Founding Palmer West President, John Miller, DC, HCD (Hon.), FICA (Hon.), a 1954 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic, former president of the Council on Chiropractic Education and Association of Chiropractic Colleges, and former vice president of the International Chiropractors Association, passed away March 8, 2015 at age 83.
Dr. Miller served as Palmer West's first president from 1980-1991 after Palmer College acquired Northern California College of Chiropractic. At his appointment, Dr. Miller emphasized his belief that doctors of chiropractic are primary-care providers and that chiropractic colleges should help prepare graduates for that important role:
"Chiropractic's primary-care, portal-of-entry position means providing our nation's D.C.s with training in chiropractic public health, chiropractic education, and chiropractic research; as well as the ability to serve in administrative health systems; e.g., HMOs, NIH, Armed Forces, etc. ... This means that chiropractic colleges must become multi-purpose: they must educate and train doctors of chiropractic for roles other than field practice."
Dr. Miller spent nearly 20 years at Palmer before heading the college's West Coast campus, serving as director of education (1964-1970), dean of academics (1970-1980) and vice president for academic affairs (1974-1980).
"John Miller had a major impact on Palmer's San Jose campus," said Bill Meeker, DC, MPH, current president of Palmer West, who served as associate dean of research during much of Dr. Miller's tenure as president. ... [He] brought expertise in accreditation, and under his leadership, Palmer's California branch campus was accredited by the CCE in record time."
"In addition to other programs that he initiated while president, Dr. Miller was a big supporter of the nascent chiropractic research community, and helped foster the original Pacific Consortium for Chiropractic Research in the late 1980s," Dr. Meeker added.
During his career, Dr. Miller was involved in the inclusion of chiropractic in Medicare, and the development of the CCE and the ACC, serving as association president (1987-1990), and council president (1990-1992).
Dr. Miller retired from chiropractic education in 1991, but his work to advance the chiropractic profession was far from over. With the Internet and Internet-based information resources in their relative infancy, he and his wife, Marlene, developed the Computer Information Exchange (CIE) in 1991. A year later, CIE brought the ChiroLink Intranet System online with the goal of "creating an effective information vehicle that might help to empower the chiropractic professional."
Continuing Dr. Miller's chiropractic legacy are son Craig and daughter Christine, both of whom graduated from Palmer West in 1985. Dr. Miller's other daughter, Kim, also served as director of public relations at Palmer West (1980-1984).
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
