SCHOOL EXPANDS ON BACKBONE OF ITS THERAPIES AFTER YEARS OF FOCUSING ON CHIROPRACTIC, A LOMBARD COLLEGE IS BRANCHING OUT BY ADDING NEW TREATMENTS. By LeAnn Spencer Tribune Staff Writer June 21, 2000 Rebecca Gould of Northfield has long been interested in a career in holistic medicine. And so on the advice of an acupuncturist, she enrolled in the National College of Chiropractic in Lombard, where she is studying for a doctorate of chiropractic. But starting next year, she can earn degrees in other alternative treatments as well. The first to be available will be a master's program in acupuncture, the ancient practice of using needles strategically placed under the skin to treat ailments. And in two or three years, the school plans to offer a professional doctorate in naturopathy, the use of homeopathic therapies such as botanical and herbal remedies. School leaders say these degrees are nothing frivolous. The school will continue to require that students spend many class hours studying traditional sciences such as human biology, pathology and anatomy. A bachelor's degree will still be required for admission. The program additions are part of the college's transformation into the National University of Health Sciences in September, as the school broadens its horizons in training and research into alternative health care. Part of the reason for the expansion is to beef up declining enrollments that have resulted in staff cuts. School leaders also see it as a strategic move that will allow it to tap into a growing field fueled by aging Baby Boomers in search of alternative health care. "I'm hoping that this new program will get a lot of attention. Chiropractic could benefit from a balance of other disciplines," said Gould, who like many students was attracted to the specialty because of its holistic emphasis on drugless therapies, including exercise, nutrition and spinal manipulation. And, school officials say, bringing together alternative healing disciplines under one roof will foster new relationships, creating a non-competitive atmosphere in which chiropractors work alongside massage therapists, acupuncturists and homeopathic practitioners. "We don't want to be fighting with four or five other practices. We thought we ought to find a way to be under the same umbrella," said college President James Winterstein, a one-time X-ray technician who chose to forgo traditional medical school in order to become a chiropractor. The school officially adopted a plan to become a broader-based university in 1996. "We knew that the number of applicants was going to decline, and here we are a single-purpose institution. We decided then that we needed to diversify," said Winterstein, who has headed the school since 1986. In the last three years, he said, the school has seen a 25 percent drop in enrollment, a big dip for an institution in which 70 percent of the budget is dependent on tuition and fees. The ensuing cost cuts resulted in the layoff of 14 of about 90 faculty members in recent months. About 20 members of the school's administrative staff also lost their jobs. And faculty and administrators are being asked to take on more duties. The National College of Chiropractic is the only such school in Illinois and one of 16 nationwide, some of which are making similar additions to their curricula. Many traditional medical schools have also seen a drop in applicants, according to medical researchers. Would-be health-care students are turned off by managed-care insurance plans that have put a lid on salaries, and they are being lured into high-paying technology jobs instead, industry observers say. School officials say the pendulum is about to swing the other way, as insurers increase contracts with chiropractors. And officials at the American Chiropractic Association say the number of chiropractors is expected to keep growing. "There are about 55,000 chiropractors nationwide," said spokeswoman Felicity Feather. "And the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that number to double by 2010." The National College of Chiropractic was founded in 1906 by an Iowa physician. In 1908, it was moved to Chicago, and in 1963 it was relocated to about 35 acres in Lombard. Students do residencies and internships at area hospitals and institutions, and work at the college's six public clinics in Lombard, Aurora, Woodridge and Chicago. Ultimately, Winterstein said, the new university expects to employ about 200 faculty, as it adds courses and the new degree programs become available. The new school will be made up of three colleges. The College of Professional Studies will offer a professional doctoral degree in chiropractic medicine, a master's degree in acupuncture and a doctoral degree in naturopathy. The Lincoln College of Postprofessional Graduate and Continuing Education will offer residency programs and eventually master's degrees in areas such as anatomy and continuing education for chiropractic physicians. The College of Allied Health Sciences will offer certificates in massage therapy and chiropractic assistant, and a bachelor's degree in human biology. For students, the change is exciting, offering "other tools to get people well," said Gould, as she took time out from working on fellow student Joe Wabomnor of Chicago during a student workshop. Wabomnor agreed. "I like it because we can help people get better," he said.