PORT ORANGE — Palmer College of Chiropractic Florida, Port Orange, Fla., will graduate its first class at 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 16, at the Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Members of the Palmer Student Alumni Foundation (PSAF) spent the last several weeks collecting toys and monetary donations from students, faculty and staff at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, for this year’s Toys for Tots collection by the United States Marine Corps. Their efforts paid off as they donated nearly $2,000 worth of toys on Dec. 10. In addition, they teamed up with members of the Palmer Campus Guides to volunteer at the Toys for Tots warehouse on Dec. 10.

Access to the Internet has gone mobile and so has Palmer College of Chiropractic. Palmer College has launched its mobile website, which now provides immediate, on-the-go access to essential tools and information.

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) in Washington, D.C., announced in June that the Palmer College of Chiropractic outpatient clinics in Port Orange and South Daytona, Florida, have received Recognition from the Back Pain Recognition Program (BPRP) for providing superior care to clinic patients suffering from low back pain. The two Palmer Chiropractic Clinics are affiliated with the college’s Florida Campus in Port Orange, Florida.

The Palmer College of Chiropractic Rugby Football Club claimed third place overall by beating the Boston Irish Wolfhounds 50-14 in the consolation round of the USA Men’s Division 1 Rugby Championship in Glendale, Colorado, on Sunday, June 5. This is the first time Palmer has finished higher than fourth place in the USA Men’s Division 1 national tournament.

The Palmer Chiropractic Clinics, which provide the clinical education for senior-level students of Palmer College of Chiropractic, Davenport, Iowa, were recognized at the Governor’s Recognition of Performance Excellence Celebration luncheon on May 5, 2011, in Des Moines. During the ceremony, Palmer Vice Chancellor for Clinic Affairs Kurt Wood, D.C., was presented the Commitment Award by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds. Palmer was one of six Iowa organizations to be recognized.

Palmer College of Chiropractic Chancellor Dennis Marchiori, D.C., Ph.D., along with a number of College faculty, staff and administrators, attended the Association of Chiropractic Colleges-Research Agenda Conference (ACC-RAC) March 17-19, in Las Vegas. Employees from all three campuses attended sessions and made platform and poster presentations, and two Palmer presentations garnered awards. Additionally, staff members from Palmer’s Continuing Education Department processed all state applications for CE credit at the conference.

Concluding a career that has spanned more than 50 years, Donald P. Kern, D.C., Ph.C., president of the Davenport Campus of Palmer College of Chiropractic , has announced that he will retire effective December 31, 2010.

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) announced in October that the Palmer Academic Health Center and the Campus Health Center clinics on the Palmer College of Chiropractic campus at 1000 Brady St., Davenport, Iowa, have received Recognition from the Back Pain Recognition Program (BPRP) for providing superior care to clinic patients suffering from low back pain. According to the NCQA registry, these Palmer College clinics and their respective faculty clinicians are the only healthcare facilities and providers in Iowa to receive BPRP recognition.

The Florida Campus of Palmer College of Chiropractic is growing… again. The Palmer College Board of Trustees approved a plan in September to construct a two-story, 14,000-square-foot building with a budget of $4 million on the Port Orange campus, located at 4777 City Center Parkway. The new building will significantly expand support services for the campus’ nearly 750 students. Construction is expected to begin in early 2011, following approvals by the City of Port Orange.