Our Vision, Mission & History

Download | FY23 Annual Report

In 2023, we celebrate our tenth year as a division within the UC College of Medicine. As I reflect on the past decade, I am deeply grateful for the solid foundation we have established, the valuable insights we have gained, the strategic partnerships we have formed, and the steadfast support we have received along the way. I want to extend my enormous gratitude to our key stakeholders, clinicians and staff, and our friends and supporters for helping us reach this landmark year.

Vision

Our vision is to transform a disease-care system to a well-care system.

Mission

Our mission is to achieve improved health for all through clinical practice, advanced education, innovative research, and community engagement focused on integrative health and wellness.

Approach

Our approach is to empower people to take charge of their health and well-being by actively practicing whole health within their communities.

Integrative Health

We define Integrative Health as a whole-person approach that combines conventional medicine with evidence-based complementary therapies that focus on healthy lifestyle addressing stress, nutrition, movement, sleep, and environment to reduce suffering and enhance overall wellness.

Values

PATIENT CENTERED

We will demonstrate kindness, compassion and empathy as we endeavor to deliver the education and care our patients need.

EMPOWERED

We will passionately engage our patients in the process of enhancing their quality of life through knowledge transfer, service delivery and by encouraging more effective self-care.

 

EQUITABLE

We will work as a collaborative, interprofessional team to ensure that our knowledge and skills are made available to all members of our community and benefit society as a whole.

EVIDENCE BASED

We will provide education and services that are informed by leading-edge innovative scientific research.

INTEGRITY

We will pursue and demonstrate excellence and honesty in all that we do, and we will model behavior that inspires others to follow our lead.

HUMILITY

We collaborate and learn relentlessly.

History

In 2009, the University of Cincinnati partnered with Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center to form the UC-Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Integrative Health Steering Collaborative. 

This interdisciplinary group of staff and faculty worked together to accelerate the rate at which integrative health endeavors were being integrated into the mission of UC’s Academic Health Center.

The steering collaborative has since evolved into a larger group of core center faculty, affiliated faculty, integral staff, stakeholders and community partners.

Today, the Osher Center for Integrative Health at the University of Cincinnati encompasses over 30 core center faculty members from 12 departments at UC health colleges and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the VA Medical Center. Some key accomplishments include:

• Membership since 2009 in the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health
• Research grants from foundation and federal granting agencies, specifically in mind-body medicine, food as medicine and music & health
• Inpatient Integrative Health services at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
• Physicians board-certified in Integrative Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine as well as Institute of Functional Medicine trained
• Enhanced medical student curriculum in integrative and lifestyle medicine
• Collaboration with community integrative health practitioners
• Invitation to the Osher Collaborative and a gift from the Bernard Osher Foundation in 2022