OUR STORY
WHO
WE ARE
The Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine (AIHM) is an interprofessional community of healthcare providers, researchers and academics united by the shared value of treating the whole person – mind, body, spirit, community, and planet. We are an organization that unifies the diverse voices of traditional, complementary, and integrative health (TCIH). Individuals and organizations that join AIHM are committed to the highest level of scientific rigor in TCIH globally. Together we are creating a healthy world for humanity and the planet.
OUR
STORY
In the late 1970s, remarkable groupings of new energy and interest began to take shape in USA health and medicine. Within a few short years from 1977-1983, new organizations and initiatives to advance the philosophies and practices of holistic doctors, holistic nurses, naturopathic doctors, licensed East Asian practitioners, chiropractic doctors, mind-body medicine research in academic medicine, related herb and natural products industries and others were each independently founded. Thirty five years later, AIHM was created to provide the first, inclusive, unifying vehicle to advance the movement for the shared values and practices of each of these then separate interests.
In 1977, a group of visionary physicians, including Norman Shealy, Gladys Taylor McGarey, Bill McGarey, Gerald Looney, and Evarts Loomis gathered at Meadowlark in Hemet, California to lay the foundation for the American Holistic Medical Association (AHMA). Norm Shealy became the first president of the AHMA and in 1978 the first meeting was held in Denver, Colorado. At the 1980 AHMA conference, Norm and his wife, Chardy, met Charlotte McGuire RN, and encouraged her to start a holistic nursing association. In 1981, Charlotte held the first national meeting of the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA). Over the next four decades, pioneers within AHMA and AHNA advanced holistic medicine and holistic nursing, at the same time that pioneers from naturopathic medicine, chiropractic medicine, and East Asian medicine were advancing their professions in the USA.
Holistic physicians had another very important organization, the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine (ABIHM). ABIHM was working alongside AHMA developing certification for physicians. In 2013, leaders from AHMA and ABIHM came together with other leaders from other licensed integrative health professions, including chiropractors, naturopathic physicians, licensed acupuncturists, and holistic nurses, to form the Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine (AIHM).
AIHM emerged as a solution to our growing healthcare crisis by bringing for the first time in history, all of the holistic and integrative health professions together under one organization – holistic medical doctors, holistic nurses, naturopathic doctors, chiropractors, licensed acupuncturists and many more professions.
The formation of AIHM represents the breaking down of silos in health and medicine. It is a call to action for change — to transform the way we think about health and health care. The Academy is home to a broadening international community of healthcare practitioners, health seekers, and advocates connected by a shared holistic philosophy of person-centered care. The AIHM community recognizes the link between our health and the state of the planet and deeply considers the social determinants of health and the quality of our relationships to ourselves, one another and our planet.
In 2021, AIHM merged with the Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health. This truly represented a historic moment in the movement for it formally brought together together for the first time – the integrative holistic MD community with the formal licensed integrative licensed professions of integrative health – acupuncturists, chiropractors, naturopathic doctors, direct-entry midwives and massage therapists. This merger also represented the coming together of individual clinicians, researchers and academics AND organizations with the one purpose of advancing integrative health globally to transform health on this planet.
TIMELINE
1978
AHMA is established as a member organization for MD’s and DO’s
1996
ABHM is created by AHMA members
2000
ABIHM offers first exam
2008
AHMA opens membership to other disciplines ABHM changes name to ABIHM
2013
AHMA prepares membership for merge with ABIHM to form Academy AIHM is announced at ABIHM conference
2014
Academy launches
OUR
MISSION AND VISION

Advancing Holistic & Integrative Health Globally

Creating a Healthy World for Humanity and the Planet.
CORE VALUES OF
INTEGRATIVE HEALTH
Leadership
World-Renowned Interprofessional Board of Directors
Staff
Dedicated to the AIHM mission & vision.
Past Presidents
Our history comes from a long line of leaders.
Bill Meeker, DC, MPH
Board Chair
Jean Davis PhD, DC, PA, FAIHM
MSCR
Board Member, BIPOC Committee Co-Chair
JoAnn Yanez, ND, MPH, CAE
Board Member, ACIH Voting Council Representative
Heidi Honegger Rogers, DNP, FNP C, APHN BC
Board Member
Stephan Nobs, CHTP
Board Member
Stacy Gomes, EdD, MAEd
Board Member
Mimi Guarneri, MD, FACC, ABOIM
Founding President, Conference Committee Chair
Rachel Carlton Abrams, MD, MHS, ABOIM
Secretary
Dale Healey, DC, PhD
Board Member, ACIH Council Chair
Scarlet Soriano, MD, ABOIM, FAIHM
Board Member
Sara Gottfried, MD
Board Member
Tabatha Parker, ND
Executive Director
April Gruzinsky, MS
Fellowship Admissions Director
Bryan Hauf, MEd
Associate Director of Online Education
Andrea McCurry
Operations Manager
Sadielis Jimenez, ND
Membership Manager
Erika Cappelluti, MD, PhD, MA, FCCP, ABOIM
Fellowship Director
Elizabeth “Liza” Goldblatt, PhD, MPA/HA
National & Global Projects Director
Jessica Price, MEd, NTP
Academic Success Manager
Lee Jeon, ND Student
Community Outreach Assistant
Caitlin Marinaro
Associate Director of Marketing and Events

Norm Shealy, MD, PhD, ABIHM
AHMA 1978 – 1980

Gladys McGarey, MD, MD(H), ABIHM

Robert Anderson, MD, ABIHM
AHMA 1986 – 1988, ABIHM 1996 – 2002

Bernie Siegel, MD, ABIHM

Peter Albright, MD, ABIHM

Robert (Rav) Ivker, DO, ABIHM

Scott Shannon, MD, ABIHM, ABOIM

Karen Lawson, MD, ABIHM
AHMA 2003-2005

Larry Palevsky, MD, ABIHM
AHMA 2005-2007

Wendy Warner, MD, ABIHM

Patrick Hanaway, MD, ABIHM

Mimi Guarneri, MD, FACC, ABIHM, ABOIM

Barbara Bakus, DO, ABIHM

Lucia Thornton, RN, MSN, AHN-BC, ThD
AIHM 2019-2021

Elmer Cranton, MD

Hugh Riordan, MD
AHMA 1984-1986

Christiane Northrup, MD, ABIHM
AHMA 1989-1990

Bill Manahan, MD, ABIHM

Alan Gaby, MD, ABIHM

Kathy Fry, MD, ABIHM

Mark Hoch, MD, ABIHM

Lee Lipsenthal, MD
ABIHM 2005-2006

Hal Blatman, MD, ABIHM

J. David Forbes, MD, ABIHM

Molly Roberts, MD, ABIHM

Daniel Friedland, MD

Brad Jacobs, MD, MPH, ABIHM, ABOIM
AIHM 2016-2018
Bill Meeker, DC, MPH
Board Chair
Dr. William Meeker is the current AIHM Board Chair and the past president of the West Campus of Palmer College of Chiropractic in San Jose, CA. Prior to that he was Vice-President for Research for Palmer College of Chiropractic, Director of the Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research, and an NIH supported principal investigator. He is a former member of the National Advisory Council of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health at NIH, and a former member of the Governing Council of the American Public Health Association..
Currently, he is on the boards of the Integrative Healthcare Policy Consortium (IHPC) and the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress; and the Field Advisory Board of the Cochrane Collaboration for Complementary Medicine at the University of Maryland. Additionally, he serves on the editorial boards of The Spine Journal, the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, and others. He has published over 60 peer-reviewed papers, books and book chapters, and has lectured extensively around the world regarding chiropractic, musculoskeletal disorders and integrative health.
Mimi Guarneri, MD, FACC, ABOIM
Founding President, Conference Committee Chair
Board-certified in cardiovascular disease, internal medicine, nuclear cardiology, and Integrative Holistic Medicine, Mimi Guarneri, MD, FACC, ABOIM is deeply committed to expanding integrative medicine, education and research globally. A leading proponent of Integrative Medicine, she serves on the Founding Board of the American Board Physician Specialties in Integrative Medicine (ABOIM). She is Co- founder and Medical Director of Guarneri Integrative Health, Inc. at Pacific Pearl La Jolla in La Jolla, California, U.S.A. since 2014, where she leads a team of experts in conventional, integrative and natural medicine. Dr. Guarneri is Co-founder and Treasurer of Miraglo Foundation, a non-profit public charity providing healthcare and education to the underserved in the U.S. and globally. A Clinical Associate Professor at University of California, San Diego (UCSD), she also is President of the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM) and the Past President of the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine (ABIHM). She served as Senior Advisor to the Atlantic Health System for the Chambers Center for Well Being, among other healthcare system advisory positions. She is an accomplished author and the Professor of The Great Courses video series, “The Science of Natural Healing.”
Dr. Guarneri was an English Literature major as an undergraduate at New York University. Her medical degree is from SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York, where she graduated number one in her class. Dr. Guarneri served her internship and residency at Cornell Medical Center, where she later became chief medical resident. She served cardiology fellowships at both New York University Medical Center and Scripps Clinic in California. She is a fellow member of the American College of Cardiology, Alpha Omega Alpha, the American Medical Women’s Association and Fellow of the American College of Nutrition.
She co-founded the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine and served as medical director for 15 years. She began her career at Scripps Clinic as an attending in interventional cardiology, where she placed thousands of coronary stents. Recognizing the need for a more comprehensive and more holistic approach to cardiovascular disease, Dr. Guarneri pioneered the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine where state-of-the-art cardiac imaging technology and lifestyle change programs are used to aggressively diagnose, prevent and treat cardiovascular disease.
Her new book, “108 Pearls to Awaken Your Healing Potential,” was published by Hay House in April of 2017. Also the author of “The Heart Speaks,” Dr. Guarneri’s work has been featured on television with NBC Today and PBS. She is co-author of the book, “Total Engagement: The Healthcare Practitioner’s Guide to Heal Yourself, Your Patients & Your Practice,” published in 2014.
She is an international speaker with multiple engagements, annually. She was an invited presenter in November of 2017 for two international conferences on integrative health and medicine in Brazil and at the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Sciences’ 3-day conference on global health. She is a featured speaker at the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine’s annual conference in San Diego, California, among many others. She continues to advise and lead annual, national integrative healthcare conferences in San Diego.
Dr. Guarneri was recognized for her leadership in Integrative Medicine by the Bravewell Collaborative and served as the Founding Chair of the Bravewell Clinical Network for Integrative Medicine. Dr. Guarneri was honored as the ARCS Foundation Scientist of the Year. In 2011, she was the winner of the Bravewell Physician Leadership Award which honors a physician leader who has made significant contributions to the transformation of the U.S. health care system. She received the 2012 Linus Pauling Functional Medicine Lifetime Achievement Award from the Institute for Functional Medicine and the Grace A. Goldsmith award from the American College of Nutrition. Ranked as the number one female physician practicing Integrative Medicine by Newsmax in 2015, Dr. Guarneri also was honored with San Diego Magazine’s Woman of the Year Awards as Health and Wellness Pioneer 2016 for her outstanding leadership.
Websites: MimiGuarneriMD.com, PacificPearlLaJolla.com
Lucia Thornton, RN, MSN, AHN-BC, ThD
Immediate Past Chair, Governance Committee Chair
Lucia has been involved in nursing, holistic healing, and healthcare for over 35 years. She has held clinical, managerial and administrative positions in various organizations and hospital settings including emergency and trauma, intensive care, education, research and development, and quality assurance. She helped develop one of the first inpatient hospice homes in the country over 30 years ago. She was instrumental in creating the process of Board Certification for Holistic Nursing in the United States and served as the first Executive Director of the American Holistic Nursing Certification Corporation. She is a past president of the American Holistic Nurses Association.
For the past 15 years she has been involved with developing seminars for hospitals and communities that focus on staff development and creating healing environments. She developed the Model of Whole-Person Caring which was the recipient of the 2004 Norman Cousins award and serves as a prototype for creating healing cultures within the workforce.
Her recently published book, Whole Person Caring: An Interprofessional Model for Healing and Wellness, provides an interprofessional guide for personal and organizational transformation and health.
Rachel Carlton Abrams, MD, MHS, ABOIM
Secretary
Rachel Carlton Abrams graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University, received her MD from UC San Francisco and a Masters Degree in Holistic Health from UC Berkeley. She is Board Certified in Family Medicine and Integrative Medicine. In 2008 she opened the award-winning Santa Cruz Integrative Medicine Clinic. Dr.Abrams treats many of the world’s most influential people, from CEOs to billionaire entrepreneurs to Nobel Peace laureates. She has been voted “Best Doctor” in Santa Cruz County every year, from 2009-2020. She is dedicated to creating health equity and anti-racism in health care.
Dr.Rachel published Bodywise: Discovering Your Body’s Intelligence for Lifelong Health and Healing, in 2017 with Rodale Books. Her other books include the recently released, Eight Dates: Essential Conversations For a Lifetime of Love and The Man’s Guide to Women (both with her husband and John and Julie Gottman), The Multi-Orgasmic Woman, The Multi-Orgasmic Couple, and the audiobook Taoist Sexual Secrets.
Dr. Rachel has taught innumerable classes and workshops and has been an expert consultant on holistic health for national magazines, radio and television for the last 20 years. You can see a sample of these at DoctorRachel.com.
Dr. Rachel has been a board member of the AHMA (American Holistic Medical Association) and is currently an active board member of the AIHM (Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine), where she facilitates work on anti-racism, health equity and inclusive membership.
Rachel loves the ocean and the redwoods and is addicted to beach volleyball. She is happily married and the mother of three fabulous young adults, now living on their own, but returning to play with her and her beloved husband Doug, in Santa Cruz, California.
You can view her work at https://www.doctorrachel.com, on Facebook and Instagram:@doctorrachelabrams, and read her blogs at Thrive Global.com andMedium.com.
Jean Davis PhD, DC, PA, MSCR, FAIHM
Board Member, BIPOC Committee Co-Chair
Dr. Jean Davis has decades of experience as a community advocate, educator, clinician, and researcher. Her extensive education includes a BA in Psychobiology, a BS in Human Biology, an MS in Clinical Research, a Doctoral degree in Chiropractic Medicine, and a PhD in Preventative Medicine. She is widely known and recognized for her education, research, and expertise as a primary care provider: Associated Professor, Internal Medicine at Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science, Past Medical Director and HIV Clinician at AIDS Health Foundation, Desert AIDS Project, and Clinician at Dusk to Dawn Urgent Care. She completed an Integrated Health and Medicine Fellowship at the Academy of Integrated Health and Medicine (AIHM). Dr. Davis is the AIHM Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Task Force Co-Chair. She’s a Board Member of the Beyond AIDS Foundation and AIHM and a member of the AAHIVM CA/HI Steering Committee. Her continued focus is on total health and the reduction of disorders and diseases which disproportionately impact underserved communities and related social determinants. These health disparities include but are not limited to HIV/AIDS, Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, Substance Abuse, Diabetes, and Renal Disease.
Dale Healey, DC, PhD
Board Member, ACIH Council Chair
Brad Jacobs, MD, MPH, ABOIM
Treasurer, Finance Committee Chair, Past Board Chair
Brad Jacobs, MD, MPH, ABOIM, is a recognized leader in Integrative Medicine, Lifestyle Medicine and Corporate health and resiliency. He is an experienced physician, and educator.
Dr Jacobs is Founder and Director of BlueWave Medicine, and Past-Chair of the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine. He is co-author of “The Anti-Inflammation Cookbook”: the delicious way to reduce inflammation and stay healthy.
BlueWave Medicine offices are located at Cavallo Point Lodge in Sausalito, California on 80 acres in the National Park Service lands. The practice provides concierge medicine and second opinion services using an integrative and functional medicine model that is rooted in providing committed individuals multi-disciplinary, team-based, comprehensive, personalized, and technology-enabled healthcare. This approach utilizes the best of conventional medicine, functional medicine, genomics, remoted biosensor data capture as well as lifestyle and alternative medical practices to help patients create health and thereby achieve meaningful and lifelong improvements in health and well-being.
Dr Jacobs has been leading executive health and corporate health programs since 2006. A sampling of his clients includes Google, Facebook, YouTube, Gap Inc., Genentech, Charles Schwab, Lilly Pharmaceuticals, PepsiCo, PG&E, Stanford Business School Beacon Program, Harvard Business School Executive Education program, and UCSF and Stanford medical schools. He also provides programs for families interested in fostering inter-generational health and resiliency.
He serves as Past-Chair for the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine – a 501c(3) focused on health creation for the people and the planet through inter-professional education, community, and advocacy. He also served on the Board of Directors for Milagros de Mexico Inc, and was founding Chairman of the Medical Advisory Board for Pharmaca Inc.
He has served as Endowed Professor and Founding Medical Director for the UC-San Francisco Osher Center for Integrative Medicine Clinical Programs. He was co-founder and SVP Clinical Affairs at Mytrus Inc. and Senior Medical Director at Revolution Health Networks.
Dr Jacobs has published peer-reviewed journal articles, and book chapters. He is senior editor of “The American College of Physicians Evidence-Based Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine”– ACP Press 2009, and is co-author of “The Anti-Inflammation Cookbook” with Amanda Haas- Chronicle Books 2016.
Dr. Jacobs completed his Internal Medicine residency at UCSF and is also board-certified in Integrative Medicine. He graduated from Stanford University School of Medicine, and received post-graduate training in acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition, fitness, stress management, yoga and martial arts.
Dr Jacobs enjoys backcountry skiing, cycling and surfing, and is a lifelong student of martial arts and yoga.
Scarlet Soriano, MD, ABOIM, FAIHM
Board Member
Dr. Scarlet Soriano, MD is an Integrative Medicine and Wellness leader, speaker and teacher. She is Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and the current Director of Wellness-Based Healthcare Transformation at Boston Medical Center. She is also the Medical Director of Hopespring Holistic Health Institute in Maine. She is an expert in Integrative group medical visits. Dr. Soriano is a consultant for various organizations in the health and wellness fields. She is a dynamic speaker and educator with a passion for increasing access to Integrative Medicine services to underserved populations. Dr. Soriano is board certified in Family Medicine and Integrative Medicine.
“I have grown tremendously by being part of the AIHM community since my first conference in 2014. Joining the Board feels at a deep level like remembering what I am here to be a part of, and adding my voice and effort to the voices and effort of many others who are dreaming a greater dream for the health of our country and the world.”
JoAnn Yanez, ND, MPH, CAE
Board Member, ACIH Voting Council Rep
JoAnn Yanez, ND, MPH, CAE is the executive director of the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC) and the chair of the Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health (ACIH). She also serves on the Integrative Health Policy Consortium Education Committee and Board of Directors for the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Weaving a passion for illness prevention into her professional life, Dr. Yanez’s career has spanned advocacy, academia, patient care and public health. As AANMC Executive Director, Dr. Yanez oversees research, advocacy efforts, and the joint academic endeavors of the accredited colleges of naturopathic medicine. Additionally, she helps spread awareness of naturopathic medicine as a viable and satisfying career path.
Prior to joining the AANMC, Dr. Yanez was head of government relations for the New York Association of Naturopathic Physicians. She increased recognition of the importance of licensure in the state and effectively garnered support of legislators and senior government officials. During her tenure with the NYANP, Dr. Yanez was invited to participate in a think-tank on childhood obesity sponsored by MIT, Harvard and Columbia Universities. During the summer of 2009 she found herself “on the hill” working with Congressional members and elected women to increase awareness of the importance for integrative medicine coverage in the Affordable Care Act.
Dr. Yanez served six years as a Director of the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education – the accrediting body for naturopathic medical colleges. She was awarded the 2006 Legacy Award from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and 2007 NYANP Physician of the Year Award. Dr. Yanez has also been inducted into the Rho Lambda and Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership and Scholarship National Honor Societies and is a member of the Delta Omega Honor Society for graduates of schools of public health.
Dr. Yanez resides in Southern California with her husband and son, and enjoys music, dancing, growing gigantic carrots, and full-throttle belly laughs. She is occasionally known to mix Yiddish, Spanish, English and German into one sentence.
Tabatha Parker, ND
Executive Director
Dr. Tabatha Parker is a naturopathic physician who currently serves at the Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine (AIHM) as the Executive Director. She previously served as the Associate Fellowship Director and Education Director. Parker’s commitment to collaboration and the underserved makes her uniquely qualified to lead the largest interprofessional integrative health association. “My goal is to bring the integrative community together to find ways to bring integrative health to all. Right now we are doing that by educating the future leaders and clinicians – but there is so much more we can and will do.”
Parker was named Physician of the Year in 2015 by the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) and Visionary of the Year by UTNE Reader in 2011. In 2015, she received an honorary degree from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) and was given the highest honor in naturopathy, “Magister Natura” from Spain for her work advancing the naturopathic profession globally.
Parker was founding co-chair of the Masters in Global Health at National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM) in Portland, OR, the first global health masters offered at a naturopathic medical school, and was previously faculty at Bastyr University California. She was interim co-secretary general of the World Naturopathic Federation, and worked with the World Health Organization on the WHO Benchmarks for Training in Naturopathy. She established and co-chaired the Global Health Committee of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians for over 10 years.
In 2003, Parker co-founded Natural Doctors International (NDI), the first and oldest naturopathic global health organization. She served as Executive Director and lived in Nicaragua for nearly a decade, where she developed the first permanent global naturopathic clinic, naturopathic global health courses and interprofessional internships. There she taught 100’s of students and physicians in the naturopathic clinic. As board president of NDI, she led the organization to sign a MOU with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to work with PAHO, the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health and universities like UNAN to help research and implement integrative and traditional medicine into the Nicaraguan national system as outlined in the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014 – 2023.
In 2012, she became the first naturopathic physician to graduate as a Faculty Development Scholar from Dr. Ellen Beck’s University of California San Diego program, Addressing the Health Needs of the Underserved.
At AIHM, Parker has held several positions including Director of Education where she organized and co-chaired one of the largest integrative health & medicine conferences in the USA, the AIHM Annual Conference – People, Planet, Purpose, Global Practitioners United in Health and Healing. In 2016 she was co-program chair with Dr. David Riley of the International Congress of Integrative Health & Medicine held in Stuttgart, Germany.
Videos featuring Tabatha Parker, ND
Erika Cappelluti, MD, PhD, MA, FCCP, ABOIM, ABIHM
Fellowship Director
Erika Cappelluti MD, PhD, MA, FCCP, ABOIM, ABIHM, is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary disease, critical care, and integrative medicine (IM). She began her career as a research scientist, obtaining a PhD in biochemistry and molecular biophysics at the Medical College of Virginia where she later completed her medical training. She was a resident, chief resident, and fellow at UMass Medical Center in Worcester, MA, then joined Starling Physicians in 2004. She became a diplomate of the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine in 2008, a diplomate of the American Board of Integrative Medicine in 2015, and obtained a Master of Arts degree in IM in 2009. She founded and was the Medical Director of the Center for Integrative Health and Healing, the integrative medicine division of Starling. In 2013, this program merged with the 20-year old Hartford Hospital integrative medicine program and is now known as the Center for Healing Arts, located in Avon, CT. She served as the Medical Director of this program until 2019 and had a clinical practice, conducted research studies, and lectured regularly to students, residents, fellow physicians and the public in the greater Hartford area. She was the recipient of numerous teaching awards from the University of Connecticut Internal Medicine residency program. In addition, she has authored many scientific articles and abstracts and has written many articles about IM.
Dr. Cappelluti also served as the Medical Director of the Respiratory Care department at Hartford Hospital from 2005-2019. She brought integrative modalities to the medical ICU and on all inpatient floors. She helped Hartford Healthcare customize integrative medicine programs for the Bone & Joint Institute, the pain management group, the Ayer Movement Disorders Center, the Headache Center, Iora Health, the women’s health center, and CT Children’s Medical Center.
In 2017, she became the Fellowship Director for AIHM and in 2019 she relocated to Sedona, AZ, where she is currently practicing integrative pulmonary medicine on a part-time basis with Humanity Health Providers.
In her leisure time, she is an avid exerciser, enjoys cooking, drawing and painting, woodworking, and playing the piano. She currently resides in Cornville, AZ, with her partner, Penny, two dogs, Alex, and Gabby, and 2 cats, Fawn and Tara!
April Gruzinsky
Director Of Admissions
April grew up in Hawaii and no matter where she lives ~ it is with aloha spirit and an island style. She values lifelong learning and enjoys working with students of all ages.
April holds an MS in Psychology and likes to find the similarities and commonalities between people. While respecting and honoring our unique individuality, she believes we can connect and work together towards common goals. She believes that when people work from the heart and the mind ~ with good intentions ~ anything is possible.
In 2006, April and her family moved from Hawaii to Tucson, Arizona. She enjoyed working with many pioneers and leaders in Integrative Medicine for ten years at the University of Arizona. Her initial work there was also with Fellows and then she transitioned to working with medical students and residents. She helped with research on medical student and residency burnout and facilitated events that brought together practitioners, preceptors and presenters.
April has worked with the the Fellowship at AIHM since 2016. Her primary focus is on Recruitment & Admissions which allows her to meet new people from all around the world. She connects with them through phone calls, emails, and web-based meetings.
April and her husband currently live in Tucson, Arizona where she enjoys spending time with her family, her pets and her friends. She likes listening to music ~ especially live music; has fun with hula and all dancing; and loves nature walks, traveling, and drinking strong coffee.
Elizabeth “Liza” Goldblatt, PhD,
National & Global Projects Director
Elizabeth (Liza) Goldblatt, PhD, MPA/HA, is the Director of National and Global Projects with the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM). Dr. Goldblatt represents AIHM/ACIH Council at the National Academy of Medicine Division of Health and Medicine (formerly the IOM) Global Forum on Innovations for Health Professional Education.
She is currently the facilitator representing AIHM/ACIH Council on the development of a global/national course that will support the advancement of interprofessional, collaborative, team-based, patient-centered care that includes both the conventional medicine and the complementary and integrative health disciplines. And, she is working with Tabatha Parker, AIHM ED and AIHM Board members to initiate the upcoming Global Leadership Council.
She was a founding board member of the Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health (ACIH) in 2004. She was on the leadership team of the National Center for Integrative Primary Health (NCIPH) leadership Team, housed at the University of Arizona that developed a collaborative on-line course in Integrative Health for Primary Health Professionals. She was on the initial curriculum development team of the Duke Leadership Program in Integrative Health. In addition, she developed the doctoral and master’s degrees at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in Portland, OR, where she was president for 15 years, has chaired several acupuncture/Oriental medicine accreditation site visits, co-founded two Doctorates of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) programs, and was a member of the American College of TCM (ACTCM) doctoral faculty. She has also created numerous certificate programs in integrative health. In addition, she has published extensively. Goldblatt is a leading educator in integrative health and medicine.
Dr. Goldblatt has a Masters in Public Administration/Health Administration (MPA/HA) from Portland State University, Portland, OR, and earned her PhD from UCLA, Los Angles, California, USA.
Bryan Hauf
Associate Director Of Online Education
Bryan Hauf joined AIHM in October 2017 and holds a BS in Information Systems from University of Texas at Arlington; a Masters of Education in Educational Technology from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley where he was a scholarship recipient for outstanding academic achievement; and a graduate certificate in E-Learning. His passion is to create meaningful education experiences that improve student learning using technology.
Bryan’s professional experiences include the design of over 600 e-learning courses across 20+ higher learning institutions where he worked to blend learning technologies with effective instructional practices. His philosophy is to design educational experiences that are usable and accessible to all learners by uncovering both the experiential and emotional needs of all people involved.
His recent research interests include equity in education, gamification of learning, and competency-based education. Originally from Plymouth Meeting, PA, Bryan has lived in Fort Worth, TX for over a decade. In his spare time, Bryan plays ice hockey, a sport he has played for over 25 years.
Beth Rosenthal, PhD, MBA
ACIH Director
Beth Rosenthal, PhD, MBA, MPH is Director of Working Groups and Special Projects (DWGSP) for ACIH. Her primary responsibilities are to manage Working Groups Special Projects and oversee Working Groups. Rosenthal is the author of three books – Replenish: A life enhancing activity book, It’s That Easy: The High Vibe Guide to Attracting what You Really Want and Where to Go When You’re Hurting: A Healing Resource Guide.
Rosenthal holds MBA and PhD degrees from the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business, and a Masters degree in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley. Her undergraduate BA degree is from the University of Michigan. Rosenthal lives in Chicago, San Diego, and Charlevoix (Michigan) throughout the year, and enjoys dancing wherever she is! http://www.bethannerosenthal.com
Andrea McCurry
Operations Manager
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Qui eligendi galisum qui nisi excepturi est sunt magni qui officiis nihil eum itaque veniam ut voluptatibus voluptatem ad excepturi odio! Id voluptatem quod est nihil facilis qui numquam voluptas et inventore impedit. Vel corporis eius qui libero rerum et natus laborum qui quia quidem ut facilis nesciunt!
Qui eligendi mollitia quo autem aliquam ut excepturi sunt. Id magnam consequatur ut dolor rerum 33 animi magnam. Aut ullam omnis 33 temporibus ducimus et nemo dolorem qui rerum vero At dolor minus cum laboriosam adipisci. Et galisum omnis qui voluptatem delectus ex optio beatae?
Hic perspiciatis vitae et magnam illo quo saepe quasi est maxime quam ea commodi nesciunt ut internos obcaecati! Sed expedita fugit non dolorem consectetur quo ducimus iusto ut natus nemo qui earum repellendus vel dolor odio et laboriosam enim.
Jessica Price, MEd, NTP
Academic Success Manager
Jessica Price joined AIHM in May 2019 and holds a BA in Philosophy from Luther College in Decorah, IA and a Master of Education in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of South Florida. She works to strengthen beneficial habits and behaviors that promote success, empowerment, and well-being.
Jess’ experience includes living and working across the US and various countries, including 3 years in Saudi Arabia as a Graduate Program Coordinator at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) where she supported many students as they completed their MS and PhD. She loves encouraging others to recognize exactly what they are capable of accomplishing.
Her passions include regenerative agriculture, nutrition, and their effect on human health and the environment. She works to reduce waste and to find alternatives to plastic consumption. She studies ancestral nutrition and its connection to soil health, biodiversity, and the regeneration of our planet’s ecosystems.
Jess serves as the Academic Success Coordinator which is an integral part of the Fellowship team. She is a great listener and a guide who encourages Fellows to reach their academic goals!
Sadielis Jimenez, ND
Membership Manager
Dr. Sadi achieved her biotechnology degree from Kennesaw State University. During which time she traveled extensively and experience other medical systems.
During naturopathic medical school she studied abroad in integrative medical rounds. Volunteered and worked with organizations such as Academy of Integrative Medicine (AIHM) , to which she still serves today as membership manager, fostering inter-professional relationships.
Meredith Twohy, CMP
Conference Manager
Lee Jeon, ND
Student Community Outreach Assistant
Lee is originally from Maryland and moved to San Diego in August of 2020. After graduating from Juilliard in 2016 and majoring in violin performance, she decided to pursue medicine and is now a 1st year student at Bastyr University enrolled in the Naturopathic Medicine program. In her free time, she loves to read, go on hikes, and experiment in the kitchen!.
Kaylyn Gatto, ND
Student Community Outreach Assistant
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Qui eligendi galisum qui nisi excepturi est sunt magni qui officiis nihil eum itaque veniam ut voluptatibus voluptatem ad excepturi odio! Id voluptatem quod est nihil facilis qui numquam voluptas et inventore impedit. Vel corporis eius qui libero rerum et natus laborum qui quia quidem ut facilis nesciunt!
Qui eligendi mollitia quo autem aliquam ut excepturi sunt. Id magnam consequatur ut dolor rerum 33 animi magnam. Aut ullam omnis 33 temporibus ducimus et nemo dolorem qui rerum vero At dolor minus cum laboriosam adipisci. Et galisum omnis qui voluptatem delectus ex optio beatae?
Hic perspiciatis vitae et magnam illo quo saepe quasi est maxime quam ea commodi nesciunt ut internos obcaecati! Sed expedita fugit non dolorem consectetur quo ducimus iusto ut natus nemo qui earum repellendus vel dolor odio et laboriosam enim.
Lee is originally from Maryland and moved to San Diego in August of 2020. After graduating from Juilliard in 2016 and majoring in violin performance, she decided to pursue medicine and is now a 1st year student at Bastyr University enrolled in the Naturopathic Medicine program. In her free time, she loves to read, go on hikes, and experiment in the kitchen!
Ruth Mbugua
Administrative Assistant
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi quis felis ut lectus finibus pharetra. Nunc consectetur neque in pulvinar molestie. Sed facilisis molestie sem et malesuada. Morbi non diam bibendum, vehicula massa ac, rutrum risus. Maecenas id rhoncus neque. Maecenas vel odio ut ex dapibus convallis sed vitae ante. Nam nec eros ut quam tempus iaculis. Mauris molestie, lectus ut dictum vehicula, nibh urna egestas elit, at feugiat mauris metus a velit.
Sara Gottfried, MD
Sara Gottfried MD is a teacher, healer, researcher, and physician. Dr. Gottfried graduated from Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and she is known as a thought leader and New York Times bestselling author of four books, including her latest, Women, Food, and Hormones.
Heidi Honegger Rogers, DNP, FNP C, APHN BC
Heidi Honegger Rogers, DNP, FNP C, APHN BC, is a family nurse practitioner, advanced practice holistic nurse and a clinician educator – associate professor at the University of New Mexico (UNM) College of Nursing. She is the Director of Interprofessional Education for the UNM Health Sciences Center and has developed experiential content around teamwork, collaboration, ethics, shared decision making, mindfulness health and well-being, and equity and inclusion and Planetary Health for HSC and UNM health professions students. She is a volunteer faculty in the UNM Arts in Medicine Program and has a secondary appointment with the UNM Sustainability Studies Program and the UNM College of Population Health. Nationally, she has been involved with the Lancet Countdown on Climate Change and Health. She is also working with the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, the Planetary Health Alliance and the American Holistic Nurses Association to bring a Planetary Health Lens into our work as nurses and health professionals. She has been on the board of the AIHM since January 2022.
Rogers received her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Colorado in 2015, a Master of Science in Nursing degree (1997), a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (1996) from the University of Pennsylvania and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities (1990) from the University of Colorado.
Pronoun preferences: She/her/hers and the singular “they” for general use.
Stacy Gomes, EdD, MAEd
Dr. Gomes is Vice President of Academic Affairs at Pacific College of Health and Science where she has worked since 1997. She received her master’s degree in education technology, instructional design at San Diego State University in 1997 and her doctorate in educational leadership at the University of La Verne in 2006. She has over 25 years of expertise on boards and leadership roles driving state and national healthcare education, integrative health care, program development, evaluation, accreditation, change management and public awareness of health promotion.