LEWISTOWN - Fresh out of school, Samuel Yoder has started a chiropractic business in Lewistown, with hopes of some day expanding.
Yoder's business, which opened on Aug. 17, is run out of the Gisewhite Chiropractic Center off of Electric Avenue in Lewistown. Although he shares the building with Christie Gisewhite, owner of the Gisewhite practice, his practice is separate, and he maintains individual hours. Yoder sees patients from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 8 a.m until 4 p.m. on Saturdays, he said.
Yoder, of Allensville, said he's always been interested in chiropractic care. He spent three years at the New York Chiropractic College. After graduating in July, he decided to move back to the Juniata Valley to start a business, he said, adding that his wife also is from the area.
Yoder got connected to Gisewhite, he said, because she also attended New York Chiropractic College, and he was able to find her name on the alumni list.
During his last month of school, Yoder worked at the Gisewhite clinic shadowing Gisewhite, he said.
"She offered me ... an externship here," he said.
After graduation, Yoder was offered the opportunity to rent the office on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, to get his own practice "up and running," he said.
Yoder plans to keep his days at the Gisewhite clinic for about a year, he said, and then has "unofficial" plans to eventually buy the practice when Gisewhite is ready to retire, in approximately 5 to 10 years, he said.
He also plans to open an additional office in Allensville within the next six months to a year, he said, which would operate Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
"(I'm) still looking on the exact location of that," Yoder said.
In addition to attending New York Chiropractic College, Yoder said he also is a certified massage therapist, and spent approximately one year working at another chiropractor's office.
"I just loved the way the patients responded (to the care)," he said about the experience.
Yoder is accepting new patients at the clinic located at 505 Electric Ave. For more information call 248-8484.
