The Joint Chiropractic - St. Johns Town Center

The Joint Chiropractic is pleased to have Dr. Phil Scheets join its Jacksonville Harbour Village and St. John’s Town Center clinics in 2018. Dr. Phil, as his patients call him, received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Evangel University in Springfield, Mo. He received his doctorate in chiropractic while at Life University in Marietta, Ga., in 1999.

He grew up in Collingswood, N.J., and his vast experience in chiropractic was gleaned primarily in New Jersey before he settled in Florida. While in New Jersey, he worked in Hispanic communities where he learned enough basic Spanish to be able to communicate with those patients who have English as a second language.

“The best thing about being in the chiropractic field is helping and serving people in the community,” Dr. Phil says. “It’s not only emotionally fulfilling, but it’s humbling.The other thing that’s so great about practicing chiropractic is building relationships with a diversity of people. I treat everyone who comes into the office as though they are a ‘star’ or famous athlete. Seeing folks get better, with each visit building on the previous one, excites me -- I get to see chiropractic miracles every day.”

Dr. Phil is busy, having raised six healthy children.” Over the years, their large household has included two Bernese mountain dogs and four Balinese cats.

Dr. Phil’s personal experience led him into his chosen field. “When chiropractic changed the course of my own life,” he says, “I knew I was being called into chiropractic. I was injured in a forklift accident and decided to try chiropractic to help with the back pain. After three weeks, my life was changed; I felt better than I had before the accident. I only wish that I had discovered chiropractic earlier when I was playing college football. My chiropractor suggested I go to chiropractic school -- and I did!”

In his spare time, Dr. Phil enjoys spending time with his children. “I also enjoy serving the community through the Church,” he says, “and I also like golfing, fishing, running and exercising, and spending time at the beach.”

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Dr. Phil says the one thing he always must have at the ready in his refrigerator is cream for his coffee. “I love good coffee,” he says, “but it must have cream.”

If he could meet any four people in history and share a dinner for the ages, he would include Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Buddha, and Mahatma Gandhi “so the truth would be revealed.”

The coolest thing Dr. Phil has experienced was the birth of his first son. “I caught my oldest son in a birthing tub during a homebirth,” he says. “It’s amazing to see new life enter this world in the comfort of your own home.”

Dr. Penelope Knox joined The Joint Chiropractic family of local chiropractors in 2018. A graduate of Spelman College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with concentration in medicine, she received her doctorate of chiropractic from Life University.

“The best thing about being in the chiropractic field is that I get to help others on their journey of health and wellness naturally,” Dr. Knox says. “No medication, no side effects.”

Dr. Knox was a traveling chiropractor before she settled in Jacksonville, and worked in Atlanta as well as Orlando, Tallahassee, Bradenton and Kissimmee. She grew up outside of Memphis, so maybe it’s not surprising that in her spare time she enjoys live music and concerts, as well as watching movies and cooking.

She and her husband Henry met when they were teenagers, and they have cats named Baxter and Ziggy, and a turtle named Emerald.

Dr. Knox says she knew she had pursued the right career path while at Life University after seeing a quote from Mahatma Gandhi: “Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served,” so she tries to be a joyful servant every day.

It’s made easier by working at The Joint Jacksonville clinics. “I love the camaraderie between the staff, patients, and the doctors,” she says.

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Dr. Knox says the one thing she always keeps in her refrigerator is water “because it’s more than 80 percent of what I am.”

If she could have the dinner party of her dreams, Dr. Knox says she would like to bring together Beyonce, Oprah, Dr. Sebi, and her late cousin Zaria “who loved Beyonce, who could maybe sing and grace us before dinner.” She would pick Oprah’s brain “so I could learn her secrets to success,” and she would love to meet self-taught and self-proclaimed healer Dr. Sebi “so I could increase my knowledge of truly living healthy.”

No doubt, her guests would enjoy Dr. Knox’s story of her own awesome adventure. “I went cave diving,” she says. “We had to hike down the side of mountains to ge to the cave. Once we got there, certain parts were completely dark with no light and no way out. It was the coolest thing I’ve ever done.”

Dr. Jonathan D’Cruz -- you can call him Dr. Jon -- joined The Joint Chiropractic family of healthcare providers in summer 2019. A graduate of Florida State with a bachelor’s of science degree in exercise science with a minor in child development, he earned his doctorate of chiropractic from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Port Orange.

“The thing I like best about being in the chiropractic field is giving people a holistic and natural alternative to address their pain and dysfunction,” Dr. Jon says. “I love empowering patients to be proactive and to take charge of their own health.”

A native of Indian Harbour Beach, Fla., Dr. Jon has also worked in Cocoa Beach and Port Orange.

In his spare time, he enjoys being active by lifting weights, running, playing basketball, or going to the beach. He also likes watching sports.

Dr. Jon pulls inspiration from a quote by BJ Palmer, the developer of chiropractic, who said: “The preservation of health is easier than the cure of disease.”

It’s that mentality that he brings to the Jacksonville office every day “The environment of The Joint provides incredibly simple and effective access to chiropractic care for the communities of the city of Jacksonville,” he says. “Chiropractic care is for everyone, and being a member of The Joint gives me the ability to serve the masses as a chiropractor.”

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Dr. Jon says the one thing he always has on hand at home is Synergy organic kombucha. “I did not understand the importance of gut health and nutrient absorption -- and how it affects the human body -- until halfway through my time in chiropractic school,” he says. “Kombucha is full of probiotics and plays a key role in promoting a healthy gut, so it’s important to me to always have some in my fridge.”

If he could invite any four people from history to his dream dinner party, Dr. Jon would include some of sports’ biggest hitters: basketball player Michael Jordan, golfer Tiger Woods, football player Tom Brady, and Brazilian soccer player Pele.

“These are arguably four of the greatest athletes in the history of sports,” he says. “I would be very intrigued to learn about their secrets to success and what drives/drove them in their pursuit to be at the top of each of their respective sports.”

When it comes to the coolest experiences in his life, Dr. Jon includes cops, kids, and hoops. “In the summer of 2017 and 2018, I volunteered as a youth basketball coach for the city of Port Orange’s Police Athletic League. This experience was very rewarding as I grew up playing basketball during my youth and at the high school level. I was able to help boys in the 11- to 13-year-old age group learn how to work as a team, develop their own personal skill sets, and find joy in playing the game of basketball in the same way that I did as a youth.

Dr. Kelvin Bolar joined the family of healthcare providers at The Joint Chiropractic in 2019. A graduate of Central Michigan, he earned a bachelor’s degree in health fitness and rehabilitative methods, and a minor in exercise science. He got his doctorate of chiropractic from Palmer College of Chiropractic.

Dr. Kelvin, as his patients call him, is excited to be part of the team of local chiropractors serving Jacksonville.

“The best thing about being in the field of chiropractic is the ability to help someone feel better and get them back to the activities that they enjoy with just the use of my hands,” he says. “The other thing that’s gratifying is getting to meet and treat so many people on a daily basis.”

A product of southeast Michigan who worked previously in Palm Coast, Fla., Dr. Kelvin is married to a fellow chiropractor; they have one son and two dogs, Zane and Jada. When he’s not working or enjoying time with his family, Dr. Kelvin likes working out, going to the movies, building remote control cars and trucks, and riding his motorcycle.

He has a passion for chiropractic because there’s such a direct connection with the patient. “When I learned of the chiropractic profession and how chiropractors literally take a hands-on approach to naturally help improve the lives of patients, I knew it was something that I had to be part of,” he says.

He really appreciates the value of The Joint Chiropractic’s services and the extraordinary availability it provides: “The Joint makes chiropractic care affordable and easily accessible to patients, helping to rid them of the hurdle of sticking to appointment times.”

So as far as Dr. Kelvin is concerned, drop in anytime.

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Dr. Kelvin says the one thing he always has stocked in his refrigerator is milk, and the reason is pretty obvious: “Because I don’t like dry Frosted Flakes.”

If he sat down with any four people from history to create the dinner party of his dreams, Dr. Kelvin would include media mogul Oprah Winfrey, Disney CEO Robert Iger, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and Microsoft founder Bill Gates. “I would like to have a dinner party with these individuals due to their public reach and employee base,” he says. “I would discuss the benefits of chiropractic care in relation to employee productivity and decreased time off due to musculoskeletal issues. My aim would be to get each of these individuals to offer chiropractic care for all of their employees with The Joint Chiropractic as a national partner provider.”

Although he may not be very adventurous with his cereal, that’s not necessarily the case out in the world. “The coolest thing I have ever done is hike to the top of Mt. Quandary in Colorado,” he says. “With an elevation of 14,265 feet, this is the highest that I have ever hiked. If I were to ever do it again, the only thing that I would change would be the time of year: hiking to 14,000 feet in the middle of winter is terribly cold!”

Dr. Ryan Loren became part of The Joint Chiropractic’s team of local healthcare providers in 2020 when he began serving residents in the Jacksonville area to continue doing the work he finds so gratifying.

“The best thing about being in the chiropractic field is being able to change someone’s life while doing what I love,” he says.

Dr. Ryan, as he likes his patients to call him, is a product of Port Huron, Mich., and worked previously in Orlando, Orange City, and New Smyrna Beach.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in health science at Saginaw (Mich.) Valley State University before embarking on his doctorate of chiropractic from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Port Orange.

Dr. Ryan enjoys spending time with his family -- he has three young boys and a wife who is both a pastry chef and massage therapist. When he’s not with them or working with patients, he likes to unwind by watching sports and playing rec league softball.

He knew chiropractic was his calling after some first-hand experience. “After my first adjustment,” he says, “I went from having ‘just growing pains’ to being pain-free -- and it blew my mind.”

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Dr. Ryan says the one thing he always has stocked in his refrigerator is cold water. Not only is it healthy, “but it’s always so hot in Florida,” so it’s well justified.

If he could bring together any four persons from history for the dinner party of his dreams, Dr. Ryan would ensure there would be plenty of laughs around the table; he would include comedians Robin Williams, Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, and Jim Carrey.

He says the coolest thing he has ever done took place during his spring break trip to the Dominican Republic his senior year of college. “We took an off-road 8x8 monster truck safari tour,” Dr. Ryan says, “and then rented dune buggies to drive around town and through the sand.”

Dr. Bruce Sambursky became part of The Joint Chiropractic’s team of local healthcare providers in 2020 when he began serving residents at the Jacksonville Beach clinic, where he continues doing the work he finds so gratifying.

“The best thing about being in this field is managing people’s health naturally, without the use of medication,” he says. “I love seeing and hearing the shock and amazement patients have expressed about how they never would have thought that chiropractic care would cure their condition.”

Dr. Bruce, as he likes to be called, grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., and worked previously in Jacksonville before selling his practice in 2017.

He has been married for three decades and raised two children, a son who is a neurologist and daughter who is an attorney. In his spare time, he enjoys sports. “I used to play a great deal of baseball, football, hockey, and basketball,” he says. “Now I have to watch on television. My favorite sport is baseball and my favorite team is the Yankees.”

Dr. Bruce attended the University of Houston before going to Texas Chiropractic College, where he received a bachelor’s degree in biology and his doctorate in chiropractic.

He found chiropractic as his calling on April 3, 1987. “That was the day my mother, who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, passed away when she had a reaction to a medication given to her in the hospital,” Dr. Bruce says. “This was the day that I knew that treating patients without medication was my future.”

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Dr. Bruce admits he has a sweet tooth. “It is a little strange,” he says, “but I keep chocolate chip cookies in the freezer.”

If he could bring together any four persons from history for the dinner of his dreams, he would include Benjamin Franklin, boxer Muhammad Ali, and baseball players Jackie Robinson and Derek Jeter. “Franklin was the most interesting founding father as he was an inventor, statesman, was the first of many things -- including postmaster general -- and helped frame our Constitution,” he says. “I would like to talk to Ali -- imagine, a man in the prime of his boxing career, a champion of the world, to give up his title for his religious values and what he passionately believed in. Robinson loved baseball and had to endure racism and overcome the odds. I would like to talk to Jeter because he played the game of baseball with enthusiasm, ethics, respect, and showed true leadership, and finished his career in a major sport without ever being involved in any scandal.”

The coolest thing he has done took place in 2014 at Yankee Stadium. “My son and I, being third and fourth generation Yankees fans, traveled from Jacksonville to the Bronx to attend Derek Jeter’s last game,” he says. “It was a special moment in my life.”

Dr. Brent Fragola became part of The Joint Chiropractic’s team of local healthcare providers in 2020 when he began serving residents in the Jacksonville area, where he continues doing the work he loves.

“The best thing about being in the chiropractic field is impacting individuals’ health and quality of life through an organic practice of treatment,” he says. “It’s gratifying to treat patients with a conservative approach via manipulation and movement.”

Dr. Brent, as he likes his patients to call him, grew up in Milford, Pa., on the border of New York and New Jersey. When he’s not working, he enjoys weightlifting, walking, and jamming to music. He also likes watching sports, comedies, and documentaries.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science at Temple University, and his doctorate at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Port Orange.

Dr. Brent says he knew chiropractic was his life’s calling after witnessing patients’ relief and gratitude after treatment received from chiropractors.

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Dr. Brent says the one thing he always keeps stocked in his refrigerator is cheese. “I eat it every single day,” he says. “A sandwich is not complete without cheese on it.”

His ideal dinner party with anyone from history would include baseball legend Mickey Mantle, rock stars Bret Michaels and Eddie Van Halen, and comedian Kevin James. “I would love to hear the great sport stories and debates with one of the greatest Yankees and baseball players of all time,” he says. “We need Bret Michaels because we need some great vocals to listen to, and Eddie Van Halen because we need some great music. And we need Kevin James because we need some comedy and laughs.”

Dr. Brent says the coolest thing he has ever done was cliff jumping in Jamaica “because of the adrenaline rush along with the beautiful scenery.”

Dr. LaResa Reed became part of The Joint Chiropractic’s team of local healthcare providers in 2020 when she began serving residents in the Jacksonville area, where she continues doing the work she enjoys so much.

“The thing I like most about being a chiropractor is the ability to give patients an alternative approach to healthcare,” she says. “It’s rewarding to be able to provide quality time with patients and work alongside them as they accomplish their health goals.”

Her patients call her LaResa, and she grew up in Jacksonville, so it’s especially rewarding to be working in her hometown. In her spare time she enjoys listening to jazz, playing the clarinet, and writing quotes.

“I knew chiropractic was my calling when I saw the opioid epidemic,” she says. “I wanted to give my patients an alternative. I desperately wanted to be part of the solution and not the problem.”

She attended Bethune Cookman in Daytona Beach -- where she got a bachelor’s degree in biology -- before returning to school to get her doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Port Orange.

LaResa loves working at The Joint’s St. John’s Town Center clinic. “It’s convenient and has a fast-paced atmosphere,” she says. “I love the ability to give patients quality care while respecting their time.”

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The one thing LaResa always has in her refrigerator is grape cranberry juice: “Nothing is more refreshing.”

If she could bring together any four people from history, she would soak up the knowledge. “I would love to listen to the teachings of Christ around the table, jam to the musical sounds of Ella Fitzgerald, have a poetry session by Maya Angelou,” LaResa says. “And I would enjoy the laughter provided by Richard Pryor.”

The coolest thing she has ever done, she says was “go back to school after a 10-year hiatus to pursue my doctorate of chiropractic. It was cool because it inspired others to chase their dreams despite the odds.”

Dr. Benjamin Dieffenbacher joined ​The Joint Chiropractic’s team of local healthcare providers in 2019 when he began serving residents in the Jacksonville area, where he continues doing the work he finds so rewarding.

“The best thing about being a chiropractor is the ability to help people with my hands and the knowledge of the human body,” he says. “Every day brings a new person into my life, someone who has experienced the world differently. Getting to meet people from all walks of life is humbling and beautiful to get to experience.”

Dr. Ben, as his patients call him, grew up in horse country, Ocala, Fla., and worked previously in Miami and Tampa. In his spare time, he enjoys surfing and staying active whether outdoors or indoors.

He attended University of Florida, where he received a bachelor’s degree in applied physiology and kinesiology before getting a doctorate in chiropractic from National University of Health Sciences in Lombard, Ill.

“I knew chiropractic was my calling because of my mom,” Dr. Ben says. “My mom was a massage therapist when I was growing up and she was able to help so many people just from the knowledge of the human body and a gentle touch.”

Although most chiropractors are limited to one site location, Dr. Ben works throughout the area at the Orange Park, Jacksonville Harbour Village, St. John’s Town Center, Mandarin, and Jacksonville Beach clinic locations. “What I like most about The Joint is the ability to focus on exactly what the patient needs,” he says. “The Joint cuts through the red tape of the health insurance world and brings chiropractic to you in an affordable and convenient way.”

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Dr. Ben always has the perfect food stored away in his refrigerator: “Eggs are the one thing I have daily. It doesn’t matter the time of day because breakfast for dinner is one of my favorite meals.”

If he could go back in time, he wishes he could sit down with his four grandparents when they were both young and old. “I never met them growing up,” he says, “and I would find it interesting to find out about them, and where I came from.”

Dr. Ben’s most interesting experience took place as a young man. “When I was 19 I traveled out of the country to Costa Rica alone to go surf,” he says. “It was one of my favorite experiences in life because it led me on an adventure that I couldn’t have ever planned. Many things went wrong, but more went right because I kept my head up and I stayed optimistic. In life, I’ve found that the best adventures are when things go wrong.”

Dr. John Davenport became part of The Joint Chiropractic’s team of local healthcare providers in 2021 when he began serving residents in the Jacksonville area, where he continues doing the work he finds gratifying.

“The thing I love most about being in this field is helping people get out of pain,” he says. “It’s rewarding to implement natural means of healing the body that don’t have negative side effects for the patients, such as those that you get with prescriptions.”

Most of his patients call him “Dr. D,” and he worked previously in St. Louis, Mo., and Jacksonville. He was raised in Florida, but his childhood also included Georgia and North Carolina. He and his wife have been married for more than three decades and they have three adult daughters. Wife Julie, “the love of my life,” is an outpatient manager in mental health.

When he’s not spending time with the family, Dr. D likes spending time outdoors walking, hiking, or boating; he also likes to work out, work on cars, play the guitar, travel, and study history.

First-hand experience led Dr. D to become a chiropractor. “After being in a car accident, chiropractic care kept me from surgery, so I decided to pursue it as a life profession,” he says.

Dr. D works at the Jacksonville Beach, Jacksonville Harbour Village, St. Johns Town Center, and Mandarin clinics.

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Dr. D says the coolest thing he has done was ride his motorcycle across the country: “It was just the joy of my life to experience the freedom and the great time of meeting all sorts of people.”

Among the four people he would like to meet if he could bring anyone from history together for the ideal dinner party, Dr. D says he would bring together “Jesus because of his wisdom, love, and power; Gen. George Patton because of his interesting military career; ancient Greek doctor Hippocrates because of his knowledge of natural treatment of disease; and Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius because of his philosophy.”

The clinics in Jacksonville are proud that Dr. Frank Ramirez joined their team in 2022 to provide important healthcare services to the local community.

“The thing I like best about being in the chiropractic field is being able to help people enjoy their lives better,” he says. “It’s really rewarding to meet people from all walks of life and various types of experiences.”

Raised in Miami, Dr. Ramirez attended Florida State, where he majored in marketing and minored in German studies. When he’s not spending time with his physician assistant wife and their dog, Joey, Dr. Ramirez enjoys staying fit with activities that include surfing and basketball.

He earned his doctorate in chiropractic at Palmer College in Port Orange, where he graduated magna cum laude. He was on the dean’s list at both Palmer and FSU.

“I knew chiropractic was my calling after being a patient for 10 years and realizing that I loved educating people more about chiropractic than anything else,” he says.

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If he could bring together any four people from history for his ideal dinner party, Dr. Ramirez could cover a wide-range of topics. “I would include Jordan Petersen because he’s a very compassionate, charismatic, and accomplished clinical psychologist, and Mike Tyson because he is one of the greatest boxers of all-time who shows passion and honesty in everything he does, even after boxing,” he says. “I enjoy Bill Burr’s brutally honest comedy, and he offers interesting perspectives of life through comedy. I would also include Michael League because he’s a genius modern jazz composer who is as humble as they come.”

Being a native Floridian, Dr. Ramirez says “the coolest thing I’ve ever done was drive an airboat through the everglades.”

The food staple he always keeps stocked in his refrigerator is eggs: “I eat them every day and there are endless ways to cook them.”

Dr. Kevin Zelaya began his journey as a local healthcare provider at The Joint Chiropractic in 2019, but it wasn’t until 2022 that he joined the Jacksonville clinic location to continue doing the work he finds so rewarding.

“The thing I like most about being in the chiropractic field is connecting with people on a deep level to help them grow, feel better, and regain ownership of their health,” he says. “I get to teach people about their bodies and also be physically active in the work that we do.”

“The other thing that’s gratifying is the knowledge and skills that I have gained allow me to connect and be of benefit to people anywhere that I go.”

Dr. Kevin, as his patients call him, grew up in Alpharetta, Ga., and worked previously in Portland, Ore., Palm Coast, Fla., and Jacksonville.

He and his chiropractor wife, who share a dog and cat, love the outdoors, including kayaking and paddle boarding. His other hobbies include “learning and taking care of tropical plants -- I love big-leafed philodendrons.”

He attended Georgia State, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and a minor in psychology; he then received his doctorate in chiropractic from Life University in Marietta, Ga.

“I experienced the benefits of chiropractic as a young athlete and saw the benefit to my mother, who suffered from vertigo. “The health and lifestyle benefits of chiropractic are extraordinary,” he says.

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Dr. Kevin loves to be entertained and says his ideal dinner party would include BJ Palmer, the developer of chiropractic, basketball great Dennis Rodman, President Donald Trump, and rapper T.I. “Can you think of a more eclectic gathering of individuals,” he says. “Not a single clue how the dinner would go, but I can guarantee I’d be entertained or would have a good story to tell from it.”

Dr. Kevin says the most amazing experience of his life is going on chiropractic mission trips to serve underprivileged communities in India, Brazil, El Salvador, and homeless shelters in Atlanta. “These trips are extraordinarily rewarding because of the heartwarming experiences felt while serving others in combination with my love for traveling with friends and loved ones,” he says.

The food that Dr. Kevin always keeps stocked in his refrigerator are pickled onions: “They’re simple to prepare and you can eat them with just about anything.”