National University of Health Sciences held an inauguration ceremony for its sixth president, Joseph P. D. Stiefel, MS, EdD, DC, on Saturday, June 22nd.

The ceremony was part of the university’s 2013 Homecoming event, meaning that alumni from around the world were on hand to join faculty, students and staff in welcoming the new president.

Dr. Joseph Brimhall, President of the University of Western States, gave the keynote address at the NUHS ceremony. Dr. Brimhall remarked that our society is faced with great transitions in both education and health care, and discussed the challenges these transitions bring to health care universities.

In addition to Dr. Brimhall, leaders from educational institutions and chiropractic organizations gave brief words of congratulations during the ceremony, including: Mr. Curtis Revell of South Dakota State University; Dr. Dennis Marchiori, Chancellor of Palmer College of Chiropractic; Dr. Richard Brassard, President of Texas College of Chiropractic; Dr. Karen Bobak, Dean of Chiropractic Education at New York Chiropractic College; Dr. Carl Cleveland, III, President of Cleveland Chiropractic College; Dr. Cynthia Voyd of Life University; Dr. Brian McAulay, President of Parker University; Mr. David O’Bryon, Executive Director of the Association of Chiropractic Colleges; Dr. Anthony Hamm, Assistant Director of the American Chiropractic Association; and Dr. Louis Sportelli, President of the NCMIC Group.

Mr. Tom Schonauer, chair of the NUHS Board of Trustees, presided over the transfer of the presidential medallion and administering the presidential oath.

During his inauguration address, President Stiefel spoke on the topic of opportunity. He emphasized that the greatest opportunity to improve health care and health care education lies in graduating students of high caliber who are able to make a life-changing difference in their patients’ lives. He exhorted his faculty that, “With every lecture, you are investing in the treatment of patients you most likely will never meet.”

He also expressed his commitment to continue NUHS’ leadership in integrative medicine. He encouraged the audience to work toward the evolution of health care professions by redefining them: “Instead of wasting energies in pointless tugs of war, we should look for other ropes to take us to new and higher places.”

The inauguration ceremony was held amidst a weekend of banquets and events: those honoring the transition of former president, Dr. James F. Winterstein, into his new role as president emeritus, and those welcoming and introducing the new president.

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To read Dr. Joseph Stiefel’s complete inaugural address, click here.

To watch the inagural address on YouTube, click here.