Four Key Elements

Our Mission Drives Us Forward

For more than 65 years, Northwestern Health Sciences University has worked to build an international reputation for excellence in professional education, patient care, clinical research, and community service. Home to more than 850 students and 220 staff and faculty, the University is located on 25 acres at the corner of 84th Street and Penn Avenue in Bloomington. The University has more than 4,000 alumni practicing across the United States and around the world.

Education

Our mission to advance natural approaches to health is shown in the educational programs at Northwestern. The University offers students six different academic degree and certificate programs. The flagship program, Northwestern College of Chiropractic, began in 1941 and continues to represent a majority of the student population with approximately 700 students. It takes 3 1/3 years to earn a graduate-level degree in chiropractic. The chiropractic program has 4,000 alumni across the world. The Minnesota College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine became part of the University in 1999 and currently have 100 students in the program and 125 alumni. Students graduate with a master’s degree in either acupuncture or Oriental medicine in less than four years. The School of Massage Therapy began in 2000 and currently has 60 students in the 11-month program and 170 alumni. Students graduate with a certificate in massage therapy. The School of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies offers certificate programs in integrative health and wellness as well as a bachelor of science degree in human biology for students in the chiropractic program. Each of the areas of study represents the future of health care and helps to meet the evolving needs of health care consumers.

Research

Northwestern’s Wolfe-Harris Center for Clinical Studies, located on the Bloomington campus, houses one of the leading natural health care research centers in the United States. The Center’s two newest studies, focusing on chronic low back pain and chronic neck pain in seniors, pushed the University over the $5 million mark in funding from federal agencies. That is the largest amount of federal funding of any research center in the country focusing solely on natural health care research. In addition, the University’s research efforts are now being expanded to the other academic programs on campus. A limited study began earlier this year in the teaching clinic of the Minnesota College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and the Center hopes to embark on dedicated massage therapy research in 2005.

Clinical Services

Northwestern is the largest provider of natural health care services in the state of Minnesota, with more than 50,000 patient visits recorded last year. The University operates six public clinics through the Twin Cities area, including the Bloomington Natural Care Center; the Edith Davis Teaching Clinic; and the University Health Service, all located on Northwestern’s campus in Bloomington, Minn. In addition, Northwestern operates the Highland Natural Care Center in St. Paul, Minn.; the Burnsville Natural Care Center in Burnsville, Minn.; and the Natural Care Center at Woodwinds, in Woodbury, Minn. Northwestern’s clinic system offers a wide range of natural health care services, including chiropractic, acupuncture, Oriental medicine, massage therapy, naturopathy, healing touch, and natural health care products.

Community Involvement

Northwestern’s community involvement is another area of pride for the University and its students, faculty and staff. The “Community of Caring” at Northwestern is shown through endless events including Make A Difference Day, Hearts For Hunger, Save Our Schools, Mittens and More, and the Bloomington Citywide Halloween Party. In the past year, Northwestern has raised more than $3,000 and thousands of pieces of winter clothing and school supplies for an elementary school in East St. Paul, an area of the Twin Cities that has been extremely distressed economically. University students have been volunteering to spend time with elementary school students at Washburn Elementary and Poplar Bridge Elementary school, both in Bloomington, Minn., and the Northwestern community held a food drive earlier this year that collected hundreds of pounds of donations for Twin City food shelves.