About Us

Four Generations of Chiropractors

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Generations of Chance chiropractors

Chance Chiropractic Center has proudly served Gainesville and the surrounding communities in Florida for over 40 years. It all started because of incurable migraine headaches. Hugh ‘Chet’ Chance was an electrical engineer in Winfield, Kansas, where he lived with his wife, Edna Mary Johnson Chance, and their three children, Hugh, Dean and Vern. Chet developed severe migraines that prevented him from working. Edna Mary’s cousins, the Johnson twins, who were Chiropractors, encouraged him to try chiropractic. When chiropractic cured his migraines, Chet was so impressed he moved his family to Davenport where he and Edna Mary both started school, graduating in 1924. At the time, researchers at Palmer were developing the first thermography instrument, called the Neurocalometer/NCM. An electrical engineer, Chet, was hired by Palmer to be part of the three-man team working on the NCM. Chet also then taught Neurology and eventually became Director of the student clinic. The rest is four generations of Chance Chiropractic history.

Being a chiropractor back then was not easy. Many chiropractors were jailed just for practicing chiropractic. Dean, son of Chet and Edna Mary, graduated as valedictorian in 1935 and moved to New York to set up practice. Constantly threatened with arrest and jail for practicing medicine without a license in N.Y., Dean moved to Florida where the laws were more favorable. Instead of being content to practice without harassment, Dean set out to change the laws that restricted chiropractic practice. As a founding member of the American Chiropractic Association and Florida’s delegate to the ACA, Dean became Chairman of the Insurance and Government Relations Committee. This committee changed the laws and also got chiropractic acknowledged and covered by insurance. Three of Dean’s sons, Steve, Mike and Chris, and four grandsons, Mark, Dean, Justin and Hayden, followed in his footsteps.

Our 4 generations of chiropractors:


Dr. Hugh ‘Chet’ Chance

Graduated Palmer College of Chiropractic – 1924
Professor of Neurology for 35 years
Director of the Student Clinic Palmer College
Noted lecturer and author
Part of team that developed the Neurocalometer
Practiced in Iowa for 35 years


Dr. Edna Mary Chance

Graduated Palmer College of Chiropractic – 1924
Practiced with Chet for ten years in Iowa
Mother of Chiropractors Dean and Vern


Dr. M. Dean Chance

Graduated Valedictorian Palmer College – 1935
Noted lecturer and author
Founding member of American Chiropractic Association
Florida’s Delegate to the ACA
Chairman of the Insurance and Governmental Relations Committee (ACA)
Chiropractor of the Year 1965
Practiced in NY and Florida for 40 years


Dr. Vern Chance

Graduated Palmer College of Chiropractic – 1952
Interim Director of Student Clinic – Palmer College
Instructor in Thompson Technique
Practiced in Iowa for 40 years


Dr. Mary Ann Chance

Graduated Palmer College of Chiropractic – 1959
Editor of the Chiropractic Journal of Australia
Chief Executive Officer of Australian Chiropractic Association 1975-82
Practiced in Australia for 49 years
Named International Chiropractor of Year – 2008


Dr. Steven Chance

Graduated Palmer College of Chiropractic – 1971
Former President of Florida Palmer Alumni
Palmer President’ Club
Practiced in Ft. Myers, FL


Dr. Michael D. Chance

Graduated Highest Honors University of Florida – 1975
Graduated Highest Honors Palmer College of Chiropractic – 1978
Faculty Palmer College of Chiropractic – 1978-1979
FCA Board of Directors – 2007-Present
FCA Chiropractor of the Year – 2010
Inducted to Palmer College of Chiropractic Fellowship – 2011
Palmer College Board of Trustees – 2012-Present
President Florida Chiropractic Association – 2013-2014


Dr. Chris Chance

Graduated Magna Cum Laude Palmer College – 1981
Former Treasurer of Mid-Fla. Chiropractic Society
Palmer President’s Club


Dr. Mark Chance

Graduated Huntingdon College – 1988
Graduated Palmer College – 1992
Past President – Mid-Fla. Chiropractic Society
Palmer President’s Club


Dr. Justin F. Chance

Graduated Highest Honors from P.K. Yonge D.R.S. – 2003
Graduated with Bachelor of Science from The University of Florida, specializing in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology – 2008
Clinical Teaching Assistant – 2011-2012
Awarded Virgil V. Strang Philosophy Award – 2012
Graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic Florida – 2012


Dr. Hayden Chance

Graduated from Gainesville High School, Cambridge Scholar – 2009
Graduated with Bachelor of Science from The University of Florida, specializing in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology – 2013
Intern - Fit For Life Physical Therapy – 2013
Fitness Supervisor at Oak Hammock – 2013-2014
Graduated Magna Cum Laude from Palmer College of Chiropractic Florida – 2018
Dr. James Buerkle Memorial Award Winner, Palmer College – 2018


4 Generations – 13 Chiropractors – 365 years of combined clinical experience

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