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Founded in 1911, Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU) has been challenging convention and pushing healthcare forward for more than 100 years. Today, as healthcare leaders across the nation—from the U.S. Surgeon General to the National Institutes of Health to the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine—call for a radical transformation in our healthcare system, SCU is bringing those critical changes to fruition.
All too often, healthcare providers “stay in their lanes” rather than building comprehensive care plans that include other disciplines, professionals, and approaches. In addition, they look strictly at the physical body as opposed to all the factors that may be influencing a patient’s health and well-being—genetics, lifestyle, mental health, relationships, physical environments, community support, and beyond. But at SCU, no matter what program you are in, you’ll learn to blend the best of conventional and complementary approaches (integrative healthcare) and to treat the entire mind, body, and spirit (whole health)—for true lasting wellness.
Many of our peer institutions operate their own healthcare clinics, but those clinics generally do not give students authentic, real-world experience because the patient populations, accepted payments, interprofessional disciplines, and even weeks of operation are limited. At SCU, we operate true Academic Health Centers open to the community year-round, accepting commercial insurance, and serving more than 40,000 diverse patients annually. SCU students in every discipline have the invaluable opportunity to participate in cutting-edge research, including grants funded by the National Institutes of Health, and gain hands-on clinical experience under the expert supervision of our practitioner faculty.
Most of today’s healthcare colleges offer an “interprofessional education” through which students learn with, from, and about other disciplines. But at SCU, our Interprofessional Education is broader and, frankly, we think that makes it better. Unlike other colleges, we teach you about both conventional and complementary disciplines—not just one or the other—because we believe in both and we teach both, all under one roof.
When we say we believe in treating the whole person—we mean all people. One of our stated institutional values is Health Equity—the idea that all individuals and communities should have a just opportunity to be healthy. As a student, you’ll learn about the many factors that can influence individual and population health—so that you’re better equipped to reduce disparities and positively impact a more diverse range of patients.
Quite simply, the future of healthcare is integrative, whole health—and we’re on the leading edge. While our nation’s healthcare system advances toward this new and proven approach, we are one of the only healthcare colleges already teaching it. At SCU, we’ll prepare you for what’s next.
“Despite remarkable breakthroughs and innovations in treating disease, the United States has worse health outcomes than most other developed countries and at a substantially higher cost...The nation has focused on developing new cures to disease but has neglected to advance the science and systems of how we deliver care, which is essential to ensuring that the right people get the right care at the right time.”
“We’ve been wrong about what our job is in medicine. We think our job is to ensure health and survival. But really it is larger than that. It is to enable well-being. And well-being is about the reasons one wishes to be alive. Those reasons matter not just at the end of life, or when disability comes, but all along the way."
“This is a new principle for treatment; previously treatments targeted the cancer cells. This [a whole health approach] targets the hosts.”
“Perhaps the biggest risk facing the efforts to improve health and well-being for all, is to fail to realize that this requires not simply improvement upon the existing system but true transformation. ”
Healthcare and higher education are two industries at a crossroads. The U.S. healthcare industry is facing ever-escalating costs, chronic disease in more than half its population, and provider burnout. At the same time, higher education is facing its own set of challenges, with many institutions merging or closing altogether. As a provider of healthcare education, Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU) must navigate rapidly evolving landscapes in two dynamic industries. We see this position as a valuable opportunity to advance our unique mission to educate successful integrative, whole-person healthcare providers.
In order to thrive at the intersection of healthcare and education, we must take a strategic approach to developing our institution and our people to become an industry leader. It requires a strategic direction that is both compelling and attainable. As we celebrate our history and successes, we must look ahead to determine how best to embody the future of integrative, whole-person health.
The Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU) Strategic Plan to 2029, available here for online viewing, or downloading, highlights our strategic approach to developing our institution and our people to become an industry leader.
Our mission is to educate students as competent, caring, and successful integrative healthcare practitioners and professionals. The University is committed to providing an academic community imbued with kindness, integrity, humor, and determination.
To transform and redefine health and healthcare education.
SCU’s four values are described below, as well as sample aspirational statements reflective of how these values might look in action. SCU strives to live our four values of Integrative Health, Evidence-Based Practice, Health Equity, and Inclusivity.
Southern California University of Health Sciences is accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), 1080 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 500, Alameda, CA 94501. Phone: (510) 748-9001.
Programmatic accreditation ensures that academic programs meet certain professional standards. This process not only protects students but also maintains criteria for professional certification in the field. There isn’t programmatic accreditation for all fields or programs so if your program doesn’t have an accreditor listed it means there is no programmatic accreditation available.
Southern California University of Health Sciences has met the qualifications for exemption from regulation under the Act, pursuant to California Education Code (CEC) Section 94874(i): An institution that is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, or the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
The Doctor of Chiropractic program of the Southern California University of Health Sciences – Los Angeles College of Chiropractic is approved by the California Board of Chiropractic Examiners. The Masters of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine (MAcCHM) and the Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine (DAcCHM) programs at Southern California University of Health Sciences are approved by the California Acupuncture Board.
The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) awarded SCU’s Board of Regents the 2022 John W. Nason Award for Board Leadership.
The award recognizes higher education governing boards that have demonstrated innovation and exemplary leadership.
The creativity and forward-thinking of our SCU Board has helped to fuel increasing enrollment, financial health, and strong student, staff, and faculty satisfaction.
SCU President John Scaringe, DC, EdD, was honored with the 2022 Visionary Award at the Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine (AIHM) 2022 Conference: Disruptive Innovation + The Future of Health, on Oct. 29, 2022.
The award recognizes interprofessional collaborators and unifiers who are helping to establish a new paradigm of healthcare for humanity and the planet.
An educator, author, researcher, and advocate for healthcare transformation, Dr. Scaringe has led an inspiring institutional transformation at SCU—diversifying programs, more than doubling enrollment, and implementing a groundbreaking whole health approach to healthcare education.
The Institute for Functional Medicine presented the 2024 Linus Pauling Award in Functional Medicine to Tracy Gaudet, MD, Executive Director of SCU’s Doctor of Whole Health Leadership program.
The prestigious award–selected through a rigorous, juried process–recognizes clinicians or researchers who have made significant contributions to the field of integrative and systems medicine.
Dr. Gaudet was Founding Executive Director of the National Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation at the Veteran’s Administration where she led the Whole Health initiative that is now considered the model for our nation to emulate. She is also co-founder of the Cornerstone Collaboration for Societal Change, the nation’s leading expert in whole health.
The SCU Clinical and Health Research Department has received a prestigious and highly sought after R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The $1.7 million grant will support groundbreaking research comparing the safety, efficiency, and care costs for Medicare beneficiaries receiving acupuncture for chronic low back pain.
The research, in collaboration with Dartmouth College, launched in August 2024 and will span three years.
In November 2024, The American Public Health Association (APHA) presented SCU’s Michael Ramcharan, MD, DC, EdD, Vice-Provost and Assistant Vice-President of Academic Affairs, with its esteemed Lifetime Achievement Award.
The annual award recognizes APHA Section members who have made significant contributions to the Section, held numerous leadership positions, and been involved in public health at the local, state, national or international levels.
Dr. Ramcharan has contributed extensively to APHA’s Chiropractic Health Care and Medical Care sections. His groundbreaking research and advocacy work have spanned a range of topics from infection control to spinal rehabilitation to health equity, and more.
SCU’s Dr. Leah Grout, Associate Professor and Research Data Analyst, was recognized with the 2024 Integrative, Complementary, and Traditional Health Practices (ICTHP) Emerging Leadership Award.
The award, presented by the American Public Health Association (APHA) ICTHP section, recognizes outstanding emerging leaders in the field.
This honor highlights Dr. Grout’s significant contributions to the advancement of integrative and whole health within public health and health services research.
In 2023, SCU was named one of the nation’s “Great Colleges to Work For” by the Chronicle of Higher Education. In addition, we were named to an elite Honor Roll, for having performed exceptionally well in five specific categories:
In 2024, SCU was named to the “Great Colleges to Work For” list for the second consecutive year. We also made the Honor Roll once again, this time ranking in six categories:
In 2024, SCU was listed on Times Higher Ed Impact Ranking (in the Good Health & Wellbeing Category), recognizing universities committed to addressing the world’s most pressing challenges, including social inclusion, environmental sustainability, economic growth, and partnerships.
SCU’s Masters in Human Genetics and Genomics program was named the 2024 Best Online Master’s in Genetics Program by BestColleges.com
The program stood out to evaluators for its high graduation rates, flexible format, and affordability, as well as the broad array of topics covered in the curriculum, from classical genetics to the latest in advanced genomics technologies.
At SCU we conduct research on integrative healthcare (IHC). The integrative approach to healthcare considers the whole person: not just your physical condition, but your occupation and ability to work, genetics, economic situation, stressors, relationships, hobbies, and sense of connectedness. You are more than your symptoms!
We study the value of IHC in comparison with the symptom-based approach used in conventional medical care, which most often involves prescription drugs or surgery. We also study the value of integrative healthcare when it is used in conjunction with conventional medical care.
To assess the value of IHC, we examine its quality, safety, effectiveness, efficiency, and cost. We also assess the degree to which Integrative Healthcare is patient-centered – does the care really deliver what patients need and want, and is it aligned with their values and beliefs?
In our research studies, we also seek to answer questions about the delivery of IHC. Do insurance companies and public programs such as Medicare and Medicaid make IHC services accessible to patients?
We utilize a variety of approaches to accomplish our research goals, including patient surveys and focus groups, clinical trials, and analysis of “big data” from electronic medical records and health claims. In all of our research, we take great care to protect patient safety and confidentiality.
To view summaries of our research work at SCU, see “Current Research” or “Completed Research“.
Thank you for your interest in healthcare research at SCU!
Steffany Moonaz, PhD, C-IAYT
Director of Clinical and Health Services Research
Leah M Grout, PhD, MPH
Research Data Analyst
SCU Health – Clinical and Health Services Research
Steffany Moonaz, PhD, C-IAYT
Research Director
SCU Health – Clinical and Health Services Research
James M Whedon, DC, MS
Senior Researcher & Professor
SCU Health – Clinical and Health Services Research
Crina Gandila, CRA, MS
Research Administrator
SCU Health – Clinical and Health Services Research
Integrated Care for Chronic Pain and Opioid Use Disorder: The IMPOWR Research Center at Montefiore/Einstein (IMPOWR-ME)
Funding: NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse
Purpose: Establish a multidisciplinary research center focused on treatments for people with both chronic pain and opioid use disorder
Spinal Manipulative Therapy vs. Prescription Drug Therapy for Care of Aged Medicare Beneficiaries with Neck Pain
Funding: National Institutes of Health
Purpose: To compare the safety, efficiency, and cost of two approaches to management of neck pain under Medicare.
Yoga and Strengthening Exercises for Knee Osteoarthritis
Funding: National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia
Purpose: Conduct the first randomized comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness trial of a yoga program compared with a strengthening exercise program in patients with symptomatic knee OA
Published Works:
Yoga for Osteoarthritis of the Hip or Knee: A Cochrane Review
Funding: Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group
Purpose: To systematically evaluate the existing evidence for the effectiveness of yoga on pain and physical function for persons with hip or knee osteoarthritis.
Bridging the Research Gap Between Integrative Health Educational and Research Institutions
Funding: Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health, Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine
Purpose: A mixed-methods study to determine best practices in facilitating successful research collaborations between research-intensive and clinically focused complementary and integrative health universities.
Scott Haldeman, DC, PhD, MD
Associated Faculty
SCU Health – Clinical and Health Services Research
Eric Hurwitz, DC, MS, PhD
Associated Faculty
SCU Health – Clinical and Health Services Research
Reed Phillips, DC, PhD
Associated Faculty
SCU Health – Clinical and Health Services Research
Sidney Rubinstein, DC, PhD
Associated Faculty
SCU Health – Clinical and Health Services Research
Southern California University of Health Sciences is committed to promoting quality research by adhering to the required standards of integrity in proposing, conducting, and reporting research. The policies instated by SCU represent our commitment to nurture a culture of compliance with federal laws and regulations, honesty, and responsibility within our research community with the scope to achieve a high level of ethical and legal standards of conduct in research.
This section provides information to ensure that all SCU faculty, staff and students engaged in research related activities are aware of and comply with all applicable policies and procedures of the University, and extramural funding agencies, to meet their obligations and responsibilities.
Southern California University of Health Sciences is committed to promoting objectivity in research and teaching. The purpose of this policy is to ensure there is no reasonable expectation that the design, conduct, or reporting of research or other projects funded by external sponsors will be biased by any conflicting financial interest. The policy establishes a written and enforced administrative process to identify and to manage, reduce or eliminate conflicting interests with respect to all externally sponsored projects. The policy also supports Southern California University of Health Sciences’ institutional compliance with the Public Health Service regulations (42 CFR Part 50, Subpart F1) and the provisions of the National Institutes of Health.
In accordance with 42CFR Part §93, it is the policy of Southern California University of Health Sciences to have an established administrative process for reviewing, investigating, and reporting allegations of misconduct in science in connection with PHS-sponsored biomedical and behavioral research. SCU requires all faculty and staff engaged in research related activities to complete biomedical or behavioral research trainings as part of their shared responsibility for the integrity of the research process. The goal of this policy is to provide a framework to resolve allegations of research misconduct as fairly and rapidly as possible and to protect the rights and integrity of all individuals involved.
Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU) is committed to collecting, handling, storing, accessing, and using research data properly and securely. This policy establishes the responsibilities of all users in supporting and protecting the research data at SCU regardless of user’s affiliation or relation with SCU, and irrespective of where the data are located, utilized, or accessed. All members of the SCU research community have a responsibility to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of research data.
The SCU IRB oversees the evaluation, endorsement, and supervision of biomedical and behavioral studies that involve human participants at SCU, with the goal of safeguarding the well-being and rights of those involved. It assesses the risk-to-benefit ratio of research projects conducted by SCU faculty, staff, or students that involve human subjects, and confirms that research proposals comply with state laws, local policies, and federally mandated criteria for approval.
The following training courses are required for all faculty and students engaged in research at Southern California University for Health Sciences. To create your account, follow the steps listed in the Demo Instructions for New CITI Program Accounts.
Check out our course catalogs below for a full list of everything that SCU has to offer.
A horseless carriage (one of the few) “sped” down mud and brick roads. A pioneer fervor dominated the thinking of progressive civic leaders. Los Angeles, “The City of the Angels,” was a bustling city of 319,000 inhabitants. Movies were still in their infancy, still silent.
In this milieu, Dr. Charles Cale and his wife, Linnie, committed themselves to disseminate the knowledge of a little known, yet ancient, healing art chiropractic. Dr. Cale sought to formalize the training of chiropractic physicians.
By 1911, when modern chiropractic was only 16 years into its history, Dr. Cale applied for and received a charter for Los Angeles College of Chiropractic (LACC). The Cales began the first classes in their home, a nine-month course of study that included anatomy, chiropractic principles and technique.
Eleven years later, the College moved to larger and more modern facilities. The curriculum covered 18 months of study. During this period, it absorbed the Eclectic College of Chiropractic, a progressive, yet fledgling, school with a five-year history.
The Chiropractic Initiative Act of 1922 established legal requirements for chiropractic education, California licensure guidelines and the first board of chiropractic examiners. All of this served as the catalyst for enhanced academic programs and accelerated growth at LACC.
The next 28 years were marked with continued curricular improvements and material expansion. During that time, LACC acquired many institutions, including Golden State College of Chiropractic; Dr. Cale’s second school, Cale Chiropractic College; College of Chiropractic Physicians and Surgeons; Southern California College of Chiropractic; Hollywood College of Chiropractic; California College of Chiropractic and the California College of Natural Healing Arts.
The course of study was extended to 32 months. In the late 1940s, a nonprofit corporation, the California Chiropractic Educational Foundation (CCEF) was organized. It acquired several colleges, including LACC. As a holding company, CCEF created a new chiropractic college and retained the name Los Angeles College of Chiropractic. By 1950, the course of study had expanded to four years and the College moved to Glendale, California, consolidating its basic science subjects and chiropractic sciences into one comprehensive curriculum taught in one modern facility.
In the late 1970s, the Board of Regents moved the institution in a bold, new direction. Determined to assure the stability of a progressive chiropractic college, it sought professional educational administrators to develop academic planning, facility usage and economic independence. In three years, the Board had succeeded in creating one of the most responsive and responsible institutions in chiropractic education.
In November of 1981, LACC realized a dream-come-true when it purchased a new 38-acre campus in Whittier, California. The site provided room to expand and make way for increased enrollment, expanded curriculum and the development of health care services to the surrounding community. The addition of the innovative and progressive ADVANTAGE Program in September of 1990 placed LACC at the forefront of chiropractic education.
In this same decade, LACC became the first chiropractic program to obtain accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and was one of the first chiropractic institutions to obtain federal grant money for research.
The end of the 20th Century brought a major change to what had been LACC for the past 89 years. The College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CAOM) was added and the Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU) was created to house both LACC and CAOM. This marked a turning point from an institution offering a single program to a multi-program university with plans of offering additional programs in what society has labeled alternative health sciences.
In 2020, the university continued to grow adding two new masters programs; Master of Science in Medical Science and a Master of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. In addition, the university was restructured to include LACC, Accelerated Sciences Division, Eastern Medicine Department, Ayurveda Department, IPE Department, Physician Assistant Program, and Health Science Program.
A detailed account of the 100 years of the institution and its personalities can be found in “Healing Evolved: A 100 Year History of Los Angeles College of Chiropractic & Southern California University of Health Sciences,” by former SCU President Reed Phillips. The book is available for purchase in the SCU Campus Store.
Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU) is committed to maintaining a community of students and employees that reflect, embrace, and value the breadth of diversity including, but not limited to, age, race, ethnicity, culture, socioeconomic status, spiritual and religious belief, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, and geographic background, consistent with our core value of Inclusivity.
SCU’s Vision is to transform and redefine health and healthcare education. Our mission is, in part, to educate students as competent, interprofessional and evidence-based trained, caring, culturally proficient healthcare professionals dedicated to integrative and whole-person care. As reflected by the SCU value of Health Equity, we value people’s health equally and want all individuals and communities to have a fair and just opportunity to be healthy. Therefore, we empower our students to impact determinants of health and reduce health disparities.
Our focus on inclusivity and cultural proficiency supports the need to attract and retain diverse students and employees. This focus also cultivates medical practitioners equipped to serve a complex, evolving, and diverse populace, including those most vulnerable.
We work collectively to identify and remove obstacles to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of students, faculty, and staff, including those from historically underrepresented populations to maintain a community where people choose to grow, develop, and excel.
It is our belief that inclusivity broadens perspective in reasoning, leading to innovative solutions and greater equity in our care. This provides SCU with a competitive advantage and solidifies our reputation as one leading the charge in health science education, patient care, and health equity.
