Our Vision, Mission & History
Download | FY24 Annual Report (PDF)
Over the past year, we have made tremendous progress toward our vision of transforming healthcare from a system focused primarily on treating illness and disease, to one that also prioritizes prevention, self-care, and wellness. We achieve this by enhancing conventional care with evidence-based non-pharmacologic integrative therapies and a focus on modifiable lifestyle factors such as nutrition, movement, and stress reduction. We have strategically focused on enhancing our impact to increase our reach by targeting our clinical, education, research, and community efforts to prevent, heal, thrive.
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.
Osher Collaborative for Integrative Health
The Osher Center for Integrative Health at the University of Cincinnati is a member of the Osher Collaborative for Integrative Health. The Osher Collaborative for Integrative Health comprises an international group of eleven academic health Centers funded by The Bernard Osher Foundation to study, teach, and practice integrative healthcare. The Osher Collaborative amplifies the collective impact of the eleven Osher Centers on health and well-being for all.
Values
![Patient and Doctor image of doctor and patient with nurse](/images/default-source/integrative-health/value-resized-images/patient-resized.tmb-medium.jpg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=2808e96d_2)
PATIENT-CENTERED
We will demonstrate kindness, compassion and empathy as we endeavor to deliver the education and care our patients need.
![mindful resized group of people practicing mindfulness](/images/default-source/integrative-health/value-resized-images/mindful-resized.tmb-medium.jpg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=a73ca662_2)
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.
![Hands resized group of hands coming together](/images/default-source/integrative-health/value-resized-images/hands-resized.tmb-medium.jpg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=dd95e98b_2)
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 resized doctors performing research](/images/default-source/integrative-health/value-resized-images/evidence-based-resized.tmb-medium.jpg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=c3e13130_2)
EVIDENCE-BASED
We will provide education and services that are informed by leading-edge innovative scientific research.
![acupuncture resized acupuncture](/images/default-source/integrative-health/value-resized-images/acupuncture-resized.tmb-medium.jpg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=ff72f4ea_2)
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.
![acupuncture resized acupuncture](/images/default-source/integrative-health/mindfulness-in-the-workplace/mindful-1.jpg?sfvrsn=a35687b0_2)
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
View the History & Milestones of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at the University of Cincinnati
Contact Us
Osher Center for IntegrativeHealth
Medical Sciences Building Suite 4358
231 Albert Sabin Way
PO Box 670582
Cincinnati, OH 45267-0582
Mail Location: 0582
Phone: 513-558-2310
Fax: 513-558-3266
Email: osher.integtrative@uc.edu