Chiropractic Residency Program
The Mission of the VA St. Louis Healthcare System (VA STL HCS) Chiropractic Integrated Clinical Practice Residency is to prepare chiropractic residents for clinical practice in hospitals or other integrated medical settings, and/or academia, through hospital-based clinical training, interprofessional education, and research/scholarly activities.
STL VA Chiropractic Residency Program
Accreditation: VA St Louis Health Care System Chiropractic Residency Program is accredited by The Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE), receiving initial accreditation in 2016. In July of 2019, The Council granted reaffirmation (renewal) of accreditation to VASTLHCS through 2027. Our next site visit will be spring of 2027.
Program Duration: Full-time (40 hours/week) for 12 months, starting July 1 - June 30 annually.
Number of Positions: 2
VA ST Louis Health Care System
VA STL HCS is a Level 1b tertiary care facility that provides a full spectrum of inpatient and ambulatory health care services to over 75,000 unique patients annually. VA STL HCS chiropractic section is aligned under Primary Care Service and Whole Health. Residents will rotate through urgent care and emergency department, primary care, physical medicine and rehabilitation, neurology, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, rheumatology, CARF- accredited pain program, palliative care, and Whole Health specialties. Residents will learn from and participate in ongoing national research projects including CSP 2009 and wHOPE along with engagement in a variety of scholarly activities both within our facility and with our affiliate, Logan University.
VA STL HCS is a Whole Health Flagship site and the resident will grow as a Whole Health provider and ultimately become a Whole Health champion. Within our Whole Health Initiative, our residents will participate in a full spectrum of programs, classes, and rotate with complementary and integrated health providers along with other residents from area medical schools Whole Health is VA’s approach to care that supports health and well-being. Practicing Whole Health as a VA clinician means being part of a nationally supported, grassroots movement that is bringing about system-wide transformation.
More information on the initiative can be found here: Whole Health; What Matters to you
Program Goals/Objectives
Goal 1:
- 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.
Goal 2:
- Residents will engage in interprofessional educational experiences with relevant medical, surgical, and associated health specialties.
- Residents will complete clinical rotations in Whole Health, Primary Care, Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation, other relevant medical or surgical specialties, behavioral health, and other associated health disciplines.
Goal 3:
- Residents will participate in scholarly activities to gain experience relevant to integrated practice and/or academia.
- Residents will collaborate with other chiropractic residents to complete online didactic courses and 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.
VA STL HCS Chiropractic Integrated Clinical Practice Residency Completion Rate
*The program may exclude residents from Column B under certain circumstances, as outlined in CCE Policy 56.
The table below utilizes the reporting format required by the Council on Chiropractic Education® (CCE) for accreditation purposes. The table reports completion and employment rates for VA STL HCS Chiropractic residents.
VA STL HCS Exceeds the 80% established threshold by CCE Policy 56 since our inception in 2014.
VA STL HCS Chiropractic Integrated Clinical Practice Residency Employment Rate
**The program may exclude residents from Column B under certain circumstances, as outlined in CCE Policy 56.
The table below utilizes the reporting format required by the Council on Chiropractic Education® (CCE) for accreditation purposes. The table reports completion and employment rates for VA STL HCS Chiropractic residents.
VA STL HCS Exceeds the 80% established threshold by CCE Policy 56 since our inception in 2014.
Staff and Program Faculty
Our program faculty have been involved in the training of health professional students and residents for many years. Our academic affiliate Logan University is local to VA STL HCS and provides support and further expertise for our resident trainees. Program faculty hold academic appointments with Logan University and residents become part of the resident training and academia with VA HCS and Logan University.
Matthew Knieper, DC
Dr. Knieper received his BS degree from Michigan State University and DC from Palmer College of Chiropractic (Davenport). He completed his Integrated Clinical Practice Chiropractic residency at the VA St. Louis Health Care System. Dr. Knieper is certified in chiropractic acupuncture and battlefield acupuncture providing additional resources for treatment interventions. Dr. Knieper is adjunct faculty at Logan University (St. Louis). Additionally, he has a passion for teaching, learning, and research.
Jason Napuli, DC, MBA- Program Director
Dr. Napuli received his B.S. from Brooklyn College in 1999 and his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from New York Chiropractic College (NYCC) in 2003. He completed a fellowship in Integrated Care at NYCC and earned a Master's in Business Administration with a healthcare concentration from Binghamton University in 2006. Shortly after, he began his VA career, serving at Bath, NY VA Medical Center (2006-2014) and Bay Pines VA Healthcare System (2014-2018) before joining the VA St. Louis residency program in 2018, where he now serves as Chief of Chiropractic and Complementary & Integrative Health.
Dr. Napuli is deeply committed to Veteran care and training the next generation of health professionals. He has overseen clinical services, supervised health professional students and residents, and contributed to scholarly activities including research, publications, and national presentations. His dedication to education is evident in his roles on various VA committees, such as the VA Field Advisory Committee, IRB, and R&D Committees, and chairing a pain management committee.
Additionally, he has been actively involved in his profession as Chair of the Chiropractic Health Care Section of the American Public Health Association, a member of the WFC Public Health Committee, and part of the Site Team Academy for the Council on Chiropractic Education.
Most honorably, Dr. Napuli serves as a Major in the United States Air Force as a Medical Service Corps Officer and is a veteran of Operation Inherent Resolve and Enduring Freedom. His extensive knowledge, passion for veteran care, dedication to training health professionals, and a patient-centered approach make him an invaluable asset to his field.
Sarah Jane Trautwein, DC
Dr. Pavlik received her BS in Exercise Science from Lindenwood University (2016) and her DC from Logan University (2019). She completed her clinical rotation at Scott AFB in Shiloh, IL treating active duty military personnel in an integrated setting. She joined the VA St. Louis Health Care System in 2021 as part of the clinical team in Whole Health along with training health professional trainees from Logan University and residents. In addition, she is certified in both acupuncture and battlefield acupuncture and supplements this within her current practice. She also has an interest in Women’s Health conditions and Chronic Pain Syndromes. Dr. Pavlik also serves as adjunct faculty at Logan University and her research focus is on integrated care training and clinical outcomes from collaborative care.
Ann-Marie Ziegler, DC, MS
Dr. Ziegler received her BM from Central Michigan University (2013), MM from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (2015), DC from Life University (2018), and MS in Clinical Research from the University of Minnesota (2022). Additionally, she spent 3 years as a Post-Doctoral Research Scholar with the Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research and was awarded a NCCIH Administrative Supplement for the VERDICT trial. Shortly after Dr. Ziegler returned to Missouri and completed her Integrated Clinical Practice Chiropractic residency at the VA St. Louis Health Care System in 2022.
Dr. Ziegler currently serves as adjunct teaching faculty within the Doctor of Chiropractic program at Logan University. Her research focuses include integrated care training, cognitive and contextual factors of chronic pain, and enhancing self-management and person-centered care.
Terence Kearney, DC, CCSP, FIAMA
Dr. Kearney earned his B.A. in Biology from San Jose State University in 1985 and completed his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer-West Chiropractic College in 1989. Following his service in the U.S. Air Force as a Crew Chief and later as a Medical Technician in the Reserves, he joined the Department of Defense's Chiropractic Health Care Demonstration Project (CHCDP) in 1995. This project significantly impacted the integration of chiropractic care into military medical centers. He provided care at various prestigious facilities, including Walter Reed, National Naval Medical Center, and the Capitol’s Office of Attending Physician, and established clinics at Quantico Marine Base, Navy Yard, and the Pentagon.
Dr. Kearney is dedicated to lifelong learning and teaching. He has actively contributed to research on lower back pain through collaborations with Palmer University and the Samueli Institute. He pioneered student rotations from multiple chiropractic schools, holding adjunct faculty positions at these institutions and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. His passion for education has made him a valued mentor and educator in his field.
In 2021, Dr. Kearney transitioned to the VA hospital in Huntington, WV, and in 2025, moved to the St. Louis VA. He holds a license to practice acupuncture in Virginia and is certified as a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician (CCSP). His enduring commitment to continuous education and teaching continues to drive his professional endeavors.
Locations
Training takes place at multiple locations throughout the VA St. Louis Health Care System. Currently there are seven sites of chiropractic care provided within the VASTLHCS. Two medical centers Jefferson Barracks, John Cochran and 5 Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC): Washington Avenue Annex, St. Clair CBOC, St. Charles CBOC, St. Louis CBOC, Franklin County CBOC. VASTLHCS has academic affiliations with Logan University, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine and Saint Louis College of Pharmacy. Residents will be assigned to both medical centers and will have an opportunity to rotate in our CBOC’s.
Clinical and Scholarly Activities
The VA St. Louis Health Care System is composed of seven different sites of care throughout the greater St Louis region. Each location has state of the art exam/treatment tables, computers, and other necessary equipment. One of the unique features of VA STL is our ability to offer our residents a variety of patient demographics from the city, to suburban, and rural. Additionally, we are a Whole Health Flagship site that is slowly transforming health care in VA. Our residents become knowledgeable in Whole Health as they learn through the lens of our veterans as they rotate through the different components of Whole Health and VA ST Louis HCS. Later through opportunities to recommend and deliver classes our residents become champions of Whole Health and fully understand the importance of this healthcare transformation Residents will have library support through VASTLHCS, VISN 15 Online Library, and through Logan University. In addition, the resident will rotate through Logan University health care systems, participate in didactic activities throughout their trimesters, and post graduate course work.
Residents carry a 65% caseload with time devoted to clinical rotations, didactic coursework, professional presentations, scholarly projects, and mentorship of health professional trainees. Primarily, this is a clinical residency as part of Whole Health, however, the resident will spend considerable time on rotations across VA St Louis and in the classroom setting at Logan University. One of the features of the VA ST Louis residency is our rotations and immersion in resident life. Each resident will have the opportunity to rotate with other residents through various departments including, Whole Health, Primary Care, Specialty Care (Orth, Neuro, Rheumatology), Palliative Care, Emergency Dept, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Additionally, residents will spend time being mentored and putting together research projects and scholarly work for submission to conferences and presentations throughout VA ST Louis and Logan University. This combination of experience will ensure residents are successful in transitioning to a VA position, Private hospital, or academia.
Compensation
The resident stipend is set annually, based on geographic location, by VA Office of Academic Affiliations. For the Academic Year 2026-27, the stipend for a VA STL HCS chiropractic resident was $48,912. The resident receives paid federal holidays and accrues 13 days of vacation and 13 days of sick leave. The resident is also eligible for life and 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 VA STL HCS and the VHA Chiropractic National Program Office. To date, all of our residents have been placed in VA Medical Centers nationwide.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible applicants must be a US citizen and:
- Have graduated from a CCE accredited institution by July 1, 2026
- Be eligible to hold a license by June 30, 2027 or currently licensed to practice chiropractic in the U.S.
- Have at least a 3.0 GPA in the Doctor of Chiropractic professional program
- Have capabilities and goals consistent with the mission and rigor of the program
Application Process
The program follows the VA chiropractic residency match process and is hosted through national match. Selection is through a competitive process considering factors such as academic background, relevant experience, personal statement, letters of recommendation, and telephone and/or in-person interviews.
Important Dates:
12/01/2025-Applicant Registration Opens
01/23/2026-Application Deadline
02/18/2026-Rank Order List Deadline
02/25/2026-Match Results Day