In a joint statement issued today by the Palmer College of Chiropractic Board of Trustees and Chancellor Larry Patten, Mr. Patten has announced his resignation and retirement from his role with the College, effective December 31, 2008. This announcement comes following Mr. Patten’s five-year tenure with Palmer College, which included his role as Board Business Coordinator beginning in late 2003 until his appointment as Chief Executive Officer in February 2006 and, finally, Chancellor in February 2007. “While I will greatly miss Palmer College and everyone associated with it, the future of Palmer College is in great hands with the current administrative team and the Board of Trustees,” said Mr. Patten. “With the institution being in such a strong, stable position and well positioned to move ahead for even more success, I am comfortable and confident that now is the right time for this transition.” His departure will allow him to focus on World Leadership Institute (WLI), a company he founded in 1997. World Leadership Institute helps organizations and individuals set strategic direction as well as helps individuals develop their personal leadership skills. “I’ve spent a great deal of time and effort over the years developing the programs available through WLI and now I will be able to devote all of my time to seeing them produce positive results for organizations and individuals,” said Mr. Patten. “It was always my hope to complete my career in this effort. I am especially excited about our programs that are designed to help young people become champions.” As part of the statement, the Board noted that, under Mr. Patten’s leadership and direction, nearly all of the major issues that existed at Palmer when he became Chancellor have been favorably resolved. “It has been an absolute privilege to serve as Chancellor of Palmer College,” said Mr. Patten. “I’ve been honored to work with so many excellent people ranging from the outstanding Board of Trustees to the superb administrative team to the talented, committed faculty and staff.” “On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to express deep appreciation for Mr. Patten’s dedication and devotion to Palmer, to chiropractic and to the leadership that he has provided to Palmer over the past five years,” said Dr. Trevor Ireland, chairman of the Palmer Board. “We truly understand his motivation to pursue his lifelong dream and focus on WLI. We wish him great success.” With today’s announcement, the Board of Trustees is implementing a short-term plan for maintaining the current growth and stability within the organization. A long-term plan, which will include a search process for identifying a new chancellor, is being developed. More information will be shared on this as efforts progress.

(Arlington, Va.) -- The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) today announced that it has rolled out the pilot phase of its patient advocacy network enabling an initial group of nearly 400 doctors of chiropractic to introduce their patients to a specially-designed Internet portal. This preliminary phase will ensure the network’s full functionality prior to its official launch on Jan. 5, 2009. The advocacy network is one piece in an ambitious campaign to mobilize chiropractic patients and supporters in a coordinated effort to lobby Congress and the new Obama administration in support of Americans' expanded access to services provided by doctors of chiropractic. The national grassroots campaign will utilize modern electronic methods to quickly and effectively deploy chiropractic’s voice when needed on Capitol Hill. In making the announcement to ACA’s House of Delegates, association President Glenn Manceaux, DC, said the best way to ensure a positive outcome for chiropractic in national health care and Medicare reform is to mobilize the grassroots power and influence of chiropractic patients. “Strengthening the voice of chiropractic will positively impact not only our patients, but all aspects of our profession,” Dr. Manceaux said. “ACA recognizes that there are many stakeholders in the profession: practitioners and their staff members, students, faculty, product and service vendors, trade media, and especially, our patients. Using ACA’s advocacy network, we hope to engage as many of these groups as possible because each has a constituency that responds uniquely to its respective call to action. “To ensure that the profession’s goal of full-scope inclusion becomes a reality, ACA is not only providing leadership to this initiative but is also collaborating with those organizations involved in the Chiropractic Summit,” he continued. All doctors of chiropractic will receive special instructions and information about ways they and their patients can participate in the campaign via the January issue of ACA News. Further, the ACA will promote the program through ongoing conference calls with state chiropractic associations, and in January will host a series of teleseminars open to all doctors of chiropractic to share additional information and answer questions. ACA officials assure doctors that data collection efforts will be fully HIPAA compliant and that patient information will not be shared with any third parties. Association leaders laid the groundwork for this project nearly two years ago when the House of Delegates approved a new association management system, capable of housing a national database of patient contact information that can be matched with individual members of Congress. The patient mobilization campaign was developed over the last several months by the ACA Board of Governors, Legislative Commission, and Political Action Committee (PAC) Board. Details were finalized during a joint Legislative Commission-PAC meeting at ACA headquarters Nov. 14-15, 2008.

In July, Congress passed the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA). This legislation staved off a 10.6 percent across-the-board cut facing all Medicare providers and provided for a 1.1 percent positive reimbursement update for providers in 2009. Based on this update, as well as work and practice expense changes, doctors of chiropractic can expect a 2 percent overall increase in Medicare reimbursement rates, as indicated in a final rule released last week by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Changes to the fee schedule will take effect Jan. 1, 2009. Accurate fee schedule information may be obtained from your local Medicare contractor prior to billing for dates of service in 2009. Members can view the new Chiropractic Medicare Fee Schedule by clicking on the link below.

In July, Congress passed the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA). This legislation staved off a 10.6 percent across-the-board cut facing all Medicare providers and provided for a 1.1 percent positive reimbursement update for providers in 2009. Based on this update, as well as work and practice expense changes, doctors of chiropractic can expect a 2 percent overall increase in Medicare reimbursement rates, as indicated in a final rule released last week by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Changes to the fee schedule will take effect Jan. 1, 2009. Accurate fee schedule information may be obtained from your local Medicare contractor prior to billing for dates of service in 2009. Members can view the new Chiropractic Medicare Fee Schedule by login to Members Only section.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Inspector General (OIG), the entity responsible for identifying and reporting inefficiency in Medicare, Medicaid and other related HHS agencies, has announced in its 2009 Work Plan that it will again seek records from doctors of chiropractic as a follow-up to previous reports on chiropractic documentation. These requests for records are expected in FY2009. To view the entire OIG report click on the link below (OIG report pg-16 or PDF pg-34).

ABSTRACT Objective: The objective of this study was to gather descriptive information concerning the clinical outcomes of patients with cervical and lumbar radiculopathy treated with a nonsurgical, chiropractic treatment protocol in combination with other interventions. Methods: This is a retrospective review of 162 patients with a working diagnosis of radiculopathy who met the inclusion criteria (312 consecutive patients were screened to obtain the 162 cases). Data reviewed were collected initially, during, and at the end of active treatment. The treatment protocol included chiropractic manipulation, neuromobilization, and exercise stabilization. Pain intensity was measured using the numerical pain rating scale. Results: Of the 162 cases reviewed, 85.5% had resolution of their primary subjective radicular complaints. The treatment trial was 9 (mean) treatment sessions. The number of days between the first treatment date and the first symptom improvement was 4.2 days (median). There were 10 unresolved cases referred for epidural steroid injection, 10 unresolved cases referred for further medication management, and 3 cases referred for and underwent surgery. Conclusion: The conservative management strategy we reviewed in our sample produced favorable outcomes for most of the patients with radiculopathy. The strategy appears to be safe. Randomized clinical trials are needed to separate treatment effectiveness from the natural history of radiculopathy. Christensen KD, Buswell K. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. September 2008; Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 115-125.

The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) reports on the latest events at NBCE. The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) hosted a number of meetings including registrars from chiropractic colleges across the United States, and Part IV Examiners and Administrators Workshop. To view the full report click on the link below.

Seneca Falls: David Odiorne, M.S., D.C. has been appointed to the position of Executive Director of Institutional Quality and Assessment (IQA) at New York Chiropractic College after an extensive national search. Dr. Odiorne has been serving as Chief of Staff to the President of Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington. Prior to that, he spent four years as Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon. He also previously held appointments as Vice President for Academic Affairs and as Dean of Clinics at National University of Health Sciences in Lombard, Illinois. Odiorne received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1981, and his Master of Science in Educational Administration from the University of Southern Maine. Prior to embarking on his career in higher education, Odiorne spent fourteen years in private practice as a chiropractor in Lewiston, Maine. He served as president of the Maine Chiropractic Association and was honored as “Chiropractor of the Year in 1992.” In his position as Executive Director of IQA, Odiorne will be responsible for the supervision of institutional strategic planning, accreditation activities and all assessment and quality initiatives for the College.

Did you know that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) governs nearly 2.5 million health benefit plans nationwide? In total, these plans provide health care benefits to 134 million Americans. The far-reaching nature of ERISA regulations is important because these regulations have very specific requirements aimed at ensuring fair treatment to the beneficiary. ERISA regulations require a timely response from the insurer, delineate standards of claims decisions, and require the insurer to disclose detailed information regarding any adverse determinations. It is important to familiarize yourself with these regulations so you can assist your patients in ensuring their health plan is following ERISA regulations, if applicable. ACA has updated and simplified the information available for members regarding ERISA. Please take time today to have your staff review this information and think about whether you have any patients that might qualify for and benefit from an ERISA appeal. This resource can be found at:

After an intensive joint lobbying campaign by the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) and the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC), Congress has once again affirmed its desire to ensure accessibility of chiropractic care within the military and has ordered the Pentagon to expand the availability of chiropractic services to 11 additional military bases.

The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded a grant for $310,479 to the Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research (PCCR) to establish a practice-based research network to assess complementary and alternative medicine models of pain management. This is a collaborative research project, with Palmer sub-contracting half of the grant amount ($155,239) to the Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center for Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pa. The purpose of this collaborative, multi-disciplinary effort is to develop the infrastructure for a comprehensive descriptive database for a variety of pain management approaches, to test data collection protocols, and to establish a network of participating practices, clinicians and patient populations.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Northwestern Health Sciences University hosted a site visit by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) on July 30. The purpose of the visit was to assess progress of the CAM Research Education Project, which is funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (National Institutes of Health) for $750,000. The aim of the project is to help integrate research into student education at the University. Northwestern has teamed up with the University of Minnesota to manage the project. Prior to the site visit, Northwestern’s CAM Research Education Project team was required to submit a progress report to the funding agency. A successful site visit, along with a progress report demonstrating satisfactory achievement of proposed activities, is necessary to receive continued funding for another three years. The program officer recommended that the project be approved for continued funding. Northwestern Health Sciences University offers a wide array of choices in natural health care education including chiropractic, Oriental medicine, acupuncture, therapeutic massage and human biology. The University has nearly 900 students on a 25-acre campus in Bloomington, Minnesota.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. –Northwestern Health Sciences University has invested in new technology to expand educational resources for students and professors. Mediasite is a presentation capture system that provides an easy, reliable way to record presentations or class lectures. The presentations then get archived and can be viewed by students on demand via computer or iPod. Northwestern is using this technology to improve educational resources for students. Students will be able to attend class and listen to the lecture, simply letting the information soak in – the lecture will be available for online viewing; rewinding, fast-forwarding and pausing. Powerpoint slides and videos from lecture will also be available. Northwestern is committed to keeping up to date on student learning styles. According to Charles Sawyer, DC, senior vice president and provost, “Students today need to be taught differently than students 20 years ago. We need to keep up with them. One way to go about that is by providing them with an online resource for learning.” “I find Mediasite very useful,” explains Jamie Cortese, a T6 chiropractic student. “I use it to access the lectures and make sure that I got all the information; let’s be honest, there are times when your mind wanders and you miss a part of a lecture. With Mediasite I am able to hold myself more accountable. I also like to use it to review lectures before tests. It’s nice to know that our teachers really want us to succeed and are willing to do everything they can to help us.” Northwestern intends to use Mediasite for multiple purposes including continuing education, admissions, development, clinic tutorials and fundraising. What is the technology behind Mediasite? A mini-DV camera is hooked up to the Mediasite capture card device which is connected to a computer or laptop in the classroom. Another capture card is set up to capture the PowerPoint slides. The information is coded, and within minutes of the lecture being completed, the lecture is ready to deploy to Windows Media Player. Macintosh computers need some additional set up installations for the lectures to run, but PCs do not. “Mediasite has several benefits, and I think the benefits outweigh the disadvantages,” says Anita Manne, BS, DC, DACBR, a professor in Northwestern College of Chiropractic. “It gives students an alternative way to learn; gives them added flexibility; it is a great review tool; and helps students to make up classes that they were unable to attend.” Mediasite is an exciting technology that gives students the opportunity to learn anytime, anywhere. With student lives as busy as they are today, Northwestern has found a way to keep up with their students, and to create a learning environment that is technologically on par with their students. According to Dr. Sawyer, “Mediasite will enrich the educational experience our students receive.” Northwestern Health Sciences University offers a wide array of choices in natural health care education including chiropractic, Oriental medicine, acupuncture, therapeutic massage and human biology. The University has nearly 900 students on a 25-acre campus in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., today issued a Call to Action to reduce the number of cases of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in the United States. Galson urged all Americans to learn about and prevent these treatable conditions. Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism affect an estimated 350,000 to 600,000 Americans each year, and the numbers are expected to increase as the U.S. population ages. Together, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism contribute to at least 100,000 deaths each year. Deep vein thrombosis is a blood clot in a deep vein, most commonly in the lower leg or thigh. The clot can block blood flow and cause pain, swelling, and skin discoloration. In the most serious cases, deep vein thrombosis can lead to a pulmonary embolism — when part of the blood clot breaks loose and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs, where it can block a lung artery, causing damage to the lungs or other organs from lack of oxygen. "Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms are often 'silent' conditions — they can occur suddenly and without symptoms," Galson said. "But we have made a lot of progress in understanding how these disorders develop and how to prevent, diagnose, and treat them. It's time to put this knowledge into action." Researchers have found that in most cases, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism develops in people who have an inherited blood clotting disorder or other risk factor, and who experience a triggering event. "Being hospitalized or confined to bed rest, having major surgery, suffering a trauma, or traveling for several hours can increase a person’s risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism," Galson said. “We want to increase the awareness and knowledge of these potentially deadly conditions and encourage patients and health care providers to take the steps to prevent them." The Call to Action urges a coordinated, multifaceted plan to reduce the numbers of cases of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism nationwide. The plan emphasizes the need for: Increased awareness about deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Evidence-based practices for deep vein thrombosis. More research on the causes, prevention, and treatment of deep vein thrombosis. The Call to Action resulted from a Surgeon General’s Workshop on Deep Vein Thrombosis which was convened in May 2006. The workshop was co-sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. "Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are major public health problems, and NHLBI is committed to continuing to support important basic and clinical research to advance our understanding of these disabling and potentially fatal conditions," NHLBI Director Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D., noted. "Research is shedding light on genetic factors and the role of triggering events, behaviors, and conditions that increase the risk of developing dangerous blood clots. It is imperative that clinicians and public health experts work together to translate this scientific evidence to save lives." The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) contributed to the Call to Action with the release of two new guides — one for patients and another for health care providers — on how to prevent dangerous blood clots. “Fighting deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism is a team effort that involves health care providers and patients,” said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism 2008, is available at:

The most recent ABN released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) was published in March 2008 and was previously required for use by Sept. 1, 2008. The date for implementation has now changed. The new ABN form is mandatory for use by March 1, 2009. Among other changes, the new form may be used for non-covered services, or anything that is NOT spinal CMT (CPT codes 98940, 98941, 98942). This includes exams, modalities, x-rays, labs, etc. This version of the ABN will also eliminate the need for the previous Notice of Exclusion from Medicare Benefits (NEMB) form, which was considered OPTIONAL by CMS. For more information, visit the ABN portion of the ACA Web site at: additional ABN information

Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI) Commissioner Steven M. Goldman today announced that Health Net of New Jersey has paid $26 million in restitution and interest covering 88,000 New Jersey members to compensate them due to under-reimbursements for out-of-network services over more than a decade. These payments have already been issued to the affected New Jersey members. Health Net waived its right to a hearing and has agreed to resolve the matter with the payment of $14 million in unpaid claims, $12 million in interest on those claims, $2 million in examination fees and a record $13 million fine, for a total of $41 million. “Health Net dramatically underpaid claims to New Jerseyans to reimburse them for out-of-network health care services,” said DOBI Commissioner Goldman. “I’m pleased that we were able to obtain the return of this money to Health Net’s New Jersey members, together with interest, since this is what Health Net promised to pay but had not. The fine represents an appropriate penalty for this improper business practice.” The actions are the result of a 21 month examination into claims paid by Health Net, of Shelton, CT., and its predecessors, First Option Health Plan of New Jersey and Physicians Health Services of New Jersey, for out-of-network service to persons covered in New Jersey between 1996 to 2006. Health Net’s vendors for chiropractic services and for mental health services also made underpayments. Health Net cooperated with the investigation. The Department first became aware of the problem in 2002 through a consumer complaint. DOBI investigated and in December 2002 settled with Health Net for more than $800,000 in restitution to more than 4,700 Health Net members for underpayments. At that time Health Net represented that the underpayments occurred only from July 2001 through October 2002. In 2005, the Department learned that Health Net’s underpayments had begun earlier than it had previously disclosed. By the end of 2005, DOBI decided to conduct an examination of Health Net that concluded in May of this year with the finding that Health Net and its predecessors made underpayments of out-of-network medical claims from 1996 to 2005 and of out-of-network dental claims, mental health claims and chiropractic claims from 1999 to 2006. Health Net has acknowledged its responsibility to comply with all applicable laws, and has overhauled the systems and practices that led to its misconduct. The Department will continue to monitor the company for compliance. “Today’s announcement highlights DOBI’s commitment to protecting New Jersey consumers,” said DOBI Insurance Director Donald Bryan. “The Department’s mission to help consumers exists not only in the very important healthcare insurance sector, but in all financial services industries DOBI regulates.” To view the Consent Order E08-71 click on the link below:

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Construction for the new Standard Process Healing Garden at Northwestern Health Sciences University began at the beginning of July, 2008. Standard Process made a generous donation of $250,000 to underwrite this creation, which will be approximately 11,000 square feet. The garden is scheduled to be completed in the Fall of 2008. The Healing Garden, planned by MOM’s Landscaping and Design of Shakopee, Minn., will be a central place for students, staff, faculty and alumni to enjoy. The garden will feature a variety of unique design elements including: “rooms” intended as gathering places; themed sensory gardens planted with perennials; and four basalt columns representing the four foundational elements of the University mission and the four academic programs. Naming opportunities in the garden, as memorials or in recognition of donors, will be available as well. Northwestern Health Sciences University offers a wide array of choices in natural health care education including chiropractic, Oriental medicine, acupuncture, therapeutic massage and human biology. The University has nearly 1,000 students on a 25-acre campus in Bloomington, Minnesota.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The College of Chiropractic at Northwestern Health Sciences University graduated 27 students on Aug. 1, 2008. The University presented 29 doctor of chiropractic degrees as well as nine bachelor of science degrees. Jason Scott Flaskey was named valedictorian. The commencement address was delivered by James. R. Brandt, DC, president of the American Academy of Chiropractic Orthopedists. Jeremy J. Nelson and Lynn M. Sandom, members of the graduating class, gave the student greeting. The presidential greeting was delivered by Mark Zeigler, DC, president of Northwestern. Graduating students hailed from seven states and one Canadian province. Northwestern Health Sciences University offers a wide array of choices in natural health care education including chiropractic, Oriental medicine, acupuncture, therapeutic massage and human biology. The University has nearly 1,000 students on a 25-acre campus in Bloomington, Minnesota.

ABSTRACT Background. Drug-related adverse events are an underappreciated consequence of antibiotic use, and the national magnitude and scope of these events have not been studied. Our objective was to estimate and compare the numbers and rates of emergency department (ED) visits for drug-related adverse events associated with systemic antibiotics in the United States by drug class, individual drug, and event type. Methods. We analyzed drug-related adverse events from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System–Cooperative Adverse Drug Event Surveillance project (2004–2006) and outpatient prescriptions from national sample surveys of ambulatory care practices, the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (2004–2005). Results. On the basis of 6614 cases, an estimated 142,505 visits (95% confidence interval [CI], 116,506–168,504 visits) annually were made to US EDs for drug-related adverse events attributable to systemic antibiotics. Antibiotics were implicated in 19.3% of all ED visits for drug-related adverse events. Most ED visits for antibiotic-associated adverse events were for allergic reactions (78.7% of visits; 95% CI, 75.3%–82.1% of visits). One-half of the estimated ED visits were attributable to penicillins (36.9% of visits; 95% CI, 34.7%–39.2% of visits) and cephalosporins (12.2%; 95% CI, 10.9%–13.5%). Among commonly prescribed antibiotics, sulfonamides and clindamycin were associated with the highest rate of ED visits (18.9 ED visits per 10,000 outpatient prescription visits [95% CI, 13.1–24.7 ED visits per 10,000 outpatient prescription visits] and 18.5 ED visits per 10,000 outpatient prescription visits [95% CI, 12.1–25.0 ED visits per 10,000 outpatient prescription visits], respectively). Compared with all other antibiotic classes, sulfonamides were associated with a significantly higher rate of moderate-to-severe allergic reactions (4.3% [95% CI, 2.9%–5.8%] vs. 1.9 % [95% CI, 1.5%–2.3%]), and sulfonamides and fluoroquinolones were associated with a significantly higher rate of neurologic or psychiatric disturbances (1.4% [95% CI, 1.0%–1.7%] vs. 0.5% [95% CI, 0.4%–0.6%]). Conclusions. Antibiotic-associated adverse events lead to many ED visits, and allergic reactions are the most common events. Minimizing unnecessary antibiotic use by even a small percentage could significantly reduce the immediate and direct risks of drug-related adverse events in individual patients. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2008;47:000–000 1058-4838/2008/4706-00XX DOI: 10.1086/591126

LOMBARD - Drs. Carl Kuttler, President of St. Petersburg College (SPC) of Pinellas County, Florida, and James Winterstein, President of National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) in Lombard, Illinois, signed a partnership agreement. Quality is the standard that unites SPC and NUHS in the recently signed partnership. True to its heritage, NUHS will not place emphasis upon numbers at its SPC program but on educational quality -- smaller classes and stronger educational outcomes. NUHS offers a number of complementary and integrative health sciences, and it is possible that several programs could be offered at the SPC site in the future. Initially, through the partnership agreement, National University of Health Sciences plans to offer a first professional doctoral degree in chiropractic medicine at one of the SPC campuses. NUHS is currently in the process of obtaining the necessary approvals from the Florida Department of Education Commission for Independent Education, and the accrediting agencies that accredit NUHS and its chiropractic degree program. St. Petersburg College, is known nationwide as a progressive and innovative institution which has developed partnerships with 16 other colleges and universities that offer various degree programs on one or more of SPC's 11 campuses to more than 61,000 students. National University of Health Sciences, which was founded in 1906 has a long and well recognized tradition of high quality educational programs with strong admission criteria. Students entering the DC program at the NUHS/SPC campus will be required to have a baccalaureate for matriculation just as students have been required to have at the NUHS Lombard campus since 1999. Appropriate administrative personnel will be stationed at SPC to assure that all necessary processes required for educational standards will be met in a timely manner. SPC/NUHS anticipates potentially admitting the first class in September of 2009. The program at SPC will be the same curriculum offered at the main campus in Lombard, Illinois and will be a part of the NUHS system but offered in partnership with SPC.