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Integrative Health

Allegany College of Maryland is committed to a comprehensive health and wellness plan which extends to patients influenced by our Nursing and Allied Health students/graduates, college staff and our students.

Through the efforts of a visionary integrative health team which started in 1997, a new movement was initiated that planted a seed across our campus. This new concept was based on the philosophy that in order to treat patients effectively, one must address the whole person. Conventional medicine is blended in this model with complementary and self-care approaches used to support the patient's journey to health.

The college integrative mission is to encourage open dialogue about emerging approaches to healing. We are committed to educating compassionate healers who promote wholeness in themselves, patients, and society.

As a result of years of immersion in the integrative health concept, the college has truly infused the principles into practice across these different dimensions:

Healthcare providers/Community Partners
  The college has hosted many workshops for providers featuring nationally acclaimed experts. The workshops provided education on integrative health as well as the constant theme that in order to care for patients; we must first care for ourselves. This has had a positive effect on local healthcare practitioners.

Students
  Stress reductions techniques and education on integrative health have been provided to students. Students also have to option to experience the integrative health movement by taking courses on yoga, medicinal botany, mind-body skills, etc.

Employee wellness
  The college has initiated a wellness committee that uses the concepts of self-care and complementary medicine to build a program for employees. The employee has access to integrative health education, a serenity room and serenity garden area with a labyrinth for meditation, fitness activities like aerobics, integrative health courses, and health topics presented at lunch, etc.

Integrative Health and Core Curriculum Project
  ACM was awarded a federal HRSA grant to develop a national model to create a core curriculum for integrative health education.