Thanks to a generous gift from HydroWorx inventor and Palmer College of Chiropractic alumnus Dr. Paul Hetrick, the college’s Sports and Rehabilitation Residency program is set to grow.
A $1 million gift from Dr. Hetrick, a 1977 Palmer graduate, will empower the Davenport college to expand the sports and rehabilitation program, which is the longest-standing program of its kind in the nation. The Davenport-based college plans to extend the program to its Florida campus.
The program offers Doctors of Chiropractic the opportunity to build their clinical skills and earn specialized credentials while teaching parts of the Palmer curriculum.
“This gift will have a tremendous impact for Palmer College,” Dr. Dennis Marchiori, Palmer’s chancellor and CEO, said in a news release. “Dr. Hetrick’s gift is both an investment in the educational program of Palmer students and the chiropractic profession overall. It allows us to continue to offer an unparalleled experience and program you simply won’t find elsewhere.”
Dr. Hetrick is the founder of HydroWorx, which offers aquatic treadmills used in physical therapy, sports medicine and conditioning. The equipment is used by more than 30,000 athletes and patients each day, including by professional and collegiate sports teams and at major health care centers across the country.
After selling his company, Dr. Hetrick wanted to support the alma mater he said was responsible for the way he thinks, and his success as a chiropractor and businessperson. “I believe you get back what you give away 10 times over throughout your life,” Dr. Hetrick said in the college’s release announcing his gift. “If I can do something to help today’s students become successful, then I’m all for it.”
The gift comes as Palmer is moving forward with its largest fundraising campaign ever, the $25 million “Daring and Driven: The Campaign for Palmer College” effort. Contributions from the campaign are supporting building, scholarship and endowment projects that promote learning innovation, student success, and an unmatched educational experience.
With this latest $1 million gift, the Daring and Driven campaign to date has raised $21.4 million.
“Dr. Hetrick has dedicated his career to creating a world of unlimited health and human potential,” said Barbara Melbourne, vice chancellor for institutional advancement. “His unwavering passion and ambitious vision are an inspiration, and his gift to this historic campaign will make a meaningful impact on future residents, the college itself and countless patients.”
As part of the Sports and Rehabilitation Residency program, residents work toward earning board-certified status as a Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Rehabilitation Board, a credential that sets them apart as leaders in the discipline.
On a recent visit to his alma mater, Dr. Hetrick met with students enrolled in the residence program. “To speak with the students, and see firsthand what my gift will make possible, was so rewarding,” said Dr. Hetrick. “If I have one piece of advice to other donors, it is this: Make your gift while you are alive to see the impact it has. I’m so proud of where Palmer College is heading.”
Palmer Provost Dr. Dan Weinert, who was the second resident to complete the program, said in the release, “We’re at the start of something big, and this gift will allow our program to grow. With this gift, we will be purposeful in the design of this, and exponentially expand the program. We also will expand it to Palmer Florida, where there’s significant interest in having a comparable program.”
Palmer, which is the first and largest chiropractic college in the world, is based in Davenport with branch campuses in Port Orange, Florida and San Jose, California.
