Quarterly Newsletter Summer 2026
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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 patients and their caregivers. We also began connecting our research and clinical efforts with the national Whole Person Health Index, dug deeper into our strategic plan, strengthened our global leadership in the field, and supported our Affiliates across UVM and UVM Health as they actively work towards transforming our healthcare system.
The highlights below offer a look at what popped up in Osher Center work this season — and a glimpse at what is on the horizon for fall. Thank you for joining us!
Warmly,
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| Cara Feldman-Hunt, NBC-HWC
Director
Osher Center for Integrative Health at UVM
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Proposed changes to Medicare could seriously impact Shared Medical Appointments (SMAs)/Group Medical Visits (GMVs), an evidence-based approach that has shown to support patients for management and prevention across conditions, including chronic pain, cancer, diabetes, and more. If you think SMAs/GMVs should be protected, share your thoughts with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) (and spread the word!) by September 12.
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Susan Lewis Levy Whole Health Cancer Program Launches |
A new model for oncology care begins. |
Established through the support of a generous donor, the Susan Lewis Levy Whole Health Cancer Program’s mission is to improve quality of life and clinical outcomes for people living with cancer and their caregivers, through evidence-based, whole health care. Designed to support participants following the active phase of their cancer treatment, it features a group lifestyle medicine program plus a variety of optional integrative therapies that address physical, psychological, and spiritual health.
Osher's Integrative Oncology Lead, Research Associate Kristie Weibust Grover, PhD, has been working alongside colleagues to welcome the first cohort in September. She says this work is deeply gratifying:
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It's so exciting to see all of the planning coming to fruition. Our whole team is so appreciative that we're working together on a program that will offer such profound, evidence-based support.
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Join us as we access the latest, evidence-based information about cancer prevention and detection; learn about treatment options across a range of cancers; gain information about support and wellness options to enhance survivorship; and feel inspired and supported at the UVM Cancer Center's 2026 Women's Health and Cancer Conference on September 18.
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Leading a Whole Health Strategy |
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"...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."
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A new Viewpoint article authored by Dr. Langevin and Mark Pitcher, Ph.D., chief of staff at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), underscores how the Whole Person Health Index (WPHI) can support the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) broader effort to advance whole person health as part of its emerging unified strategy to address chronic disease in the United States.
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UVM's 2026 Health Equity Summit |
Through interactive sessions, panels, and storytelling, experts and community members examine the root causes of health disparities and share real-world approaches to change at UVM Health's 2026 Health Equity Summit on September 24-25.
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The Whole Person Health Wheel |
In order to support the implementation of the Whole Person Health Index throughout UVM and UVM Health, Osher Affiliates are utilizing the redesigned Whole Person Health Wheel , a visual tool that maps to the Index's questions and can support patients and practitioners in addressing concerns and coordinating care.
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| Welcome Nora Volkow, M.D. on October 2! |
Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and pioneer in brain imaging, Nora D. Volkow, M.D. revealed addiction as a brain disorder through her work, showing how dopamine system changes impair reward and self-control, advancing understanding of obesity, ADHD, and aging. This Osher Center Laura Mann Integrative Healthcare Lecture is hosted during Psychiatry Grand Grounds, in conjunction with The Robert D. Larner, M.D., College of Medicine.
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Wild Greens Pesto: Planetary Health in Action |
Osher Affiliate Katherine Elmer, M.S. NB-HWC, Faculty in UVM Dept of Agriculture, Landscape and Environment and practitioner through the Comprehensive Pain Program, lead a project through Spoonful Herbals, a Vermont non-profit organization with a mission to share joyful, hands-on education and wellness through plant medicine, while honoring all herbal traditions.
The Wild Greens Pesto project partnered the Osher Center, UVM’s Climate Kitchen, and the Intervale Center. With help from students Liliana Bettolo (Plant and Soil Science Masters) and Willa Hoerauf (Plant Biology B.Sc.), the team harvested nutritious invasive plants, processed them into a delicious pesto, and distributed them through the Intevale Center’s Community Supported Agriculture Farm Shares.
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The ICGMV 2026 conference on September 18 will highlight evidence-based presentations as well as experiential workshops led by leaders and innovators in the field.
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This Summer in Employee Wellness |
(image courtesy Cara Hancy) This summer, Cara Hancy, NBC-HWC, and Melisa Oliva, NBC-HWC, in Employee Wellness produced several in-person and remote workshops hosted by UVM Mental Health Counseling Graduate Students from UVM’s College of Education and Social Services (CESS).
Hamdan Ali Khan and Aisha Muktar lead sessions exploring mental health and emotional regulation and how building resilience and exploring healthy habits can support growth and prevent burnout.
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Osher Education Opportunities |
Graduates of our Integrative Health and Wellness Coaching program have a 100% pass rate on the National Board exams. Learn more about Integrative Healthcare Education opportunities at UVM and visit these specific program pages for more information:
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5NP Training through Community Acupuncture of South Burlington |
Fri/Sat October 9-10, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. Unitarian Universalist Church, Burlington. Cost: $350 plus $50 POCA membership.
5 Needle Protocol uses tiny acupuncture needles in five specific points in the outer ear to help regulate the nervous system and address physical and emotional symptoms related to stress, chronic pain, anxiety, PTSD, depression, trauma, and addiction recovery.
Presented by A.M.K. Healing Arts, Community Acupuncture of South Burlington, People’s Organization Community Acupuncture, and Providence Community Acupuncture, this training includes 15 hours of online self-study and 20 hours of in-person hands-on training, plus necessary supervised practice clinics, and a certificate of completion.
For more information, email: info@casobu.org, call 802-404-2131, or visit casobu.org/ear-acu-wellness.
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ReTribe offers workshops, camps, school year programming, and more, for youth, teens, and adults: breathwork, mindfulness, meditation, nature-based programming, and a supportive community atmosphere in the foothills of Mt. Mansfield. Offerings for Fall 2026 - Spring 2027 include:
Ages 6-13: Forest School (Sept-Dec & March-June), Wild Woods Afterschool Program (Sept-Nov & March-May)
Ages 12-19: Teen Naturalist Program (Sept-May)
Visit retribe.org to learn more.
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Play Intention at Davis Studio |
Stress less. Live mindfully. Play more. Play Intention serves up classes, events, and retreats for creativity, connection, and well-being. Take an upcoming 6-week DJ School for Women workshop, drop in for a morning art retreat, or join one of their upcoming Waterfront Silent Disco events.
Visit davisstudiovt.com/play-intention to learn more and sign up.
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The Osher Center advances whole health through education, clinical care, research, and policy.
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Osher Center for Integrative Health |
184 S. Prospect St.
Burlington, VT 05406
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Phone: (802) 656-1234
E-mail: oshercenter@uvm.edu
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