Advance Access Publication 31 August 2009 Meeting Report Dana Ullman Homeopathic Educational Services, Berkely, California, USA A Review of a Historical Summit on Integrative Medicine eCAM 2010;7(4)511–514 doi:10.1093/ecam/nep128 The US Institute of Medical sponsors a ‘‘Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public’’ on February 25–27, 2009. A prestigious body of speakers and attendees created a dynamic conference in which the content and discussions provided vital information for trans- forming the US health care system. Topics included: patient-centered care, the scientific basis of integrative medicine, health care financing reform and value-driven care, and mind-body relationships and health. Keywords: mind/body medicine – healing – patient-centered care – health care reform – cost-effectiveness – wellness The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is considered America’s preeminent body of physicians, scientists and academi- cians interested in health and medical issues. It is a part of the United States National Academies, which also includes the National Academy of Sciences. The IOM produces independent recommendations and policy reports by enlisting various experts to address the scientific and technical aspects of some of society’s health problems. On February 25–27, 2009, the IOM convened a ‘Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public’ at its headquarters in Washington, DC. Approxi- mately 600 people participated in this historic meeting which included a wide variety of experts in integra- tive medicine as well as people in leading positions in government, industry and academia. This summit was co-sponsored by the Bravewell Collaboration, a founda- tion composed of leading philanthropists dedicated to transforming the culture and delivery of health care. The summit content and discussions provided vital information for transforming the US health care system. Topics included: patient-centered care, the scien- tific basis of integrative medicine, health care financing reform and value-driven care and mind–body For reprint and all correspondence: Dana Ullman, MPH, President, Homeopathic Educational Services, 2124 Kittredge St. #Q, Berkeley, CA, 94704. Tel: +1-510-649-0294; Fax: +1-510-649-1955; E-mail: dana@homeopathic.com relationships and health. Prior to the conference, the IOM commissioned several papers to provide back- ground information on integrative medicine’s perfor- mance in prevention and wellness, patient-centered care, research, public education, professional education and economics and policy. The Players The speakers at this summit included many of the move- ment’s high profile leaders, including Dean Ornish, Mehmet Oz and Kenneth Pelletier. Evidence of the inter- est in the broad field of integrative medicine was the inclusion of the program of Thomas Donahue (the CEO of the US Chamber of Commerce), George Halvorson (chairman and CEO, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan), Senator Tom Harkin (Iowa), Bill Novelli (CEO, AARP), and Reed Tuckson [Chief of Medical Affairs, United Health Group, a major health maintenance organization (HMO) and former Senior Vice President, AMA]. Other speakers included Mimi Guarneri, (cardiologist and medical director of the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine), David Katz (internist and founder of Yale’s Prevention Research Center), Victor Sierpina (University of Texas), Victoria Maizes (University of Arizona), Tracy Gaudet (Duke University) and Josephine Briggs (Director, NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine). The chairperson of the The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org