HealthSource of Athens Welcomes Dr. Devin Eernisse

Dr. Daniel Daley, D.C., of the chiropractic clinic, HealthSource on Hwy 31 in Athens, is pleased to announce both the graduation from Logan University and the addition to the HealthSource staff of Dr. Devin Eernisse. Devin “walks” in her cap and gown on Saturday, April 22, in St. Louis at the Logan University campus, and will be back in Athens on Monday to officially launch her career. Technically, she finished all her course work in January, and spent this semester getting in her requisite 300 hours of internship, as well as her 200 supervised chiropractic adjustments, in order to become certified as a Doctor of Chiropractic.

Devin has been an active athlete all her life, and it was at the age of 14 that she experienced life-changing relief from severe lower back pain through chiropractic treatment. Though still a teen, she began to think seriously about pursuing a career in the chiropractic field. Her family is from Minnesota, and her mom worked in a building where there was a chiropractic clinic. When Devin was having to take herself out of fast-pitch softball games due to unbearable pain, her mom took her to the clinic, and it was there that they discovered that Devin had scoliosis. That condition is technically defined as “abnormal lateral curvature of the spine,” and the chiropractic treatments were so successful that Devin to this day participates with passion in a number of sports, including beach volleyball. I asked her, with just a tiny touch of skepticism, “So, you can dive right on into the sand?” She grinned and said “Yes,” without a smidge of hesitation. However, she does get regular adjustments, so that she can maintain her high level of activity.

Devin also enjoys golf, hiking, running, and being on a lake, and her soul and spirit enjoy being on mission trips. We talked for awhile about the joy of being on the mission field, and the inexplicable pleasure that comes from giving back to those who are in great need. Logan University has a program where students and clinicians go to underserved countries to give chiropractic care; as can almost always be predicted, Devin has been permanently bitten by the “missions bug.” She went to the Dominican Republic with seven classmates and two clinicians, and served in the Santo Domingo area. She would like to go back, and perhaps help out in Jamaica or South America.

Devin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of Wisconsin, Eau-Claire; a Bachelor’s in Life Sciences from Logan University; a Master’s in Sports Science and Rehab; and as of Saturday, a Doctor’s in Chiropractic, also from Logan University.

I asked Devin why, if I were in need of chiropractic care, I should choose her for my practitioner. She thought for a moment and said, “I listen, I put patients first, and also have the background of having been a patient. I was the first in my family to go to a chiropractic doctor, and I know how much it helped me.”

We discussed her commitment to educate her patients about such things as the proper way to carry a backpack, or switching hips when you are carrying a toddler. I also learned something, and it is that guys can throw their backs out over a long period of time just by sitting on wallets being carried around in their jeans back pocket. Sometimes it is the slightest tweak that can make the biggest difference, and Devin gives her patients the depth of care that can facilitate great change as well as relief.
Devin has seen a number of patients’ lives changed since she has been at HealthSource Athens. “One woman was in so much pain from a car accident that she could only wear her hair up in a bun, and it hurt too much to put on even a little bit of makeup. As she got better, her appearance changed greatly,” Devin said. She also told of a patient telling her with triumph, “I put my socks on today.” Because Devin has been in that kind of pain, she also has an unusually high level of compassion for her patients. Devin has observed patients that were in too much pain to talk at all, and as they got better, they also became “a lot more chatty,” and that was a good thing!

Devin’s goals for the present are to build her patient base, and she loves working with Dr. Daley and the rest of the staff at HealthSource. It is also clear that they feel the same about Devin, and are enormously proud of her. “Maybe someday I’ll have my own clinic,” she said, “but that is a long ways off.” Devin loves Athens, and has been “blown away” by the welcome she has received here. She is excited about accepting new patients who would like to receive the benefits of chiropractic care.
HealthSource Athens is well known in our area for the way they give back to the community, whether it’s the “dollar-a-minute” massages that are so welcome at events such as the annual Lawn and Garden Show or charity events such as Relay For Life, doing “teacher breaks” at schools, adopting schools and donating funds to worthy causes. I believe Dr. Devin Eernisse will fit right in, and we wish her and HealthSource Athens all the best!
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner