Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences history

In 1996, PCC sold the building to Portland businessman and philanthropist Bill Naito.

That same year four students received the first MSOM (offered within the ND degree program) at commencement, with full accreditation following in 2000.

The teaching clinic remained there until 2001, when clinic operations were moved and divided between the Natural Health Center on Southwest First Avenue and the Pettygrove Clinic in Northwest Portland, the latter focused on Chinese medicine.

In 2003, Helfgott Research Institute was founded thanks to a $1.2 million donation from Donald Helfgott.

In 2004, Doctor Laurie Regan returned to the college after seven years in private practice to revise the MSOM curriculum to better reflect classical Chinese philosophy.

In 2006, NCNM celebrated its 50th anniversary by changing its name to National College of Natural Medicine in recognition of its key academic programs in the School of Naturopathic Medicine, School of Classical Chinese Medicine and emerging research programs.

To this day, Keppler, awarded president emeritus status in 2007, is amazed and gratified at the way the entire college pulled together during the crisis.

Sanders noted that the later construction and launch of the campus NCNM Clinic in 2009, which she supervised, was a remarkable change of pace in a relatively short time.

The medical center remained in Scottsdale until 2010 when an expansion made it possible to co-locate academic learning with clinical services and training at our Tempe campus.

Schleich said one of the most significant accomplishments of his tenure was the launch in 2012 of the Master of Science in Integrative Medicine Research (MSiMR) program, through the School of Research & Graduate Studies.