whole health in your practice - university of wisconsin...

VHA / Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation May 2018

Whole Health in Your Practice Advancing Skills in the Delivery of Personalized, Proactive and Patient Driven Care

About the Course

Whole Health in Your Practice is designed to support VA clinicians with effectively incorporating Whole Health into their care of Veterans. This three-day course supports the transition away from a disease-focused model toward personalized, proactive, and patient-driven care that honors what matters most to each individual. Since its creation in 2013, the course has been well-received by physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, social workers, dietitians, chaplains, PT’s, OT’s, RT’s, MSA’s, and many others who are responsible for making care of Veterans the best it can be.

As a participant in this course, you will be introduced new skills, tools, and resources you can immediately start using on your return to your practice. You will take time to explore your role in the creation of a broader Whole Health System, and you will network with your colleagues. Particular emphasis is placed on applying what you learn to your own self-care, exploring how you can most effectively enhance your resilience and reduce your risk of burnout.

Whole Health in Your Practice moves through the various components of the Circle of Health, with specific emphasis given to cultivating your therapeutic presence, mindful awareness (with techniques introduced throughout the course), self-care, and complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches. Local, regional, and national resources to support Whole Health in practice are showcased. Each of the eight aspects of self-care is explored in detail, both through a look at the latest evidence as well as through small and large group discussions as well as experiential exercises.

You will emerge after the three-day course with a solid understanding of the personal health planning process. Working with partners, you will move step-by-step through applying each of the key elements of personal health planning:

1) Outlining mission, aspirations, and purpose (MAP) 2) Whole Health Assessment, based on use of the Circle of Health and other tools, such as the

Personal Health Inventory 3) Goal Setting, including using shared goal setting, working with agendas, and the creation of

SMART goals 4) Education, Skill Building, Resources, and Support

By the time the course is complete, you will have co-created a Personal Health Plan for at least one partner, and they will have done the same for you.


The final section of the course is dedicated to implementation. Participants divide into groups and brainstorm around how best to bring what they have learned into their practices, and beyond that, to a model that relies highly on transdisciplinary Whole Health teams. You will explore how you can assist with the adoption of Whole Health into your facility in general. You will share your ideas and plans with leadership team members from your site, and outline next steps to be followed after the Whole Health in Your Practice course has ended.

You are invited to:

• Help to lead the charge with advancing Patient Centered Care in the VA. • See why the VA is specially suited to adopting a new model of health care that will likely shape

the future of the U.S. health care system. • Explore how you can make the care of Veterans even better. • Consider how you work in health care can be as influential and meaningful as possible. • Receive evidence-based tools and information to support Whole Health for yourself, your

patients, and your co-workers. • Share your experiences and your wisdom with your colleagues as you joint the ranks of your

local – and national - Whole Health Community • Learn more about local and national Whole Health resources. • Take some time to pause and focus on what you need to best take care of your self and others.

During this program you will learn how to:

• Define Whole Health and explore how it applies to your clinical work and personal well-being. • Effectively describe Whole Health to Veterans and clinician colleagues. • Confidently incorporate the various aspects of the Circle of Health, as is appropriate for your

scope of practice. • Tailor personalized health plans to each Veteran you see. • Make care more values-driven, honoring what really matters to each Veteran and engaging

them in their care as fully as possible. • Incorporate mindful awareness, therapeutic movement, breathing exercises and

communication skills more effectively into your work, as appropriate. • Work within a Whole Health System as part of a transdisciplinary team. • Explore how to make care more proactive, supporting each person’s innate healing response

through diet, lifestyle, and CIH approaches.

CME accreditation (20.5 hours) is available for physicians, non-physicians, pharmacists, dietitians, nurses, psychologists, and social workers. Attendance at all three days of training is requirement of the course and for obtaining Continuing Education (CE) credits available through EES.


Whole Health in Your Practice – Course Agenda

TuesdayTime Topic/Title

7:30 AM − 8:00 AM Registration 8:00 AM − 9:30 AM Introduction to the Course and Group9:30 AM − 10:15 AM The Big Picture - The Vision and Circle of Health

10:15 AM − 10:30 AM Break10:30 AM − 11:30 AM Introduction to Mindful Awareness and Movement Break11:30 AM − 12:30 PM The Power of You - Your Healing Presence12:30 PM − 1:15 PM Lunch

1:15 PM − 1:45 PM Setting the Stage: Optimal Healing Environments, Self-care I1:45 PM − 2:30 PM Resilience - Self Care II, Enhancing Resilience, Reducing Burnout2:30 PM − 3:00 PM Communication - Empathy, Practice, Exploring the MAP3:00 PM − 3:15 PM Break3:15 PM − 3:45 PM Communication (cont’d)3:45 PM − 4:20 PM The Power of Story - Dave's Case History / Story4:20 PM − 4:30 PM Closing Remarks and Pulse Checks4:30 PM End of Day 1

WednesdayTime Topic/Title

7:30 AM − 8:00 AM Registration 8:00 AM − 9:00 AM Personal Health Planning, Laying the Foundation9:00 AM − 10:30 AM Healthy Lifestyle - Self-care III, IV, V

10:30 AM − 10:45 AM Break10:45 AM − 11:00 AM Healthy Lifestyle (cont'd)11:00 AM − 12:30 PM Healthy Connections - Self-care VI, VII, Partner exercise12:30 PM − 1:15 PM Lunch

1:15 PM − 2:15 PM Complementary & Integrative Health - CIH in the VA, IHCC, Specific 2:15 PM − 3:00 PM Whole Health Resources 3:00 PM − 3:15 PM Break3:15 PM − 4:00 PM Applying CIH4:00 PM − 4:15 PM Gratitude Practice4:15 PM − 4:30 PM Closing Remarks and Pulse Checks4:30 PM End of Day 1

ThursdayTime Topic/Title

7:30 AM − 8:00 AM Registration 8:00 AM − 8:30 AM Mindful Awareness: Loving Kindness8:30 AM − 9:30 AM Personal Health Planning 9:30 AM − 10:15 AM Advanced Personal Health Planning

10:15 AM − 10:30 AM Break10:30 AM − 11:15 AM Examples of Whole Health in Practice11:15 AM − 12:30 PM Implementation - Group Exercise12:30 PM − 1:15 PM Lunch

1:15 PM − 2:15 PM Implementation – Reports 2:15 PM − 3:00 PM Closing Exercise and Final Evaluations3:00 PM End of Course – Thanks for Joining Us!


PIRE FACULTY

ADAM RINDFLEISCH, MD, MPHIL

J. Adam Rindfleisch, MD, is Medical Director of the University of Wisconsin Integrative Health Program and Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine & Community Health. He graduated from The College of Idaho and completed a Masters of Philosophy at Oxford University in Comparative Social Research. He completed his medical training at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and his family medicine residency at the University of Wisconsin Madison. In 2005, Adam completed the University of Arizona Online Integrative Medicine Fellowship

and a UW Fellowship in Academic Integrative Health. For 11 years, in the role of Integrative Health Fellowship Director, he developed a comprehensive Integrative Health curriculum for fellows, residents and faculty colleagues, which has also been used by the Osher Integrative Medicine Fellowship in San Francisco. Adam has an integrative primary care practice and also routinely does integrative medicine consultations. Adam’s interests include dietary supplements, mind-body medicine, healthcare practitioner self-care, and shamanism. His wife Kirsten is also a physician. They have two sons and a dog who thinks he is a person.

DAVID KIEFER, MD

David Kiefer, M.D., is a board-certified family physician with extensive experience in botanical and integrative medicine. His research and teaching activities encompass both national and international universities and conferences, and he has a focus on Latin American ethnobotany and evidence-based herbal medicine. Dr. Kiefer has medical licenses in Washington, Arizona, and, his current residence, Wisconsin, where he is Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dr. Kiefer’s past work included teaching naturopathic medical students at Bastyr University in Seattle, and supervising family medicine residents at a homeless youth clinic. He completed a fellowship at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, where he is now an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine. Dr. Kiefer graduated from the University of Wisconsin Medical School in Madison, and completed his residency training at the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle.

KAREN LAWSON, MD, ABIHM

Karen Lawson, MD, ABIHM, an assistant professor of University of Minnesota’s Family Medicine and Community Health, is Director of Integrative Health Coaching at the Center for Spirituality and Healing (www.csh.umn.edu). She is a physician, board-certified in both Family Medicine, and Integrative and Holistic Medicine. She was the 2003/5 President of the American Holistic Medical Association, and a founding Diplomat of the American Board of Integrative and Holistic Medicine. Non-


medical trainings have included mind-body techniques (e.g. MBSR), yoga, dance/movement therapies, nutrition, homeopathy, and a 20-year study of shamanic practices. Dr. Lawson is active in undergraduate and graduate medical education; teaches in the Center’s graduate courses; and founded and directs the MA and graduate certificate programs in Integrative Health and Wellbeing Coaching. Karen is a co-founder and executive leader of the National Team for Standards, Certification, & Research for Professional Health & Wellness Coaches (www.ncchwc.org). Karen holds undergraduate degrees from Michigan State University in Biochemistry and Physiology, and completed her medical training at the University of Michigan, and Family Medicine residency at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

LISA GRANT, DO, MSW

Dr. Lisa Grant is Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin, division of General Internal Medicine. She has been on faculty at UW since 2002. She is the Medical Director for the UW Center for Wellness where she develops clinical programming around healthy living. She leads group medical visits and creates curricula for groups focusing on self-care skills for stress reduction, healthy cooking/eating, and pain management.

She completed an Integrative Medicine fellowship at the University of Arizona and is also a Registered Yoga Teacher. Prior to studying medicine, she practiced psychotherapy as a clinical social worker. She completed her medical training at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and a residency in Internal Medicine at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Il. She holds a graduate degree in social work from Loyola University of Chicago and an undergraduate degree in psychology from Miami University. Her current area of interest is in teaching awareness practices to support our health, reduce our stress, and make us more available to others.

CHRIS SMITH, MDIV, LMFT

Chris Smith is a marriage and family therapist at Systemic Perspectives in Brookfield, WI, a clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, a senior teacher at the University of Wisconsin Mindfulness Program in Madison, WI and consultant and instructor with the Academy for Mindfulness in Milwaukee, WI. Chris is a magna sum laude from Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant, IA, a Masters of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Seminary in Evanston, IL and a post-masters graduate from the

Family Therapist Training Institute in Milwaukee, WI. Chris worked 23 years in a county Department of Human Services as an in-home therapist. He originally trained in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) with Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli at Omega in Rhinebeck, NY and has also trained with other mindfulness teachers. Chris completed training with the Prison Mindfulness Institute and offered mindfulness at a county jail. He co-founded and directed “A Week of Compassion” through Ozaukee County Department of Human Services. Chris and his wife, Annie, teach a “Mindful Drawing” course through UW Health Mindfulness Program. Chris provides mindfulness programming for public schools, hospitals and businesses. Currently, he is teaching a mindfulness course for caregivers of persons who have Alzheimer’s and/or dementia.

http://www.ncchwc.org/


He is teaching a mindfulness intervention for a research study with the Center for Healthy Minds and the Madison Police Department.

KERRI WEISHOFF, MS, CCC-SLP, NBC-HWC

Kerri is an integrative health coach and university lector and instructor on mind-body and awareness practices. She is also a practicing speech pathologist in critical care and incorporates mindful awareness into her clinical practice. As a certified integrative health coach, Kerri provides compassionate, non-judgmental support while helping clients identify obstacles blocking their pathway to better health and overall wellbeing. She incorporates self-care, breathing practices and stress management tools to help clients increase focus, improve energy and connect to purpose in their

life. Kerri has more than 25 years of rehabilitation experience, including 15 years as a director of rehab and integrative healing practices. She is a graduate of the University of WI – Milwaukee from the College of Health Sciences and the University of Minnesota Center for Spirituality & Healing. Her recent study has been with the Center for Mind-Body Medicine. Her joy comes from an evolving life with her three boys and husband, mindful exercise, the change of the seasons and exploring possibilities.

ADRIENNE HAMPTON, MD

Adrienne Hampton is Integrative Medicine residency curriculum director at the University of Wisconsin Madison Family Medicine Residency Program. She completed her BA in Biology at Longwood University in Virginia, and earned her medical degree at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. She completed residency and later Integrative Medicine Fellowship at the University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine, Madison program. Adrienne aims to offer her patients the best medicine drawing on a diverse spectrum of healing traditions. She provides a patient-centered blend of Integrative and Allopathic

primary care, as well as Integrative Medicine consultations with a focus on one on one therapeutic yoga and meditation. Additionally she routinely leads wellness workshops for medical professionals. Outside of her clinical and teaching activities, Adrienne enjoys study of the Zen arts, performing with Limanya Drum and Dance Ensemble, and a robust yoga practice.

JULIA YATES, LCSW

Julia Yates (LCSW) is an experienced psychotherapist and teaching faculty with UW Department of Family Medicine and Community Health (DFMCH). She completed her Master of Science and Clinical Social work degree with an emphasis in structural family therapy in 2003 from the University of Wisconsin- Madison. She completed her post graduate clinical externship on an Adult Inpatient Psychiatric unit which included extensive Emergency room training along with individual and group therapy. Julia has specialized training in motivational interviewing, solution focused therapy, cognitive behavioral

therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy. Her professional interests include: team based


primary care, integrative behavioral health in primary care, holistic approaches to healing, empowerment and self-efficacy building practices in psychotherapy, mindfulness practice and meditation, resident education, and innovative experiential learning models. Julia is particularly fond of medical improvisation which allows her to combine two of her passions: teaching relationship centered communication and theatre. Julia coordinates the DFMCH’s behavioral science curriculum and has a continuity therapy practice at the UW Health Verona Clinic. She served as chair of the DFMCH’s wellness and resiliency task force and is the current director of the wellness and resiliency board (FamWell) for the DFMCH. When not working, you’ll find Julia traveling, reading, hiking, at a concert, and occasionally on stage in a community theatre production.

VA EDUCATION CHAMPION FACULTY

AYSHA SAEED, MD

Aysha Saeed is an internist and integrative medicine physician at the VA Connecticut (VACT). She is the director of VACT's Integrative Health Center. In the integrative setting, her clinical work includes offering auricular acupuncture for mental health and chronic pain. Aysha is a member of the VISN 1 Pain Council and is also the designated CIH coordinator for VISN 1. She is the founding member of the VACT Whole Health Working Group. Aysha has been in clinical practice for almost 20 years. She completed her Internal Medicine

residency training at the University of Connecticut (UCONN) and, after over a decade in private practice, joined the VA as a primary care physician and firm chief. She is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the UCONN School of Medicine and precepts medical students on their integrative medicine rotations. She previously served as faculty for UCONN's Student Continuity Practice program for 12 years. Prior to joining the VA, she served on the Midstate Medical Center's hospital planning committee as well as its medical board. Aysha is board certified in Integrative Holistic Medicine (ABIHM) and American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). She is also a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) and certified in Auricular Microsystem Acupuncture. She is a member of the American College of Physicians. Her other interests include trauma healing, homeopathy, and mysticism.

CAROL BOWMAN, MD

Carol Bowman is the Lead Physician for the Perry Point Maryland VA Residential Wellness Center. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Conservation Resource Studies Environmental Health. She attended Drexel Medical College in Philadelphia and completed her Internal Medicine residency at Pennsylvania Hospital. Carol became certified in Holistic Medicine in 2002 and served on the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine from 2003 to 2013 where she helped develop the curriculum and was a faculty member for the training and

certification of physicians in Holistic Integrative Medicine. She has practiced Integrative Holistic Medicine in the private sector, the DOD, and the VA. She developed and directed a holistic pain recovery program for a residential substance abuse treatment facility for treatment of chronic pain and opiate dependency and addiction and is a diplomate of the Academy of Integrative Pain Management. She is a practitioner of bio-energy healing and battlefield acupuncture and has a


special interest in Energy Medicine, consciousness, and mind-body medicine. Carol has two sons and two cats, all of whom have learned to get her attention by asking for food. She is an artist, musician, lover of the outdoors and avid snowboarder. Next up are ballroom dancing and surfing.

CARLANN DEFONTES, DO

Carlann DeFontes has enjoyed a lifetime of studying the healing arts. She is currently an integrative medicine fellow, through the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM) and provides comprehensive primary care for Veterans on the small rural island of Molokai in Hawaii. She is honored to work for the VA and humbled to have joined the VHA Office of Patient

Centered Care and Cultural Transformation (OPCC&CT) team as a National Education Champion. Her journey in the study of medicine started as a licensed practical nurse in rural SW Colorado, where she had her first significant exposure to indigenous health care with Native American populations. She became a registered nurse, continuing her passion for holistic medicine along with a strong background in conventional medicine and acute care. Feeling a deep calling to work for underserved populations, she became a physician assistant (PA) and worked primarily in remote Alaskan native villages, from the outer Aleutian and Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea to inland and Inside Passage villages. Helping to fill a huge gap in the health care system for the indigenous population, she provided relief for village health aides and the rare PA or nurse practitioner that lived and worked in those areas. Along her journey, Carlann savored the traditional native practices and attended many complementary integrative conferences, watching as the Western and Eastern worlds began to meet and seeing how they could complement each other. She felt a desire to help bring the best of all practices—indigenous, traditional, and conventional—together, so she entered A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine to pursue education as a physician. Carlann’s familial roots called her back to the beautiful islands of Hawaii, where she completed medical school and residency at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii. She continues to live and work in Hawaii and is grateful to be surrounded by the rich Hawaiian culture and strong indigenous influences still prevalent there. Carlann feels passionate about living a healthy lifestyle and continues to explore and utilize multiple modalities to support the body's ability to optimize wellness. She feels blessed to be sharing this with her patients and other health care providers. She balances her life by taking long walks outdoors with her dogs and husband, gardening, sitting quietly by the ocean, and engaging in an evolving array of daily practices.

CHRISTINE ANNE, NP

Christine Anne is a family nurse practitioner currently serving in Employee Occupational Health and Wellness at the Fayetteville, North Carolina VA Medical Center. Christine has 24 years of experience in integrative Whole Health. In 1994, she opened her first private integrative holistic health practice at the Healing Arts Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Part of her private practice included health coaching, complementary therapies of reflexology with biofield modalities of Therapeutic Touch and Jin Shin Jyutsu (certified practitioner and self-help

instructor). As an entrepreneur, Christine created two companies offering education about


Integrative Health, anatomy of energy, and stress solutions for medical professionals and the public. All of the courses offered CE’s approved by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Christine started training in emotional intelligence and resiliency in 1999 and has been offering staff trainings regularly since then. Christine has worked for 30 years in urgent care, mental health and home health clinical settings. For fun, Christine enjoys yoga/pilates, mindfulness meditation, cooking, ikebana flower arranging, and playing with her grandchildren. She is training to fulfill her vision to walk part of the Camino de Santiago in Spain the spring of 2019 with several of her adult children.

CODI SCHALE, PHD

Codi Schale is the Assistant Chief of Psychology and a licensed psychologist at the VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System. She serves as an advocate for a Whole Health Approach within her hospital by supporting integrative health programming, as well as promoting new Whole Health partnerships. Codi graduated Summa Cum Laude from Pittsburg State University (PSU) with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a minor in leadership studies. During her undergraduate career, she earned a national BACCHUS & GAMMA award for Outstanding Student in Peer Health Education for her work in leading a PSU Peer

Health Education Group. Codi then obtained a master’s and doctoral degree in counseling psychology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. As a graduate student, she researched the unique mental health needs of diverse populations and presented these findings at local, regional, national, and international conferences. Codi worked for the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Department of Defense before coming to the VHA. At VA Eastern Kansas, she regularly integrates mindfulness and holistic approaches in her psychotherapy work with Veterans. Further, she encourages her psychology staff to practice mindfulness and self-care. She is also active in developing and presenting educational sessions using Whole Health tenants to conceptualize and treat mental health diagnoses.

DAVID KOPACZ, MD

David R. Kopacz, MD works as a psychiatrist in Primary Care Mental Health Integration at Puget Sound VA in Seattle. He is an Acting Assistant Professor at University of Washington and is certified through the American Boards of: Psychiatry & Neurology; Integrative & Holistic Medicine; and Integrative Medicine. He has worked in many different practice settings, including psychiatric rehabilitation and

assertive community outreach in Auckland, New Zealand, private practice, rural community mental health, and PTSD and MHC clinics at Omaha VA. Dave trained at University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign for a B.S. in Psychology and did his medical school and psychiatric residency at University of Illinois at Chicago. He is the author of Re-humanizing Medicine: A Holistic Framework for Transforming Your Self, Your Practice and the Culture of Medicine, and with co-author Joseph Rael (Beautiful Painted Arrow), Walking the Medicine Wheel: Healing Trauma & PTSD.


HENRI ROCA, MD

Dr. Henri Roca, Program Director of the Integrative Medicine Patient Aligned Care Team for Pain at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, is a Diplomat of both the American Board of Family Medicine and the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine. Dr. Roca supports the Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation as an Education Champion. He is certified in Functional Medicine by The Institute for Functional Medicine. Dr. Roca is an Assistant Clinical Professor for Family Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He directs the nationally recognized

Leadership and Education Program for Students in Integrative Medicine. He received his MD from LSU, and completed his internship and residency through Marshall University. Dr. Roca is also an acupuncturist, hypnotherapist, registered yoga teacher, massage therapist, and biofeedback practitioner. He is trained by The Helms Medical Institute and The Center for Mind Body Medicine. As a former geologist, I love the earth, hiking, and working in my garden where watching plants grow is particularly fascinating.

J. GREG SERPA, PHD

J. Greg Serpa, PhD, is a clinical psychologist for the US Department of Veterans Affairs at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. He is honored to teach mindfulness to America's Veterans and is the first full-time mindfulness teacher and trainer in the federal system. Dr. Serpa is an Associate Clinical Professor in the psychology department at the University of California, Los Angeles, and an Associate Visiting Clinical Scientist at the David Geffen School

of Medicine at UCLA. He teaches Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC), and introductory level mindfulness classes at four area hospitals, and serves as a trainer, supervisor, and consultant to clinicians at the VA, UCLA, and in the community. He is currently the director of Interprofessional Integrative Mental Health program at the West Los Angeles VA, where he trains psychologists, psychiatrists, physicians, social workers, and nurses in mindfulness and integrative modalities of health and well-being. Dr. Serpa is also an active researcher with a number of projects expanding on the evidence basis of mindfulness and integrative health interventions. He is the co-author of The Clinician’s Guide to Teaching Mindfulness.g.

JULIE CULLIGAN, PHD, NBC-HWC, CYT-200

Julie Culligan is a psychologist at the Mountain Home VA in Johnson City, Tennessee and Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, at the James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University. Since 2010, she has served as the Health Behavior Coordinator, providing prevention and integrative wellness services, health coaching, and staff education. She developed and implemented “Project Resilience,” a values-based active self-management program for Veterans with chronic pain. In addition, Julie is a certified health and wellness coach, yoga

teacher, Tai Chi Easy Practice leader, Laughter Yoga leader, and mindfulness practitioner. Certified in “Curvy Yoga,” her passions are making yoga accessible and affirming to all body types


and intertwining yoga with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy into an experiential-based treatment. Her other interests include stand-up paddleboard, kayaking, singing Kirtan, and photographing waterfalls in the beautiful mountains of NE Tennessee. Julie and her husband are on the cusp of launching their 2 daughters out into the world and are enjoying this new stage of life.

MICHAEL HOLLIFIELD, MD

Dr. Hollifield is a whole health physician. After receiving his medical degree with thesis honors from the University of Washington, he crafted a dual training program in Family Medicine and Psychiatry to develop a comprehensive mind – body perspective. This included learning classic family and behavioral medicine, as well as imagery, hypnosis, various relaxation and meditative techniques, specializing in mind – body practice. With later training in acupuncture, Michael now provides “acupuncture and

sacred imagery” in his practice with war survivors. As Section Chief for the Program for Traumatic Stress at the Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center in Long Beach, he and the team use combination evidence-based and integrative methods and a strength-based approach to help war survivors heal. Dr. Hollifield's research has focused on measurement of trauma and health in war survivors and on developing novel interventions such as acupuncture, imagery rehearsal therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic stress and posttraumatic stress disorder. He is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. Michael balances work-life with yoga, daily walking, gardening, cooking and eating healthfully, and practicing imagery. He is a private pilot, though not so active now. He is imagining building a retreat to help war survivors heal using whole health and integrative techniques. Biking across country for a cause is one remaining life goal.

NIKHIL PAREKH, MD, MPH

Nikhil Parekh is the Medical Director of Employee Health at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. He is a graduate of the Wayne State University School of Medicine, the University of Michigan School of Public Health, the Wayne State University Department of Family Medicine, and the University of Arizona Fellowship in Integrative Medicine Program. He has professional interests in: providing medical care for the underserved;

teaching and mentorship; innovations in medical education; undergraduate and graduate medical curricular reform; advocating for those with different abilities (or disabilities); preventing and reducing physician burnout; and local and global public health efforts. Outside of work, he enjoys time spent with family and friends, and enjoys learning about different cultures, traveling, fitness, nutrition, art, nature, music, and films.


PATTI O’ROURKE, RN

Patti O’Rourke is a Navy Nurse Corps Veteran and is the Education and Training Specialist at Lee County VA Healthcare Center in Cape Coral, Florida. She also serves as a National Education Champion for the VHA Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation. Patti is board certified as a holistic nurse and a health and well-being nurse coach. She also maintains her board certifications in critical care, psychiatric and mental health, and hospice and palliative care nursing. Patti is also a licensed massage and bodywork

therapist. For 40 years, Patti has seen herself as a bridge between Eastern and Western medicine. She has shared her knowledge of complementary modalities with staff, patients, and families in military and civilian settings, VA hospitals, and in the communities where she lived and worked. In 2009, Patti was rescued by a feral cat on the outer banks of North Carolina who continues to make her laugh every day.

STEPHANIE BROWN-JOHNSON, MD

Stephanie Brown-Johnson is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Emory University. Her work involves providing primary care for Veterans at the Atlanta VA Medical Center. She enjoys teaching medical residents and students in both the inpatient and outpatient setting and using Narrative Medicine to help medical teams reflect on their experiences. She is the Co-Director of the Integrative Health and Wellness program at the Atlanta VA and a Whole Health Education Champion for the OPCC&CT. Dr. Brown-Johnson graduated from Washington University Medical School in St. Louis and completed her residency

in Internal Medicine at Emory University. She is active in her community loves working with youth at her local church.

TULIKA SINGH, MD, FAAP, FACEP

Tulika Singh is an Emergency Medicine physician at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago, IL and Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Department of Emergency Medicine. She serves as an Education Champion for the Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation and is a Women’s Health Champion for Jesse Brown VAMC. She completed her medical training at Christian

Medical College in Vellore, India, Pediatric and Emergency Medicine residencies at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and an Integrative Medicine Fellowship at the University of Arizona’s Center for Integrative Medicine under Dr. Andrew Weil. Tulika served as the Pediatric Education Director for the University of Illinois at Chicago Emergency Medicine Residency for several years. In addition, Tulika is certified in Functional Medicine through the Institute for Functional Medicine and is a registered yoga teacher. Tulika has been involved in women’s health education serving as returning faculty for Women’s Health Mini-Residency for Emergency Providers and Nurses since 2014. She has helped to develop several Whole Health educational classes offered to both Veterans and employees at Jesse Brown VAMC. Tulika is passionate about the mind-body-spirit connection, work-life balance and the human body’s innate healing abilities. Her other interests


include physician wellness, mindfulness and food as medicine. She is happily married to Tim, a flight nurse and they have a darling 4-year old son.

YANIRE NIEVES, MD

Yanire Nieves is the Director for the Mental Health-Primary Care Program at the Atlanta VA Health Care System. She is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Emory University and is board certified in internal medicine (American Board of Internal Medicine) and integrative medicine (American Board of Physician Specialties). After graduating from the University of Puerto Rico and completing her internal medicine residency at Georgia Baptist and Emory University School of Medicine, she went on to acquire a Master of Business Administration at Kennesaw State University. Yanire is a registered yoga

teacher and a medical acupuncturist trained with the Helms Medical Institute. She practices integrative care and teaches patients self-care acupressure. She is passionate about improving employee health and wellness and works with the Occupational Health Department to improve the employee experience through education, experiential activities and environment of care modifications. Yanire is the principal investigator in the Acupuncture for Postoperative Analgesia in Laparoscopic Surgery research study. She is actively working with two Pain Anesthesiologists (co-investigators) to find out if inpatient acupuncture therapy using the Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA) protocol could be used to decrease pain and/or consumption of analgesic medications in the immediate postoperative period. She completed a Century Bike Ride (100 miles within 4-12 hrs) for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society a few years ago and enjoys walking, hiking, and dancing Salsa.

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