Osher Center for Integrative Health at UVM

08/25/2026

Recently published in Global Advances in Integrative Medicine & Health, the official scientific research journal of the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health, Drs. Mark H. Pitcher, PhD, and Helene M. Langevin, MD, introduce a new, person-centered measure, the Whole Person Health Index (WPHI), currently being administered through the National Health Interview Survey and the All of Us research cohort.

The Index, derived from nine questions rated on a five-point scale, is designed to measure changes in self-perceived health and health-related behaviors over time and to ultimately promote achievement in health goals and engagement in self-care over time. The questions range from asking the respondent to rate their overall health, including questions about diet, sleep, physical activity, and stress management, to questions about a sense of purpose, quality of life, and social and family connections.

From the article: “A central hypothesis of research on Whole Person Health is that many chronic diseases share common roots--chronic stress, poor diet and sedentary lifestyle--that can be addressed with a combination of self-care, individual and social support, especially if applied early in life, to both prevent the deterioration of health over time, and restore health... Successfully tackling a research agenda on Whole Person Health and delivering actionable results requires a tool to (1) measure multiple outcomes related to Whole Person Health in an integrated manner, (2) assess whether an individual is moving toward or away from health by repeating the measurement over time, and (3) test interventions aimed at assisting individuals in moving toward better health.”

Learn more ➡️ https://ow.ly/26nF50ZzYYA

Validation study ➡️ https://ow.ly/RQ8T50ZzYYx

08/25/2026

Can music improve your health? Decades of research suggest the answer is 'Yes.' Osher Affiliates Margaret (Maggie) Connors, MT-BC and Danica Cunningham, MT-BC see firsthand how their work supports patients at Golisano Children's Hospital at University of Vermont Health. They popped by the podcast to share a bit about their work and we've got it on repeat. Have a listen! https://www.uvmhealth.org/the-beat/childrens-health/podcast-can-music-improve-your-health-the-science-behind-music-therapy

Can music improve your health? Decades of research suggests the answer is ‘Yes’.

08/19/2026

This season has been moving at a pretty quick clip! Highlights in our Summer 2026 Quarterly Newsletter:

Transforming oncology care and building Whole Health momentum. Quarterly Newsletter Summer 2026 a row of sailboats in a lake at sunset # # To our community: This summer, we have been busy buttoning up details for the launch of the Susan Lewis Levy Whole Health Cancer Program, a new model of care for....

07/24/2026

Our Research Director, Helene M. Langevin, MD, is also the Senior Advisor on Scientific Communications for the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health. She recently penned an op-ed addressing how:

"The good news is that the strategic shift we need to both win the war on chronic disease and spend our healthcare dollars more wisely is underway, through the growing understanding and application of whole person health."

Check it out! https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mindset-shift-beginning-turn-tide-chronic-1lkve/?trackingId=DVtyh6XBTDa2SKow%2B9gX9g%3D%3D

07/09/2026

Submissions are now being accepted for abstract, session, and wellness activity proposals for the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health's 2027 International Congress on Integrative Medicine & Health!

The International Congress will be held April 12-15, 2027, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA and will bring together champions of whole health to highlight scientific advances in integrative medicine and health. The theme of the 2027 International Congress is “Leading the Transformation of Healthcare: Implementing Whole Person Care at Scale.”

Proposal submissions are open from July 6, 2026, through October 16, 2026, for abstracts, sessions (symposia, panels, experiential workshops), and wellness activities (mindfulness, yoga, movement, and more).

Learn More and Submit Today: https://imconsortium.org/page/2027-international-congress-call-for-proposals

07/07/2026

Our pals in PACE (aka University of Vermont Professional and Continuing Education) are offering ⭐ four new professional certificate programs ⭐ to support clinical staff and practitioners (and the patients they help!): 100% online, asynchronous, and evidence-based, built specifically for busy clinical professionals. University of Vermont affiliates and UVM Health - UVM Medical Center employees receive a 20% discount on several of the certificates. Learn More and Register! ⬇️

*Menopause Care Professional Certificate* — 4 weeks online, $725, earns 4 CEUs.
Starts July 13 https://learn.uvm.edu/program/menopause-care-professional-certificate/

*Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) Training Certificate* — 8 weeks online, $1,450, earns 8 CEUs.
Starts July 13 https://learn.uvm.edu/program/ketamine-assisted-psychotherapy-training/

*S*x and Intimacy Foundations for Professional Practice Certificate* — 4 weeks online, $725, earns 4 CEUs and 20 AASECT CE credits.
Starts July 27 https://learn.uvm.edu/program/sex-and-intimacy-foundations-professional-certificate/

*Navigating Change and Life Transitions Certificate* — online, designed to support clients and patients through major life shifts.
Starts July 27 https://learn.uvm.edu/program/navigating-change-life-transitions-professional-certificate/

These certificates address areas that are often under-taught yet increasingly in demand, giving practitioners and teams ready-to-use tools and shareable credentials they can apply right away.

Evidence-based menopause & HRT training for clinicians in just 4 weeks. This online certificate includes assessment, HRT, non-hormonal care, and complex cases.

05/28/2026

After a "life-changing" encounter with a dying woman, Diana Norberg Griebell's daughter encouraged her to become a death doula. In May 2020, Griebell and her daughter both completed the University of Vermont's eight-week online End-of-Life Doula Professional Certificate Program. 💚 "The wisdom I gained from these trainings empowered me and gave me the tools to help," she told People Magazine recently. Now, Griebell is "eager to contribute to this emerging field and make the dying process easier and less fearful for people," she said.
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Learn more about the Osher Center for Integrative Health at UVM's 8-week online End-of-Life Doula Professional Certificate Program: https://learn.uvm.edu/program/end-of-life-doula-certificate

University of Vermont Professional and Continuing Education



https://people.com/woman-works-as-death-doula-for-grieving-families-11977378

Diana Griebell works as a death doula after getting certified in 2020 to help families navigate ‘a good death’ for their loved ones. She has now graduated with a master's degree in social work and a certification in aging and health.

05/14/2026

This (excellent, visually dynamic) article in The New York Times Magazine shows how the "discovery of a third circulatory system could transform our understanding of how the human body works."🩻
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It references a 2002 study through which 💚Osher Research Director Helene M. Langevin and Jason Yandow mapped the locations of acupuncture points in the arms💪 to the fascia between and around muscles.
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It's thrilling to consider how this understanding "may also change how we view our own bodies in relation to other biological systems," an important concept in & & & , and how it could lead to advancements in healthcare quality--while lowering costs.
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🌳 We are living systems, living in a living system!🌳
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Osher Collaborative for Integrative Health University of Vermont Health University of Vermont The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont UVM College of Nursing and Health Sciences

The detection of another circulatory system in the human body could have enormous scientific implications. Read more: https://nyti.ms/4ttJJ7b

04/21/2026

Osher Affiliate Andy Rosenfeld, PhD, addresses Climate Anxiety in this episode of Across the Fence, airing today 04/21 on WCAX-TV at 12:15pm. Andy is a Child Psychiatrist with University of Vermont Health and an associate professor in The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont. His work is is vital in so many ways and connects the dots between/within & .
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Missed it live? Fear not. Watch on ATF's YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/I0YBm-VzSLs (and share and keep connecting!)

If You Struggle with Eco-Distress, What Can You Do?

04/14/2026

Celebrate UVM Research Week 2026 with us! Pop in the Osher Center on Wed 4/15 at 2 pm as four Osher Affiliates share their work during Whole Health Connect - https://mailchi.mp/uvm/osher-researchweek2026