Providence chiropractor renews patient-safety credential

Dr. Mark Mulak of Cityside Chiropractic has renewed his Certified Professional in Patient Safety credential, reinforcing hospital-style screening and escalation practices in Rhode Island injury care. The renewal underscores how the practice evaluates red flags, concussion symptoms and when to refer patients for higher-level medical care.

Why it matters: - Patient-safety training can change how injury clinics decide who should be treated, monitored or referred out. - Cityside Chiropractic says its approach is designed to reduce missed injuries in motor-vehicle, slip-and-fall and workplace cases. - The practice applies hospital-style safety principles to outpatient chiropractic care in Providence and Cranston.

What happened: - Dr. Mark Mulak, founder and clinical director of Cityside Chiropractic, renewed his Certified Professional in Patient Safety credential in October 2026. - The CPPS credential is issued by the Certification Board for Professionals in Patient Safety. - Dr. Mulak first earned the CPPS in 2017. - Cityside Chiropractic is based in Providence and Cranston, Rhode Island.

The details: - The CPPS credential is held primarily by physicians, nurses and patient-safety professionals working in hospitals and health systems. - The credential recognizes competency in risk identification, clinical decision-making, systems of care and harm prevention. - Cityside Chiropractic treats patients injured in motor-vehicle collisions, slip-and-fall incidents and workplace accidents. - The practice screens every new injury patient for red flags that may require care beyond chiropractic treatment. - Those red flags include fracture, spinal instability, progressive neurologic deficit, vascular symptoms and worsening head-injury symptoms. - Patients with signs of concussion after a car accident are monitored for symptoms that may require neurologic evaluation or emergency care. - Cityside Chiropractic reassesses patients at structured intervals. - If a patient is not improving as expected, the treatment plan is reevaluated. - That reevaluation can lead to advanced imaging, a change in care or referral to a neurologist, orthopedist, pain-management physician or other specialist. - Dr. Mulak said patient safety is an ongoing process that starts with the first examination and continues at every visit. - Dr. Mulak said the safest clinical decision can be to stop treatment and send a patient elsewhere first. - These safety principles apply to whiplash treatment, cervical injury evaluation, concussion screening and rehabilitation. - Dr. Mulak also holds the Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality credential. - Dr. Mulak completed the Johns Hopkins Patient Safety Certificate Program. - His clinical credentials include DACBSP®, DACRB, DAIPM and RMSK®. - Dr. Mulak has about 25 years of clinical experience. - Dr. Mulak wrote The Objective Injury Model: A Plaintiff Attorney’s Guide to Objective Documentation in Motor Vehicle Injury Cases. - Cityside Chiropractic was founded in 2008. - The practice focuses on personal-injury and accident-related care, including motor-vehicle collision and workers’ compensation cases. - Cityside Chiropractic works on a lien basis with patients’ attorneys. - Services include clinical evaluation, rehabilitation, objective injury documentation, musculoskeletal ultrasound, concussion screening and coordination with medical specialists when clinically appropriate. - The staff speaks English and Spanish. - The practice lists locations at 480 Broadway in Providence and 900 Reservoir Avenue in Cranston. - The practice phone number is (401) 272-5710. - More information is available on Cityside Chiropractic's website. - Dr. Mulak’s LinkedIn profile is here. - Cityside Chiropractic’s Instagram account is here.

Between the lines: - The renewal signals an effort to frame chiropractic injury care around formal safety protocols often associated with hospitals and larger health systems. - The practice is positioning referral and escalation as part of treatment, not a failure of treatment. - The emphasis on objective documentation and specialist coordination suggests a strong focus on injury cases that may involve legal claims.

What's next: - Cityside Chiropractic will likely continue using the CPPS framework in injury triage, follow-up and referral decisions. - Patients who present with red-flag symptoms or poor recovery will continue to be escalated to medical specialists when needed. - The practice's Rhode Island locations will remain its base for personal-injury and accident-related care.