Integrated Clinical Practice Chiropractic Residency Program

Program: Integrated Clinical Practice          Established: 2020

Accreditation: The chiropractic residency program at the Miami VA Healthcare System is awarded programmatic accreditation by The Council on Chiropractic Education, 10105 E. Via Linda, Suite 103 - 3642, Scottsdale, AZ, 85258-4321, Phone: 480-443-8877, Website: www.cce-usa.org

Period: 12 months, July 1 to June 30 annually          Positions: Two

Director: Gina Bonavito-Larragoite DC, MBA, FIAMA

Attending DC Faculty: Bret White, DC, MHSc, DABCO, CCSP, John D'Amico, DC, DABCO, Terry Rubin, DC, CCAP, Sarah Kelly, DC, MSACP.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Miami VA Healthcare System Chiropractic Integrated Clinical Practice Residency is to prepare chiropractic residents for clinical practice in hospitals or other medical settings, and/or academia, through hospital-based clinical training, interprofessional education, and scholarly activities

Brief Description

The Miami VA Healthcare System is a 1A Complexity Facility that serves Veterans in three South Florida counties: Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe, with an estimated Veteran population of 149,704. The Bruce W. Carter Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Miami VAMC) is located on 26.3 acres with an attached four-story Community Living Center. The MVAHCS chiropractic clinics are administratively aligned within physical medicine and rehabilitative services. Chiropractic residents rotate in primary care, PM&R, pain medicine, mental health, neurosurgery, women’s clinic, GRECC, spinal cord injury and other sub-specialty clinics. Residents learn from or participate in chiropractic faculty’s ongoing research projects and engage in scholarly activities at the facility.

Resident Goals/Objectives

• Residents will acquire postgraduate clinical experience in hospital-based chiropractic care.
  • Residents will provide supervised patient care at satisfactory levels of competence, to a broad population of   musculoskeletal cases, most commonly spinal, in the context of collaborative team-based care.
  • Residents will gain experience in managing a range of complex/multimorbidity cases.
• Residents will engage in interprofessional educational experiences with relevant medical, surgical and associated health specialties.
  • Residents will complete clinical rotations in primary care, physical medicine and rehabilitation, other relevant medical or surgical specialties, behavioral medicine and other associated health disciplines.
• Residents will participate in scholarly activities to gain experience relevant to integrated practice and/or academia.
  • Residents will complete scholarly assignments, online didactic courses, and collaborate with other chiropractic residents to complete group assignments.
  • Residents will attend scholarly presentations among available hospital and/or academic affiliate offerings.

  • Residents will engage in research activities, and/or present scholarly material, and/or clinical workshops to staff and/or trainees at VA and/or academic affiliate venues.

     

Program DC Faculty

Gina M. Bonavito-Larragoite, DC, MBA, FIAMA - Residency Director

Dr. Gina M. Bonavito-Larragoite is a clinician and the Residency Program Director (RPD). She received a bachelor’s degree from Northern Arizona University in 1998.  A graduate of Life Chiropractic College West in 2002, she earned her Doctorate in Chiropractic.  Dr. Bonavito-Larragoite further enhanced her expertise by completing a fellowship in acupuncture from the International Academy of Medical Acupuncture in 2009 and receiving her Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management from Parker University in 2022.

Dr Bonavito-Larragoite was in private practice Arizona for 12 years where she focused on comprehensive chiropractic care and acupuncture. She joined the Iowa City VA Medical Center in 2014, where she held the role of Chiropractic Section Chief and Director of the In-house Chiropractic Training Program. She was a clinician for the Collaboration Care for Veterans with Spine Pain and Mental Health Conditions (COCOV) and the Veterans Response to Dosing in Chiropractic Therapy (VERDICT) studies.  In 2021, she transitioned to the Miami VA Healthcare System to assume the position of Chiropractic Residency Director.

Her professional contributions include being a Battlefield Acupuncture trainer and serving on several local, VISN and national committees for pain, whole health and chiropractic. Dr. Bonavito-Larragoite serves as an NBCE part IV examiner. She also serves on the advisory boards for Keiser University College of Chiropractic Medicine and the Logan University Pediatric Master’s Program. Dr. Bonavito-Larragoite maintains academic affiliations with Keiser University, Palmer College of Chiropractic, Parker University and National University of Health Science. She has several publications in chiropractic journals. 

Bret A. White, DC, MHSc, DABCO – Residency Faculty

Dr. White earned his Doctorate of Chiropractic degree in 1995 from the New York Chiropractic College (now Northeast College of Health Sciences).  He earned his Master of Health Science degree in 2020 from Nova Southeastern University, with a concentration in Higher Education.  He has earned a diplomate in orthopedics (2001, American Board of Chiropractic Orthopedists) and certifications in Sports Injuries (1997, American Board of Chiropractic Sports Physicians) and as a Primary Spine Practitioner (2024, University of Pittsburgh, Depart. of Physical Therapy).  In 2024, he successfully completed a Certificate Program in Clinical Research through the Orlando VA Healthcare System/UCF Medical School.  Additionally in 2024, he earned his certification in dry needling.  Dr. White has been in practice for over 30 years, including one year in western New York, ten years in Boston, and the rest here in south Florida.  He has served as an examiner for the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners Part IV, as well as a member of the Test Development and Standards Setting Committee for Part III.  Dr. White has held faculty appointments for the New York Chiropractic College, the Muscular Therapy Institute, Tufts University School of Medicine, and Keiser University College of Chiropractic Medicine.  He continues to serve as adjunct clinical faculty for Keiser University, Palmer College of Chiropractic, and Parker University.  Dr. White joined the Miami VA Healthcare System in 2023, where he continues to provide team-based, person-centered care to our Veterans, as well as playing an active role in the education of our chiropractic residents and student clerks.  

Terry Rubin, DC, CCAP-Residency Faculty

Dr. Rubin graduated from Syracuse University in 2010, receiving bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science. He then went on to earn his Doctorate in Chiropractic (DC) degree from New York Chiropractic College in 2013, completing his clerkship at the Miami VA Healthcare System (MVAHS) during his final year of the program.  Following graduation from chiropractic school, Dr. Rubin remained in South Florida working in private practice at a multi-disciplinary clinic specializing in sports medicine for 8 years. In 2021, he was hired by the MVAHS to return as a full-time attending chiropractic physician within the Physical Medicine & Rehab department of the hospital. Dr. Rubin is a Certified Chiropractic Acupuncture Physician and full body Active Release Technique (ART) provider, among many other evidence-based treatment certifications he has received over the years that he utilizes in clinic on a daily basis. Dr. Rubin also has an academic affiliation with Keiser University, serving as an adjunct assistance clinical professor within the chiropractic program.

John D'Amico, DC, DABCO-Residency Faculty, Clinical Competence Committee Chair

John D’Amico, DC, DABCO was a biology major at Stony Brook University and received his Doctorate in Chiropractic from New York Chiropractic College in 1992. He completed a rigorous postdoctoral educational program and earned his Diplomate American Board of Chiropractic Orthopedics (DABCO) in 2000. Dr. D’Amico was one of the first chiropractic pioneers to enter the Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System. In 2005, he became the first chiropractor appointed to the medical staff at the Miami VA Healthcare System (MVAHCS). He developed processes for integrating hospital-based clinical services and interprofessional clinical education. In 2008, he established an academic affiliation with New York Chiropractic College (NYCC) for a DC student-training program; he serves as an adjunct assistance clinical professor at NYCC and CPKU. He has served on numerous VA chiropractic professional boards and provides peer mentorship for newly appointed staff chiropractors.

Sarah Kelly, DC, MSACP- Residency Faculty

Dr. Kelly attended Northern Illinois University attaining her BS in Biology with a minor in psychology in 1995.  She went on to attend the National College of Chiropractic (now National University of Health Sciences) in Illinois in where she earned her Doctor of Chiropractic and acupuncture certification in 1999. She was in private family practice in the Chicagoland area for close to 20 years, where she took a clinical interest in the runner population and worked within a medical collaborative called The Running Institute.  In 2018, Dr. Kelly joined the full-time faculty at the National University of Health Sciences- Florida site as an Attending Clinician.  During that time, she obtained a Master’s in Advanced Clinical Practice, and attained an Associate Professor ranking.  She also served as an academic consultant for NBCE’s Part IV Test Committee in 2021 and was given the Presidential Service Award in August 2023 for her commitment to teaching and the University mission.  She joined the staff at the Miami VA in April 2024 and sees patients in both the main hospital and Homestead locations. She is also an NUHS  Adjunct Faculty, teaching a class on Medical Integration in the Doctor of Acupuncture program, and is Adjunct Faculty with Northeast College of Health Sciences.

Location

Training takes place at the Bruce W. Carter Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Miami VAMC, 1201 NW 16th St, Miami, FL 33136) and William "Bill" Kling Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic (9800 West Commercial Boulevard, Sunrise, FL 33351) campuses. The MVAHS is well-known for its excellence in healthcare provider training. 

Clinical Facilities

The chiropractic clinic is located on the second floor the Bruce W. Carter Medical Center, in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services (PMRS) wing, adjacent to the administrative offices, EMG lab, the outpatient and inpatient therapy gyms. The chiropractic treatment area has been upgraded to a 1000 square foot space, comprised of five individual treatment areas, with three administrative desks, and one dedicated workstation on wheels. To enhance the on-site chiropractic facilities, all treatment areas have been upgraded with new state-of-the-art chiropractic tables.

At the William “Bill” Kling community-based outpatient clinic (CBOC), the chiropractic clinic is collocated with the PMRS acupuncture clinic.  The chiropractic treatment area is approximately 1100 square feet of dedicated space, comprised of five individual patient treatment areas and a central charting station with the capacity to allow for three providers. This clinic has also been updated with new state-of-the-art chiropractic tables.

Compensation

The resident stipend is set annually, based on geographic location, by VA Office of Academic Affiliations. For Academic Year 2026-27 the stipend for a MVAHS chiropractic resident is $50,803. The resident receives paid Federal holidays and accrues vacation and sick leave. The resident is also eligible for health insurance. The resident is protected from personal liability while providing professional services at a VA health care facility under the Federal Employees Liability Reform and Tort Compensation Act, 28 U.S.C. 2679 (b)-(d).

Certificate of Completion

Upon satisfactory completion of program requirements, the graduate will receive an official Certificate of Residency, and records will be maintained at the MVAHS and the VHA Chiropractic National Program Office.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must hold or be scheduled to receive a DC degree from a CCE-accredited school prior to the start of the residency program, with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0.

Applicants must be eligible for, or hold a current, full, active, and unrestricted chiropractic license in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the US, or in the District of Columbia. Applicants must meet all VA employment requirements including US citizenship, and Selective Service registration when applicable.

Applicants must submit the names and email addresses of 3 references. Strongest weight is placed on references who have directly supervised the applicant in an official capacity, and/or have direct knowledge of the applicant’s clinical/professional abilities. These individuals will receive an email asking them to complete a reference form for the applicant.

Applicants must meet all VA employment requirements, including U.S. citizenship and Selective Service registration when applicable.

Applicants must have sufficient written and spoken English language skills as to make patient care safe and effective.

Application Process

The MVAHS Chiropractic Residency participates in the national chiropractic residency common application and match process. For further information and to apply go to Chiropractic Residency Match.

The application process opens the first week in December each year. Applicants are assessed on characteristics such as academic background, relevant experience, personal statement, letters of recommendation, and telephone, video, and/or in-person interviews. Applicant rankings are made by a review committee including the residency director, DC faculty, and current DC resident.

For additional information contact: Gina.Bonavito-Larragoite@va.gov 

Chiropractic Resident Program Completion and Employment Rate

*The program may exclude residents from Column B under certain circumstances, as outlined in CCE Policy 56. 

**The program may exclude residents from Column B under certain circumstances, as outlined in CCE Policy 56.