making her the first female president of one of the three national associations – COCSA, ICA, ACA.  

She serves on a number of community boards and foundations. She has served as an expert witness and professional consultant on behalf of doctors of Chiropractic with a number of prestigious law firms in both Harrisburg and Pittsburgh with regard to audits. Her courses on documentation were one of the only courses endorsed by Highmark Blue Shield. Dr. Rufolo is a nationally known speaker whose courses on Medicare, Documentation, Risk Management, Clinical Patient Management and other Medico legal issues have been very well received.

She is a proud military wife whose husband, also a chiropractor, is a Blackhawk pilot and operations officer with the PA National Guard. She resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, Dr. Darren Dreher and her two daughters, Chelsie and Callie

Dr. David Kassmeier was born and raised in the small town of Snyder, Nebraska. It is here where he learned his hard work ethics and values. He has always had it in his heart to help people and be involved with successful organizations. He attended Wayne State College in Nebraska and received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from National College of Chiropractic in 1993. While attending National he was the recipient of numerous scholarships, was elected 1 st Vice President of Student Council, and was a delegate for the World Congress of Chiropractic Students.

Dr. Kassmeier has been an active member with the Nebraska Chiropractic Physician’s Association. In August 2005, he finished his two year term as President of the NCPA. Prior to that, he had served as District Representative for Northeast Nebraska, Secretary, Vice President and President Elect of the NCPA.

Dr. Kassmeier was elected to the COCSA board as the District 4 Director in November 2005. His involvement with COCSA goes back to 2001 when he attended his first COCSA meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina. Even after 4 years he is still learning about all of the assets and programs COCSA has to offer. Dr. Kassmeier feels that with the nationwide issues that face Chiropractic, some of which are ACN, PT’s, PACE, and other MCO’s, communication is crucial and a unified non-political voice is of the utmost importance.

Dr. John J. LaMonica has been a Chiropractor since 1985. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from the New York Chiropractic College. After working as a covering doctor, he opened a private practice in 1987 in White Plains, New York, where he is still presently located. He has won many awards throughout the years for his contributions to the profession. They include the Council’s District Service Award, Willing Spirit Award, Distinguished Service Award as well as the Council’s Chiropractor of the Year-Beacon Award. He has been the host of the cable television show “Ways to Better Health”. He has been a local and national Speaker on a variety of topics that include Insurance Documentation, New York Workers’ Compensation Guidelines, Medicare and Electronic Health Records. He has served the profession for over two decades in various positions for both State and National Chiropractic Organizations. He presently holds the position of Vice-President for the New York Chiropractic Council as well as Vice-President for the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations.

Jeff Fedorko got his first introduction to chiropractic in high school as the result of a football injury. He was literally unable to walk and the team doctor could do nothing for him. His father took him to the family chiropractor, and after the first visit, he was back on the field. At that point, his destiny was set; Jeff followed his heart and you know the rest of the story.

Jeff graduated from National College of Chiropractic in 1981 and has been an active member of the Ohio State Chiropractic Association throughout his career. He was first elected to office at the district level in 1984 and moved up through the ranks, eventually being elected President of OSCA in 1998 and Chairman of the Board in 2000. He was named Chiropractor of the Year in 1999 and 2000.

Jeff was first elected to the COCSA board in 2000. He believes that COCSA provides the opportunity for state associations to give and to receive. He believes in COCSA’s ability to provide an arena where Chiropractic can come together to work through its differences and agree on its commonality. As a COCSA board member, Jeff hopes to assist state representatives with working together to create a forum where state association concerns can be shared among friends that will assist each state association as if it were their own.

Dr. Robert A. Blozen, Jr. was born and raised in the state of New Jersey. He credits his parents, teachers and coaches for his hard work ethics and strong values. He was introduced to chiropractic while he was a senior in high school. The night after tackling someone in a football game, he began to have grand mal seizures. Instead of taking him to a hospital, a friend of the family who happened to be a Doctor of Chiropractic came by to help. He actually received his first adjustment while in the coma stage of the seizure. At that moment, all the football scholarships and dreams went by the wayside. He found his calling! After graduating from high school in 1978, he went on to undergraduate college in New Jersey. He then went on to attend Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. In 1985 he received his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree and returned to New Jersey to care for the people of his community.

Dr. Blozen has been an active member in the chiropractic associations of New Jersey since his graduation in 1985. In 2008 he was elected to the ANJC board and in 2010 he was appointed to be New Jersey’s Representative for COCSA. In the fall of 2011 he was elected to be ANJC’s Central Jersey Regional Representative and the District 1 Director of COCSA. He was voted to both positions by his fellow board members because of his undying dedication to his position.  

As one of COCSA’s board members he believes we should continue providing the forum where all state associations and national organizations can communicate more effectively. He truly believes that with all the nationwide issues that Chiropractic is facing, we need a “UNIFIED” non-political voice to get things accomplished.

www.HolmdelPainRelief.com

Ms. Dowell has been the Executive Director of the Michigan Association of Chiropractors (MAC) since the merger of the state’s chiropractic associations in 2007. Prior to the merger, she had served as Executive Director of the Michigan Chiropractic Society since 1995. She works with the Board of Directors and is responsible for the development and implementation of all organizational policies and programs. She supervises all personnel, executes contracts, administers the legal, legislative, fundraising, advocacy and membership agendas, and oversees all other aspects of the MAC.

 Life University graduate Dr. Philip Day has been in practice since 1986 in Savannah, Georgia. He opened his own practice, Day Chiropractic in 1997. An active member of the Georgia Chiropractic Association and its board of directors, Day served as president in 2009 and 2010. He is responsible for recruiting dozens of new members for the association and won the GCA Chiropractor of the Year award in 2010.

 A strong advocate for chiropractic for most of her life, Debbie Ryan is dedicated to the benefits and principals of chiropractic.  At the age of 7, Drs. Norma and Keith Godfrey, chiropractors in Anchorage, Alaska, provided life changing care for both Debbie and her parents.  That life altering care resulted in her father becoming a chiropractor in 1970.  

Being raised in a chiropractic family that started the Alaska Chiropractic Society, she was worked actively in both the family practice since 1972 and the Society since 1992.  She continues to manage a large family practice as well as dedicating herself to the Alaska Chiropractic society as Executive Director.  Her goals are to advance chiropractic care in the primary care arena which is sorely needed in Alaksa as a large, remote and medically underserved state.  She believes that all citizens deserve equal access to chiropractic care which can help provide not only critical care, but wellness care which is so important to a healthy society.  

Debbie was elected as District 5 Director for COCSA in November, 2011 and is excited to work with an exceptional group of people, in an organization that assists in their quest to advance effective and safe chiropractic care for all.  

Executive Director, Alaska Chiropractic Society

The Ohio State Chiropractic Associations (OSCA) Executive Director Bharon Hoag has been a leader in the fight for fair reimbursement, teaching chiropractors the prevailing law as well as the rules of healthcare coding and documentation and how to apply them. He has worked in the chiropractic profession for fourteen years and taught for eleven, developing his unique “non-doctor” approach through ownership and management of numerous clinics. As a former consultant, Bharon has counseled hundreds of chiropractic offices, evolving a profound understanding of the professional environment. His management and consulting experience coupled with a strong background in psychology and communications has made him a compelling speaker, addressing many major events and earning accolades as “the most entertaining but educational speaker in the chiropractic profession.” Not only has he become known for his speaking style but also his regularly published articles in the various trade magazines.

His current position as Executive Director (ED) has enabled him to facilitate a new model of State Association management. In his first year as ED the OSCA say a 26% increase in membership.