The pursuit of answers to questions like these
led Dr. Hetrick, one afternoon in 1987, to the Penn National Race Course, where a man he’d read about was installing an underwater treadmill for horses. Dr. Hetrick remembers showing up in a sharp suit and a new pair of shoes only to be handed a shovel and told that if he wanted to talk, it would have to be down inside a pit that needed clearing out of you-know-what. That inauspicious meeting led to a $50,000 handshake deal Dr. Hetrick couldn’t afford, and he would spend every weekend for the next two years driving to New Jersey to pitch in building the very first underwater treadmills for humans that would outfit his growing rehabilitation clinic. “I can’t tell you how many times the stupid thing failed,” laughs Dr. Hetrick, fondly remembering the time he received an impromptu lesson in electrical grounding and all the good-natured patients he’d accidentally slick with hydraulic oil. “The amazing thing was that they never stopped believing in me.” Spurred by that belief and the critical contributions of people like Scott Stoner, D.C. (Main, `88), and attorney Anson Flake, two of his initial business partners, Dr. Hetrick continued persevering. In May 1997, HydroWorx officially launched. Growing a loyal customer list of pro sports teams, large universities and major health care centers would take years more of sweat and toil, but for the first time, perhaps, success seemed all but inevitable.
Tom Klopcic, D.C. with interns
MORE THAN A QUARTER CENTURY LATER, Dr. Hetrick is still asking, “What if?” Around the time he and his team were refining their
“We’re at the start of something big, and this gift will allow the seed to grow. If we’re purposeful in the design of this, we can exponentially increase the return on investment.”
—Dan Weinert, D.C., Ph.D., College Provost 14
prototype, Palmer College was launching its Sports and Rehabilitation Residency, an intensive three-year program where Doctors of Chiropractic continue to build their clinical skills and earn specialized credentials while teaching parts of the Palmer curriculum. “We have a recipe that’s worked well,” says Palmer College Provost Dan Weinert, D.C., Ph.D. (Main, `96), who was the second resident to complete the program. “And when you know something works well, you reinvest.” Fueled by Dr. Hetrick’s game-changing gift, Dr. Weinert describes a vision for the future of the program that goes well beyond the status quo. At the heart of that vision is a dual mission to develop content experts in the field and equip the next generation of chiropractic educators. As part of the program, residents work toward earning board- certified status as a Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Rehabilitation Board, a credential that sets them apart as leaders in the discipline. Moving forward, the Palmer program will also afford residents greater opportunities to deepen their knowledge within their individual interests. That might mean traveling to train at elite institutions, exploring diverse interdisciplinary care settings or learning from other rehabilitation experts. It’s easy to draw parallels between this approach and Dr.
Hetrick’s journey. “Whenever he heard about something, he went after it,” says Dr. Weinert. “His gift allows us to formalize that for our residents, empowering them to go out and learn from amazing mentors. Dr. Hetrick has an incredible story of success, and now we can give other
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32
