Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health have established a new integrative health institute that will focus on the intersections of health science, technology and therapeutic approaches to treating a range of conditions.
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The Marcus Institute of Integrative Health, a dedicated research center for Jefferson's interdisciplinary tradition, will expand the university's educational offerings while doubling down on efforts to find new clinical therapies and wellness programs.
“Over the nearly 18 years it has been in existence at Jefferson, integrative health has grown steadily, blending science, technology and novel therapies to benefit patients in the Philadelphia region and beyond,” said Daniel A. Monti, director of the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health. “Formalizing the program as an Institute acknowledges both the innovative clinical care models we’ve developed and the deep role that research and education play in our work to weave integrative medicine into the fabric of modern health care.”
Jefferson's role in integrative medicine stretches back to 1826, when the university's earliest physicians conducted the first efficacy studies of acupuncture in the United States. The program has existing sites in Center City's Myrna Brind Center and in Villanova, but the Marcus Institute will seek to produce empirical data that can shape international standards for evidence-based integrative care.
The institute takes its name from Bernie Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot, whose foundation has provided Jefferson's integrative medicine program with more than $25 million since 2010.
"The Marcus Foundation recognized that transforming healthcare is a central theme of 21st-century medicine," said Stephen K. Klasko, president and CEO of Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health. “Their support has been vital to the flourishing of our integrative health programs, and to new approaches to the health of patients. This institute shows Jefferson Health's drive to uncover new approaches to age-old questions."
Clinical services at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health will include integrative women’s health, executive health, brain health, novel nutrient infusion programs, advanced testing procedures, lifestyle interventions and focused natural therapies tailored to increase wellness.