Palmer College to celebrate 125 years of the profession by building two first-of-their-kind academic spaces in the Quad Cities

D.D. Palmer performed the first chiropractic adjustment in Davenport, Iowa, nearly 125 years ago. Shortly after, he envisioned a school that would teach chiropractic — and transform the health care industry forever. The school that would become Palmer College of Chiropractic opened in 1897 — two years after the first adjustment.

Now, Palmer College is poised to once again transform the health care profession and the way chiropractic education is delivered with the announcement of two new, first-of-their-kind academic spaces in the Quad Cities. The spaces cement Palmer College’s standing as the leader in chiropractic education. Palmer has graduated more practicing chiropractors than any other school in the world.

“Our commitment to our students drives our vision for the future,” said Dennis Marchiori, DC, PhD, chancellor and CEO of Palmer College of Chiropractic. “Over the past few years, we’ve taken time to investigate what our student experience is and what it could be — how we close the gap to continue as a major player in attracting students and families to the Quad Cities to study and live. After speaking with our students, our graduates, chiropractors across the world, and fellow Quad Citizens, we’ve found answers.”

The two building projects will represent nearly $20 million in investments over the next three years. This is in addition to $50 million in Palmer College capital projects in the Quad Cities over the past decade. The projects will make use of existing buildings, leveraging the college’s historic spaces while not expanding the footprint of the campus.

“This is a pivotal moment not only for Palmer College but for the health care profession. We’re leading the world in high-visibility investments that will have an extraordinary impact on our students, our profession and the Quad Cities,” said Marchiori.

Palmer will first break ground on a new Learning Commons in the spring of 2020. The space will feature a glass atrium with a grand staircase designed with an anatomical spine feel. “It’s incredibly cool,” said Marchiori. “Just as chiropractors work with patients to create an optimal use of the body, so too are we designing a space that is optimal for learning.”

The new academic and social spaces will support the phenomenon that learning happens equally in the classroom and outside of it. It will bring together the functions of the college’s library, labs, lounges and seminar spaces into a communal area. Located next to the new R. Richard Bittner Athletic & Recreation Center, it will also offer 47 individual or group study spaces that will be used by more than 1,000 students each year.

“There truly isn’t anything like this at another chiropractic school,” Marchiori said. “We know that educating the very best chiropractors in the world requires exceptional student spaces that create exceptional student experiences. Our main campus here in the Quad Cities attracts students from top 10 public and private institutions, and from major metropolitan centers, where they are accustomed to world-class facilities.”

The completion of the Learning Commons will enable Palmer College to also create an Experiential Learning Center. The center will be home to anatomy, wet and dry labs, and technique rooms where the technique D.D. Palmer first discovered is still taught today. The “Palmer Package” serves as the foundation for every other chiropractic technique taught around the world.

“This is where the heart of chiropractic care will be taught,” Marchiori said. “The new spaces will feature the latest and greatest technology and allow our students to move seamlessly between their classes.”

Both projects will be possible thanks to local — and global — financial support for Palmer College, which in the Quad Cities alone has an economic impact upwards of $170 million annually. Over the past five years, the Davenport campus has experienced unprecedented investment to support growth. Recognized as the best chiropractic school in the world, interest in chiropractic study — and patients seeking care — continues to grow to support the health and well-being of all people.

In September 2020, thousands of chiropractors will descend on the Quad Cities to celebrate the founding of chiropractic 125 years ago. When they arrive, Marchiori said, they’ll see the future of chiropractic education.

“This is indeed a pivotal time in our profession’s history — and Palmer’s,” said Marchiori. “As the 125^th year of chiropractic approaches, I’m constantly reminded of our mission to promote learning, deliver health care, engage our community, and advance knowledge through research. Our vision will allow us to carry out our mission and graduate chiropractors who’ll go out into the world and transform it.”

“I’m well aware that this is an ambitious and bold undertaking, and it will only be possible with the support of our community, our alumni and our profession,” he added. “Our vision for the future is daring. And we are absolutely driven to see it through.”

About Palmer College of Chiropractic

Palmer College of Chiropractic, the first and largest college in the chiropractic profession, has campuses in Davenport, Iowa; San Jose, Calif.; and Port Orange, Fla.

FACTS

• Projected job growth in the chiropractic is 28% by 2026.
• Palmer is currently engaged in research collaborations with Yale University and Harvard University.
• 95% of students attending Palmer in the Quad Cities come from outside the region.
• With these two additional projects, Palmer has invested more than $70 million in capital projects in the Quad Cities over the past decade, more than any other college in the area.
• Palmer College of Chiropractic, the first and largest college in the chiropractic profession, has campuses in Davenport, Iowa; San Jose, Calif.; and Port Orange, Fla.