How Occupational Therapy Helps Bring Lifestyle Medicine into Daily Life

How Occupational Therapy Helps Bring Lifestyle Medicine into Daily Life Maria knew she needed to eat better and move more. Her physician had concerns about her Type 2 diabetes, weight, and declining quality of life. However, knowing what to do was not enough. Maria was a 52-year-old single mother of two teenagers who worked full time as a receptionist. Most evenings, she felt too tired to cook, walk her dogs, help her children with activities, or see friends. She spent hours watching television or scrolling through social media. Activities she once enjoyed had disappeared from her routine. Her [...]

By |2026-07-20T20:05:25+00:00July 16, 2026|Front Page News, OTD-Organic, SCU News|

SCU PA Alum Marley E. Figueroa Munoz Selected for AAPA House of Delegates Leadership Role

SCU PA Alum Marley E. Figueroa Munoz Selected for AAPA House of Delegates Leadership Role When Marley E. Figueroa Munoz, PA, graduated from SCU’s Physician Assistant program in December 2025, she was already thinking about what it means to be part of the profession beyond clinical practice. Now practicing in Emergency Medicine, the recent graduate has been selected as a delegate for the American Academy of Physician Associates House of Delegates through the California Academy of Physician Associates. The opportunity places her in a professional leadership role early in her career, giving her a chance to learn more [...]

By |2026-07-09T23:19:21+00:00July 10, 2026|AYUR-Organic, Front Page News, SCU News|

What It Takes to Build a Whole Health University: Lessons from Creating the Framework

What It Takes to Build a Whole Health University: Lessons from Creating the Framework  By John Scaringe, DC, EdD, President & CEO of SCU Whole Health has traditionally been discussed as a model of patient care. Whether in integrative medicine, primary care, or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Whole Health approaches are designed to help individuals achieve better health outcomes by addressing the interconnected dimensions of physical, emotional, social, and environmental well-being. At Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU), we began asking a different and more expansive question: What would happen if the principles of Whole [...]

Why Stress Feels Worse Than Ever—and What it Does to the Body

Why Stress Feels Worse Than Ever—and What it Does to the Body Life today is faster, fuller, and more demanding than it used to be—and for many people, stress has shifted from an occasional occurrence to a near-constant background hum. In fact, nearly 75% of adults report experiencing physical or mental symptoms related to stress, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). And while we often think of stress as strictly a mental state, it is actually a powerful biological process—one that can influence sleep, energy, mood, and even long-term health. “Stress isn’t just something we feel emotionally—it [...]

The Science of Doing Nothing: How Stillness Supports Whole Health

The Science of Doing Nothing: How Stillness Supports Whole Health Most quiet moments do not stay quiet for long. A few seconds in line can become a chance to check email. A break between meetings becomes a quick scroll through social media. A quiet evening can quickly fill with errands, messages, notifications, and the feeling that something still needs to get done. For many people, even rest can start to feel like another task. But from a Whole Health perspective, making time for intentional moments of stillness can help us return to ourselves, notice what we need, and [...]

By |2026-07-15T21:25:18+00:00June 24, 2026|AYUR-Organic, Front Page News, SCU News|

Douglene Jackson on Conscious CARE, Workforce Well-Being, and Why Sustainable Care Begins with the Practitioner

Douglene Jackson on Conscious CARE, Workforce Well-Being, and Why Sustainable Care Begins with the Practitioner When Douglene Jackson, PhD, OTR/L, LMT, ATP, CYT, FAOTA, delivered the Dr. Lela Llorens Lecture at the AOTA INSPIRE 2026 Annual Conference & Expo in Anaheim, California, the moment carried deep personal and professional meaning. Dr. Jackson, Doctoral Capstone Coordinator for SCU’s Doctor of Occupational Therapy program in Phoenix, was tasked with delivering the lecture after receiving the 2025 Dr. Lela A. Llorens Award of Excellence for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from the American Occupational Therapy Association. Her presentation, titled “Conscious CARE: For [...]

By |2026-06-16T00:21:36+00:00June 16, 2026|Front Page News, OTD-Organic, SCU News|

What Value-Based Care Means for Integrative and Whole Person Medicine

What Value-Based Care Means for Integrative and Whole Person Medicine The U.S. health care system is in the middle of a long and complicated shift. For decades, doctors, hospitals, clinics, and health systems have largely operated under a fee-for-service model. In that model, providers are generally paid each time they deliver a service, such as an office visit, lab test, imaging scan, procedure, or hospital stay. That structure helped build much of modern American health care. It created a clear way to reimburse providers, supported access to specialized services, and allowed health systems to be paid for the [...]

By |2026-07-07T16:33:38+00:00June 8, 2026|Front Page News, SCU News|

SCU Eastern Medicine Students Deepen Global Perspective Through Exclusive China Exchange Experiences

SCU Eastern Medicine Students Deepen Global Perspective Through Exclusive China Exchange Experiences Click on the image above to view a photo gallery. Students from the Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine program at Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU) recently participated in two international experiences in China, gaining new perspectives on Eastern Medicine, cultural tradition, clinical practice, and the role of community in health. The experiences included the SCU Exchange Program in China (Shanghai and [...]

By |2026-06-03T15:44:45+00:00June 3, 2026|ACM-Organic, Front Page News, SCU News|

Where Passion Meets Purpose: SCU Celebrates Match Day 2026

Where Passion Meets Purpose: SCU Celebrates Match Day 2026 A Q&A with Stephanie Gandomi on the milestone that launches careers and reflects the future of genetic counseling Every spring, aspiring genetic counselors across the country wait for one defining moment: Match Day. For applicants, it is the culmination of years of preparation, academic work, volunteer experience, interviews, and personal reflection. For graduate programs, it marks the arrival of a new cohort of students who will help shape the future of the profession. At Southern California University of Health Sciences, Match Day 2026 was both a celebration and a [...]

By |2026-07-09T15:06:27+00:00May 20, 2026|Front Page News, MSGC-Organic, SCU News|

The State of Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine in 2026

The State of Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine in 2026 By Dr. Jenny Yu, DACM, LAc. In 2026, acupuncture and Chinese medicine are experiencing a period of meaningful growth and maturation. The field has evolved well beyond being viewed solely as an alternative therapy and is increasingly recognized as a valuable component of integrative healthcare. Patients, providers, and health systems are seeking safe, evidence-informed approaches to address pain, stress-related conditions, women’s health, digestive disorders, and overall well-being. The profession itself is also advancing through stronger research, improved clinical standards, and closer collaboration with conventional medicine. Integration Into Modern Healthcare [...]

By |2026-05-15T16:51:26+00:00May 13, 2026|ACM-Organic, Front Page News, SCU News|
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