Dr. Goertz received her Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degree from Northwestern Health Sciences University in 1991 and her Ph.D. in Health Services Research, Policy and Administration from the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota in 1999.

Since 2016, Dr. Goertz has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Spine Institute for Quality. In addition, she has an appointment as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa. Prior to joining Spine IQ, she was Vice Chancellor of Research and Health Policy at Palmer College of Chiropractic for eleven years.

Her 30-year research career has focused on working with multidisciplinary teams to design and implement clinical and health services research studies designed to increase knowledge regarding the effectiveness and cost of complementary and integrative healthcare delivery. Her primary area of focus is the investigation of patient-centered, non-pharmacological treatments for spine-related disorders. In September 2019, Dr. Goertz was appointed to a 3-year term as Chair of the PCORI Board by the Comptroller General of the United States. She has experience in working with the DoD and the VA on clinical trials of pain management.

This is a recent trial that she led: Effect of Usual Medical Care Plus Chiropractic Care vs Usual Medical Care Alone on Pain and Disability Among US Service Members With Low Back Pain: A Comparative Effectiveness Clinical Trial. Goertz CM, Long CR, Vining RD, Pohlman KA, Walter J, Coulter I. JAMA Netw Open. 2018 May 18;1(1): e180105.