TRANSITIONS
Since its inception 30 years ago, the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine (Center) has forged a community of dedicated innovators. We are proud that our Center has been at the forefront of transforming medical education and healthcare using integrative medicine (IM). Consistent, dedicated leadership at the Center has provided the stability for growth, outreach, and expansion globally.
This year brought transitions in that leadership. After 24 years as Executive Director, I [Victoria] have stepped down and assumed the position of Founding Executive Director of the Center. Guiding the Center into the future is our new Director, Dr. Stephen Dahmer. A Fellowship alumnus, Dr. Dahmer brings an extensive and successful background in IM clinical approaches, research initiatives, and leadership.
Also this year, Dr. Patricia Lebensohn retired from the Center. Since 2003 she has been pivotal in establishing multiple innovative educational programs including Integrative Family Medicine and Integrative Medicine in Residency (IMR).
Our fastest growing program, IMR continued to expand in 2023. We are excited to have fully revised the IMR curriculum to a 100-hour Core program suitable for all medical specialties.
IMR Core is being piloted at 111 IMR sites across the country and is the basis for developing a new Emergency Medicine IMR. We also established the ACLAIM (AWCIM Cultivating Leaders in Academic Integrative Medicine) program, a yearlong leadership program for emerging academic IM clinicians.
And finally, construction of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, a three-building complex in the heart of the University of Arizona medical campus was completed this year. Scheduled to open in spring 2024, the Center’s new home is a flagship to IM philosophy. The three buildings, Mind, Body, and Spirit, embody the seven domains of integrative health: environment, nutrition, movement, relationships, sleep, resilience, and spirituality.
In these pages you will find that we have had another exceptional year! We are ever grateful for your support that helped make all this possible!
Best in health,
A TRIBUTE TO OUR FOUNDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
DR. VICTORIA
On November 1, 2023, the Center’s Executive Director, Victoria Maizes, MD, stepped down and is now our Founding Executive Director. She will lead our Alumni Program, ushering the Center’s Alumni toward ever-expanding opportunities for IM education, employment, research, and outreach.
Dr. Victoria Maizes came to the University of Arizona Program in Integrative Medicine in 1998 and completed the Integrative Medicine Residential Fellowship. Subsequently, Dr. Weil appointed her the Center’s Executive Director where she has served for 24 years. Dr. Maizes has stewarded the Center’s growth from its initial on-site program in Tucson that trained four residential fellows per year, to a Center of Excellence that has educated more than 5000 alumni and associates globally, who serve nearly ten million patients annually. The successful educational programs that were envisioned and created under Dr. Maizes’ leadership include:
• Integrative Medicine Fellowship global online version
• Integrative Medicine Elective Rotation
• Integrative Medicine in Residency Program
• Integrative Health and Lifestyle Program
• Coaching Program
• The National Center for Integrative Health Primary Health Care
• Annual Conferences on Nutrition, Mental Health, and Integrative Medicine Summit
MAIZES
The Center has grown to share IM educational content with more than 100 universities across the US and around the globe. She also created and oversaw the Center’s robust research program and has stewarded the evaluation and publishing on all of our educational and many of our research initiatives.
Dr. Maizes has exemplified servant leadership; she created an ever-expanding Center of people who know they are valued and important to our success as a whole. As an IM expert, Dr. Maizes has taught nationally and internationally to academic and public audiences. Additionally, she has the skillful ability to nourish the expertise of others for education, research, and program creation.
Dr. Maizes helped develop the infrastructure for the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and served on its Executive Committee, Education Committee and Steering Committee. She helped create and then served on the founding board of the American Board of Integrative Medicine. She wrote a leading textbook, Integrative Women’s Health, as well as Be Fruitful: The Essential Guide to Maximizing Fertility and Giving Birth to a Healthy Child.
Her fundraising efforts and donor relationships have wellpositioned the Center, its educational programs and research at the forefront of IM both nationally and globally. Not only do we at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine want to recognize and acknowledge Dr. Maizes’ contributions, in 2023 she was honored by the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine with the Bravewell Distinguished Service Award, considered the highest accolade in IM.
THE CENTER WELCOMES A
NEW DIRECTOR
Dr. Stephen Dahmer became the Center’s new Director on March 1, 2024. He brings exceptional potential for our continued leadership and innovation in IM. A 2006 graduate of the Fellowship in Integrative Family Medicine at the Center, he is a recognized IM expert who seamlessly integrates clinical expertise, research initiatives, and entrepreneurial leadership. His distinguished career comprises reinventing healthcare approaches and shaping holistic healthcare paradigms including as Lead Physician at Iora Health, Chief Medical Officer at Goodness Growth, and his most recent position as founding Primary Care Physician at Sana Care.
Dr. Dahmer’s professional journey epitomizes a nuanced approach to IM with an emphasis on blending tradition and innovation, compassionate patient care, and a global perspective. The exploration of medicinal plant uses in diverse cultures has led him from Brazil’s slums, to Maori clinics in New Zealand, and to serving as a hospitalist for the Navajo Tribe in Arizona. His academic pursuits include active roles at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. His research, encompassing clinical trials on medical plants, emphasizes a compassionate and integrative approach to clinical care.
His words describe the energy and purpose he brings to the Center:
“As the new Director at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, I’m not just taking on a role; I’m amplifying a lifelong journey. As an early fellow and ongoing student of Integrative Medicine, I’m eager to build on the mighty efforts of esteemed colleagues. My own drive is focused on furthering collaborative efforts to keep Integrative Medicine at the forefront, ensuring it becomes the essential first step in everyone’s healthcare journey.”
“Dr. Dahmer comes to us as an integrative and family medicine expert with a background in ethnobotany and extensive research experience in integrative medicine, plantbased medicine, and cannabis therapeutics. He has been involved in clinical trials as a principal investigator and consultant and has published numerous papers and book chapters on these topics. His vision for the Center aligns perfectly with College of Medicine – Tucson’s mission and with my vision for the future of AWCIM. I am thrilled to have him on board.”
– Dr. Andrew Weil
LEADERSHIP
ANDREW WEIL, MD
Founder and Director, Professor of Medicine and Public Health, Lovell–Jones Endowed Chair in Integrative Medicine
RANDY HORWITZ, MD, PHD, FACP
Medical Director, Director, Integrative Medicine
Distinction Track, Professor of Clinical Medicine
ANN MARIE CHIASSON, MD, MPH
Director, Fellowship in Integrative Medicine, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
DEVORAH MORRIS CORYELL Director, Integrative Medicine
Elective Rotation
STEPHANIE FEDER Director of Business Development
VICTORIA MAIZES, MD
Executive Director, Professor of Clinical Medicine, Family Medicine and Public Health, Andrew Weil Endowed Chair in Integrative Medicine
PATRICIA LEBENSOHN, MD Director of Academic Collaborations, Professor of Clinical Family and Community Medicine
LISE ALSCHULER, ND
Associate Director, Fellowship in Integrative Medicine, Professor of Clinical Medicine
MOLLY K. BURKE, MFA Director of Online Education
FROM VISION TO FRUITION
DR. PATRICIA LEBENSOHN IS RETIRING – WE HONOR HER IMPACT
Since 2003 Patricia has developed educational programming and mentorship at the Center. Some of the innovative programs she helped establish and scale globally include:
• Integrative Family Medicine Program – A pioneering Family Medicine residency / Integrative Medicine Fellowship.
• Integrative Medicine in Residency – This innovative curriculum project that is now used by 117 residencies that has reached more than 5000 residents.
• Establishment of the National Center for Integrative Primary Healthcare to transform primary care health professional education by an integrative approach to patient care by interprofessional collaborative teams.
ESTHER M. STERNBERG, MD
Director of Research, Director, UArizona Institute on Place, Wellbeing & Performance, Professor of Medicine, Andrew Weil Endowed Chair for Research in Integrative Medicine
MARI RICKER, MD, FAAFP Director, Integrative Medicine in Residency, Professor of Family and Community Medicine
ROBERT L. CROCKER, MD Director, Strategic Clinical Planning and Implementation, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
SCOTT GIMPLE, MBA Director of Operations
• Physician Wellbeing and Healthcare Professional Wellbeing [Co-developed with Dr. Mari Ricker] – Courses to create wellbeing in health professionals that have been adopted by all IMR sites as well as multiple academic institutions, and healthcare systems.
• ACLAIM (AWCIM Cultivating Leaders in Academic Integrative Medicine) [Co-developed with Dr. Mari Ricker] – A yearlong leadership program for academic IM clinicians designed to develop academic leaders [See page 8 for a complete description of ACLAIM].
Patricia’s vision has been prescient, her efforts tireless, and her achievements remarkable.
We thank you, Patricia.
AWARDS
Integrative Medicine in Residency (IMR) is the most extensive national curricular project to introduce IM to residents. Annually, we honor an academic faculty member whose innovation expands IMR’s influence. In 2023 the award was formally named in honor of Patricia Lebensohn, MD, who led the creation of IMR.
2023 PATRICIA LEBENSOHN, MD, INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE IN RESIDENCY INNOVATION AWARDEE
Ashwin Mehta, MD
Medical Director, Integrative Medicine Program Memorial Healthcare System Hollywood, FL
Dr. Mehta was selected by the Center’s National Advisory Board members for his development of an IMR program at Memorial Healthcare System, a large community health system in South Florida. The program began in 2018 by introducing IM during residency orientation and offering them an elective rotation in an integrative clinic. Since then the IMR curriculum has expanded to include residents, as well as faculty learners, in Internal Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Pediatrics and most recently, Neurology.
CENTER FACULTY HONORED WITH INDIVIDUAL AWARDS THIS YEAR
Mari Ricker, MD, FAAFP
2023 Women in Medicine and Science Torchbearer Awardee
Elizabeth Kyle Meehan, MD
2023 Women in Medicine and Science Torchbearer Awardee
Victoria Maizes, MD
2023 Bravewell Distinguished Service Award
In recognition of a leader who has made a significant impact on the history and mission of the Bravewell Academic Consortium
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
FELLOWSHIP IN INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
Teaches a transformative method of patient care with emphasis on the individual, prevention, and treatment. Its alumni [2,226] and current enrollees [284] hail from all over the US and 38 different countries and territories.
WELLNESS & LIFESTYLE SERIES
Offers five units in a flexible self-paced format, covering a variety of topics on integrative approaches to health — 92 enrollees have completed the Series.
INTEGRATIVE HEALTH & WELLNESS COACHING PROGRAM
With 155 alumni and 20 current enrollees, is certified by the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching as an approved training program.
INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE IN RESIDENCY
A competency-based curriculum that introduces IM to residents, is now in use at 117 institutional programs [115 nationwide and 2 international] and counts 3,521 residents [1,023 current and 2,498 alumni].
NATIONAL CENTER FOR INTEGRATIVE PRIMARY HEALTHCARE
Foundations in Integrative Health –12,489 lifetime enrolled / 2,931 completed certification.
INTEGRATIVE HEALTH & LIFESTYLE PROGRAM
An interprofessional certificate program with compassion - centered curriculum emphasizing lifestyle change, totals 383 alumni from across the globe and 32 currently enrolled. Additionally, 23 of the 32 current enrollees are nurses who will be eligible to pursue the Holistic Nurse credential through a partnership with the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation upon Integrative Health & Lifestyle program certificate completion.
INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE ELECTIVE ROTATION
For fourth-year medical students and residents has doubled enrollment in the past year [Spring 2023: 23 students / Fall 2023: 34 students] and counts 903 alumni.
PREVENTION AND WELLNESS
With 889 graduates and 30 currently enrolled, is a course for fourth-year medical students and residents.
INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE DISTINCTION TRACK (IMDT)
Gives students the opportunity to study the philosophy and practice of IM throughout their four years of medical school – College of Medicine – Tucson: 81 graduates and 39 current students. Our curriculum is also being used by the University of California –Irvine: 36 graduates and 25 current students.
FELLOWSHIP
The Fellowship in Integrative Medicine is diverse. In 2023 alone, graduates came from around the world and represented a wide array of professions and specialties.
2023 GRADUATES OF THE FELLOWSHIP IN INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE (BY CREDENTIAL)
■ DO
■ MD
■ APRN
■ PA
■ DMD/DDS
■ MBBS
2023 GRADUATES OF THE FELLOWSHIP IN INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE (BY SPECIALTY)
■ Cardiology
■ Emergency Medicine
■ Family Medicine
■ General Practice
■ Geriatrics
■ OB/GYN
■ Internal Medicine
■ Infectious Diseases
■ Neurology
■ Oncology
■ Orthopedics
■ Ophthalmology
■ Pediatrics
■ Physical Medicine & Rehab
■ Psychiatry
■ Rheumatology
■ Urology
NEW IMR PROGRAMMING
ACLAIM
The ACLAIM (AWCIM Cultivating Leaders in Academic Integrative Medicine) Program, a yearlong leadership program for academic IM clinicians, was launched in January 2023. Participants engaged online each month for eight months and completed two longitudinal projects. The program culminated with an in-person Tucson retreat in October.
The inaugural class received applications from our IMR leaders and fellowship alumni from all over the world: three countries, fifteen states, and seven specialties representing Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Ob Gyn, Psychiatry, Oncology, Internal Medicine, and Radiation Oncology. Twenty-three participants completed the 2023 program.
Webinar topics included:
• Introduction to Integrative Leadership, Scholarship, and Evaluation
• Curriculum and Evaluation tools: Turning Your Work into Scholarship
• Funding Integrative Medicine Educational Initiatives
• Staying Well in Academia
• Community Partnerships in IM Education
• Finding Your Path in Academic Medicine
• Advocacy in IM Academic Leadership
• IM Teaching in Clinical Practice
These comments from the participants’ final survey indicate the impact of ACLAIM:
“The in-person meeting was fantastic! Very restorative and inspiring. Came back with renewed vigor and ideas for integrative medicine in my organization.”
“The in-person gathering was so wonderful—great content, people and opportunities for ongoing growth and networking. Definitely built peer mentorship connections!”
“The
guest speakers were great. Learning from their experiences was very helpful.”
NEW IMR PROGRAMMING CONTINUED –
CORE AND EM
IIMR Core
In July 2023 the Center launched the IMR Core curriculum as a pilot at 24 Family Medicine programs with 111 residents around the US. The Core is a new, 100-hour IMR curriculum composed of content deemed essential for residency training and is applicable to any medical specialty. This foundational IM curriculum consists of preventive care, nutrition, mindbody medicine, environmental health, spirituality, botanicals, vitamins, minerals, integrative approaches to pain, and physician wellbeing. Because the curriculum is shorter we expect it will lead to higher completion rates. Learners who complete are given access to selected advanced curriculum
Coming in 2024
In summer 2024 all 117 current IMR sites will begin using the IMR Core. Collaboratives are being established to support the transition at those institutions where there are training programs in multiple residency specialties. Additional site leader training will be provided to institute structure and facilitate development. Based on past enrollment, we anticipate the addition of approximately 400 new residents.
IMR in Emergency Medicine
In fall 2023 the Center began development of an IMR Emergency Medicine (EM) pilot program. Our goal is to assess the feasibility of a hybrid IMR program, combining in-person experiences with an interactive online curriculum. Residents will be able to utilize elective time, as well as learn longitudinally over the course of their training. The 100-hour CORE curriculum [described above] will address IM content that will impact the residents’ personal health and wellbeing, as well as the health of the patients they serve.
The IMR-EM pilot program will enroll all EM residents at the UArizona COM–T, as well as three faculty leaders. Additionally, we will open the pilot to EM residencies at our other 117 IMR site institutions. We will track participation, engagement, completion, and satisfaction data of all enrolled residents and faculty.
CENTER FOR INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
FROM CONCEPT TO COMPLETION
With construction completed at the end of December, the 30,000-sf complex was scheduled for opening in spring 2024.
THE THREE BUILDINGS, LINKED BY LANDSCAPED PATHWAYS, EMBODY INTEGRATIVE HEALTH:
MIND
Collaborative environments for research, innovation, and administration
BODY
A wellness hub with a movement studio and a demonstration kitchen
UNIQUE FEATURES INCLUDE:
A teaching kitchen for nutrition workshops and community gatherings
Buildings intentionally designed to integrate nontoxic materials, sound-absorbing surfaces,
SPIRIT
A serene space for mindfulness, meditation, and contemplation
An ADA accessible labyrinth ideal for prayer and meditation
A mini-campus that incorporates open, light-filled spaces where people can work
An herbal medicinal garden and fruit trees promoting nutrition and environmental
“Not
only is the new building complex the realization of my dream to have a proper home for our Center that embodies our philosophy of health and wellness, it is significant as the first dedicated integrative medicine center to open in the heart of the medical campus of a major university.”
– Dr. Andrew Weil
REVENUE / FOUNDATION ACTIVITY
Philanthropic supporters have always been the Center’s partners in innovation. We appreciate the trust of our longtime benefactors and look forward to new partnerships as we work to transform healthcare.
$2,900,094 Total
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Mailing Address PO Box 245153 Tucson, AZ 85724
Physical Address 1502 E. Mabel Street Tucson, AZ 85719
(520) 210-9161 integrativemedicine.arizona.edu iminfo@arizona.edu
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The University of Arizona is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. The University prohibits discrimination in its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation and is committed to maintaining an environment free from sexual harassment and retaliation.
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Design: Edgar Mendoza, The University of Arizona Health Sciences BioCommunications Text: Gail Hewlett, Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine
