Doctor of Whole Health Leadership

Program at a Glance

• Nine-term (2.25 year) program designed for working healthcare professionals
• Online coursework plus four in-person weekend intensives and a capstone project
• Choice of three tracks
  • DrWHL for Administrators, Educators, and Non-Fellows
  • DrWHL with AIHM Fellowship
  • DrWHL for Graduates of an Integrative Medicine Fellowship
• Fixed tuition guarantee, federal financial aid for those who qualify, institutional scholarship opportunities, and eligible for Veteran’s Administration educational benefits

Upcoming Start Dates

• Fall: October 6th, 2025

What Sets Our Program Apart?

LED BY LEADERS

Not only is the DrWHL the first and only program of its kind, its led and taught by some of the leading minds and influencers in our nation’s Whole Health transformation. The Executive Director of the program (Dr. Tracy Gaudet, MD) was Founding Executive Director of the National Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation at the Veteran’s Administration, leading the Whole Health initiative that is now considered the model for our nation to emulate. Dr. Gaudet plays a hands-on role in guiding the program and mentoring students in this selective, intimate program. Our founding Program Director (Lauri Phillips, RDN, LD) formerly served as Associate Director for Whole Health System Development at the Veterans Health Administration and as Senior Director of Whole Health Nutrition at the Whole Health Institute. She and Dr. Gaudet are also Co-Founders of Cornerstone Collaboration for Societal Change, the nation’s leaders in Whole Health transformation. Explore all our outstanding faculty.

TEACHING SYSTEMS-LEVEL CHANGE

As the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine said in a 2023 consensus study, a national transition to Whole Health will require “a seismic culture shift in attitudes, structures, processes, and policies.” Our DrWHL curriculum is specifically built to prepare a new generation of leaders with the skills they need to lead that radical change. We’ll prepare you to:

• Build a case for Whole Health transformation and lead your organization in implementing it
• Advocate for Whole Health locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally
• Consult with professional associations, accreditors, clinics, government agencies, and others interested in adopting Whole Health
• Speak and publish on issues relevant to Whole Health
• And more

CUSTOMIZED TO YOUR AMBITIONS

Transforming our nation’s healthcare system will require a wide range of leaders, both clinical and administrative, to serve in many different capacities—so we offer three tracks to suit a range of backgrounds and goals.

• DrWHL for Administrators, Educators, and Non-Fellows
  This track is designed for non-clinical healthcare professionals (educators or administrators) as well as clinicians who do not wish to complete an Integrative Medicine Fellowship. Students will take 38 core credits plus 13 track-specific credits, with opportunities for transfer and prior learning credits.
• DrWHL with AIHM Fellowship Track
  This track is designed for clinicians interested in earning a doctorate at the same time as their Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM) fellowship. The fellowship contributes 13 of the 51 required degree credits.
• DrWHL for Graduates of an Integrative Medicine Fellowship
  This track is designed for graduates of an Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health (ACIMH) approved fellowship. The previously completed fellowship provides 13 transfer credits toward the 51 required degree credits, enabling students to take fewer degree credits per term.

PERSONALLY TRANSFORMATIVE

In addition to fueling systems-level change, our DrWHL program is intended to be life-changing on a personal level as well. While your online coursework will equip you with expert knowledge and skills in Whole Health concepts and care practices, your four Weekend Intensives will give you an opportunity to nurture your own whole health as you engage in self-reflection, gain new self-care tools, and practice the relationship-building and mentorship skills so essential in leadership and in life. In addition, your Capstone Project will provide an opportunity to begin making a difference right now through an impactful Whole Health project (e.g. pilot program, research study, advocacy or policy initiative) that is personally meaningful to you and can advance your work in Whole Health.

Who is This Program For?

Our DrWHL program is designed for healthcare professionals who are passionate about leading the transformation to Whole Health, including:

• Clinicians and practitioners from wide-ranging conventional and complementary disciplines
• Healthcare administrators and educators with a master’s degree and at least three years of healthcare leadership experience
• Other professionals who would like to be considered based on their unique experience and aspirations

Our inaugural class (which started the program in Fall 2024) is an ethnically-diverse group of mid-to-late-career professionals from across the U.S. The cohort includes a number of clinicians (MDs, RNs, a Nurse Practitioner, an Occupational Therapist, and a Marriage and Family Therapist) as well as administrators from long-term care, integrative health, hospitals, the private sector, judicial and government, Veteran Affairs, and integrative medicine education.