William E. Morgan, D.C.,
graduated from Palmer
College of Chiropractic’s
West campus in 1985, the
same year in which his
wife, Clare Pelkey Morgan, D.C., and brother, Robert Morgan,
D.C., graduated. He has been in practice for 20 years. Before
attending Palmer, he served with the U.S. Marine Recon and
Navy Frogmen Units as a medic. For the past eight years he has
practiced in the National Naval Medical Center, “The President’s
Hospital,” in Bethesda, Md. In 2000, he was appointed chiropractor
to Congress and the Supreme Court, providing care
within the U.S. Capitol Building two days a week. Dr. Morgan is
active in the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) and
serves as chair of the ACA’s Military and Veteran’s Affairs
Committee. In 2003, the American Chiropractic Association
named him Chiropractor of the Year. He was appointed to the
Palmer Board of Trustees in 2006.
Tell us what strengths you bring to the Board?
I have experience in non-traditional models of chiropractic
practice. In addition to practicing for many years in a traditional
entrepreneurial chiropractic practice, I have worked in rural
health centers, held privileges in four hospitals and worked in
government chiropractic clinics. I am on the faculty of two chiropractic
colleges and supervise chiropractic students, medical
students and medical residents rotating through our hospitalbased
chiropractic clinic. Therefore I have insight on how prepared
chiropractic students are for clinical practice.
What issues in the chiropractic profession or in
education concern you most?
Chiropractic education has historically been self-reflective and
progressive, but I feel that the chiropractic classroom experience
has outpaced the clinical experience. For the clinical portion of
a chiropractic education to catch up to the didactic, I believe
that we need to have a more diverse clinical experience. We
should develop collaborative relationships with other professions
to introduce emerging patient groups to chiropractic.
I would like to see chiropractic students working with a broader
range of patients in varying degrees of integration with other
healthcare providers. It is not my intention to transform chiropractors
into pseudo-medical doctors, but to create better chiropractors
who are more familiar with the special needs of the ill
and infirmed.
What is your vision of the three campuses of
Palmer College in 25 years?
Because Palmer is Chiropractic: as Palmer goes, so goes chiropractic.
I feel that Palmer has the responsibility to be the trendsetter
in chiropractic education. We need to be visionary in our
long-term planning, but lithe in application of our visions.
We’ve always been innovators and ahead of our time. I would
hate to see Palmer College become so steeped in convention
that it would fail to move forward with emerging trends and
technology. If D.D., B.J. or David were here today, I am sure that
they would be pointing to the future, not telling us to return to
the past. In regard to the future of the three campuses, I have a
vision of consistent world-class education, available in three distinct
learning environments.
What are your favorite memories of your time
with Palmer?
Meeting and courting my wife, Dr. Clare Pelkey Morgan. Clare
and I met in a technique club and she has been my chiropractor
ever since. I also enjoyed having good-humored philosophical
debate with my fellow students.