National University of Health Sciences

Motto	Esse Quam Vederi
Date of establishment	1906
Type	Private
University president	James Winterstein, D.C.
Dean (education)	Jonathan Soltys, Nicholas Trongale, Randy Swenson, Shellee Handley, Greg Cramer, Daniel Driscoll
Location	Lombard, Illinois, Illinois, United States
Colors	maroon & gold
Athletic nickname	National, NUHS
Website	http://www.nuhs.edu/

Although it originally began as a chiropractic educational institution, NUHS now offers degree programs in chiropractic medicine, naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, Chinese medicine and biomedical sciences. The university also offers certificate programs for massage therapy and chiropractic assistants.

History

The National University of Health Sciences was founded as the "National School of Chiropractic" by John Fitz Allen Howard DC in 1906 in Davenport, Iowa. In 1908, it moved to Chicago, because its founder desired a more scientifically rigorous academic culture. Another reason that Howard relocated to the Chicago area, was that he received an agreement allowing his students to have access to anatomical study of cadavers at the nearby Cook County Hospital.

After moving to Chicago in 1908 and being chartered and incorporated by the State of Illinois, the college's first home was on Congress Street across from Presbyterian Hospital. In 1920, the college's enrollment had grown to such an extent that it needed a larger facility, so it purchased a five-story building at 20 N. Ashland and the name was changed to "The National College of Chiropractic." In 1927, the college established its first clinic, the "Chicago General Health Service," which remained in operation until 2008.

In 1942, the college became a not-for-profit educational and research institution under the corporate laws of Illinois and the United States Dept. of the Treasury governing tax-exempt institutions.

In 1963, National relocated its campus to Lombard, Illinois in suburban Chicago where it remains today. In 2000, it adopted the university structure and changed its name to National University of Health Sciences. In 2009, the university expanded to include a campus in St. Petersburg, Florida, where it offers the doctor of chiropractic medicine degree.

The university currently operates four of its own clinics (one on its Lombard campus, another on Chicago's Maxwell Street, another in suburban Aurora and one at its St. Petersburg Florida campus), as well as two clinics housed by a not-for-profit outside mission organization serving transient clients.

Accreditation

National was the first among chiropractic educational institutions to seek and receive academic accreditation from nationally recognized accrediting bodies. National received official status from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of the State of Illinois in 1966 for both the bachelor of science in human biology and the doctor of chiropractic degrees. That same year it was also fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Chiropractic Education of the American Chiropractic Association. In 1972, the doctor of chiropractic program was approved by the State Education Department of the State of New York. In 1974, National was recognized as a candidate for Accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and was accredited by that body in 1981.

Currently, National University of Health Sciences and its programs are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. Its chiropractic medicine program remains accredited through the Council on Chiropractic Education. The university's naturopathic medicine program received candidacy status under the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME) in March of 2008. Its master of science degrees in both acupuncture and oriental medicine received candidacy status with the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM). The university's one-year program in massage therapy certification is accredited by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA).

Philosophy

National trains its doctors of chiropractic and naturopathic medicine to be first-contact, primary care doctors. Because of this philosophy, both of these programs, as well as all of the other health care programs at NUHS, have a more rigorous foundation in basic sciences and diagnoses than one might find at other schools, while perhaps finding less electives in contemporary trends of care. There is also a philosophical commitment within the institution to a concept known as "integrative medicine." This means that the philosophy of NUHS is to forge a spirit of collegiality among different medical specialties, as opposed to competition or animosity. This is a profound stance, given the historic rivalry between what have been deemed "natural" or "alternative" health care professions versus the MD or allopathic medical profession. The commitment to integrative medicine also applies to the various differing professions represented on its own campus. While in the commercial world, there can be great competition for patients among chiropractic physicians, naturopathic physicians, and acupuncture or oriental medicine providers, at National, the curriculum seeks to bring these professions together so that they may learn to refer to each other, or consult each other for optimal treatment and patient outcomes.

Publications

National University of Health Sciences publishes three scientific journals for the chiropractic profession:

1. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics: Since 1978, this has been one of the few refereed, internationally indexed chiropractic scientific journals. It is also the official scientific journal of the American Chiropractic Association.
2. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine': Also indexed by PubMed.
3. Journal of Chiropractic Humanities A chronicle of reports, case histories and articles of interest to the chiropractic profession.

References

ja:ナショナル健康科学大学