Article Written By The Press & Dakotan
Local chiropractor T.J. Stotz, who opened The Bonesetter Chiropractic in Yankton 2½ years ago, was named the Chiropractor of the Year by the South Dakota Chiropractors Association (SDCA).
Stotz, who has been practicing in Yankton since 2006, said he had no idea he was receiving the award, but it dawned on him early during the presentation at this year’s SDCA Conference in Sioux Falls.
“The SDCA has done a good job over the years of making a big surprise out of this,” he told the Press & Dakotan. “There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work with everyone who needs to be involved, including the family. What ends up happening is everybody in my family knew. Everybody showed up that I thought were all preoccupied with other things. Then it gets announced, and you turn around, and there’s your parents and your grandma and your kids, one of which is supposed to be in a play that night, and brother and sister, and their families, and even my wife lined up a couple of old chiropractic college roommates to come surprise me.
“They play a video to introduce the Chiropractor of the Year, and the way they script it, the room has to try to figure out who it is. It usually takes a little while. I knew within the first comment that it was me. Then I’m sitting there trying to tell myself not to turn around. It was fun.”
Stotz said he was filled with gratitude for the award but said he really believes in the work of the SDCA.
“There’s a lot that goes into being a part of that association, but we do a good job of getting education for the doctors,” he said. “We all need education so, at our annual conference, we get enough education that you can pretty well get all of your (continuing education) hours completed. That’s the education component
“There’s the camaraderie component, of course, and then there’s also the ‘promote and protect’ piece, which is the SDCA’s motto. So, we’re promoting chiropractic in the state, and we’re protecting chiropractic in the state, which means a huge part of what the association does is keep an eye on what’s going on in Pierre. We do a lot of lobbying, and creating and maintaining relationships with legislators.”
Stotz was on the SDCA board from 2006-2021, serving as president twice. One of those times was during the COVID-19 pandemic, so his term was extended.
He thinks that longevity may have played a role in his nomination.
“I think a big part of it was the recognition of the number of years I spent on and contributed to that board,” he said. “I continue to contribute as I’m serving as the alternate delegate to the American Chiropractic Association at the moment. They also take into account what you do for your community and your family, and all of those things.”
Chiropractic wellness runs in the family, too, for Stotz. His father, Tom, was awarded the SDCA Chiropractor of the Year in 2004.
“That became a conversation about how many father/sons had won it,” he said. “We know that there were at least a couple other pairs. Families run deep in chiropractic in South Dakota.”
He told the Press & Dakotan that the award will motivate him going forward.
“It really got me thinking about why I went into chiropractic in the first place,” he said. “Of course, following dad, but originally, I wasn’t going to go into chiropractic. I had a chemistry professor talk me into taking a medicinal chemistry course with him. By the end of that class, I decided I didn’t want a prescription pad in my hand. I wanted to provide a different option for people.
“Coming back (from the conference) has made me dive even deeper into different areas of health and wellness than I’ve looked at before.”
Stotz’s clinic has a different set-up than most clinical settings.
“I wanted it to feel less like a typical clinic, I wanted it to be inviting, but I also wanted it to be very functional for me,” he said. “This whole space is designed around comfort for the patient and usability for me, and it has been fantastic.”
Stotz thanked his wife, Teri, for doing a good job of hiding the news from him and lining up friends and family for the surprise.
