SCU Faculty Spotlight: Global Leadership in Whole Health at International Integrative Medicine Congress

Faculty leaders from Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU) took the global stage this fall, showcasing the university’s growing leadership in Whole Health education, integrative research, and culturally responsive care at the 3rd World Congress on Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) in Rio de Janeiro

The international gathering brought together researchers, educators, clinicians, and policymakers from around the world to explore evidence-informed approaches to integrative health care. SCU faculty contributed through oral presentations, panel participation, and poster research—advancing conversations on how health professions education must evolve to meet mounting global health challenges.

Advancing the Whole Health University Model

Dr. Steffany Moonaz, Research Director at SCU, presented on behalf of herself and Dr. Melissa Nagari, Chief Whole Health Officer, on the university’s institutional initiative, “Transforming Health Professional Education: The Whole Health University Model.” The presentation addressed critical stressors facing the U.S. health care system, including rising costs, worsening outcomes, and widespread provider burnout.

Drawing on guidance from the World Health Organization and the U.S. National Institutes of Health, Dr. Moonaz emphasized the need to shift clinical education toward integrative, preventive, and person-centered models of care. The presentation highlighted the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Whole Health model, which reframes care around what matters most to patients and has been associated with improved satisfaction, reduced opioid use, and enhanced workforce well-being.

SCU’s approach extends this framework beyond clinical encounters, embedding Whole Health principles throughout academic programs, clinical training environments, and campus culture. The goal, Dr. Moonaz explained, is to ensure future clinicians not only learn about whole-person care but experience it firsthand during their professional formation.

SCU has launched a three-year implementation plan that includes Whole Health training for students, faculty, and staff; curricular and clinical integration; and a structured evaluation framework to assess feasibility and early outcomes. While acknowledging challenges such as workload demands and cross-department coordination, Dr. Moonaz framed these hurdles as opportunities to transform health education at a systems level.

Cultural Context and Global Health Promotion

Dr. Leah Grout also represented SCU at the congress, presenting work from the Public Health Resonance Project at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, focused on culturally and regionally meaningful physical activity for health promotion.

Her presentation underscored a central tenet of Whole Health: recognizing the full context of people’s lives, including culture, environment, and personal meaning. Dr. Grout noted that conventional physical activity messaging does not always resonate across communities and that locally grounded practices may foster deeper engagement and sustainability.

Participation in the global congress, she said, not only allowed for scholarly exchange but also elevated SCU’s international research profile and opened doors for future collaboration.

Integrative Research in Practice

Further highlighting SCU’s integrative research contributions, Dr. Anupama Kizhakkeveettil presented a poster on the Ayurvedic management of chronic low back pain and served as a panel expert and experiential reporter on Ayurvedic medicine.

Her poster detailed a case study involving a 66-year-old woman with chronic low back pain who underwent an eight-week, whole-system Ayurvedic treatment program. The patient experienced substantial reductions in pain and disability, with near-complete symptom resolution by the end of treatment. While preliminary, the findings underscore the potential role of holistic approaches and the need for further controlled clinical research.

A Growing Global Presence

SCU’s participation in the 3rd World Congress on TCIM reflects the university’s expanding role in global conversations around Whole Health, integrative education, and evidence-informed care. SCU’s Whole Health University initiative serves as a roadmap for institutions seeking to align health professions education with person-centered, integrative models of care worldwide.