Summary: How "integrative health care" and "integrative health" are understood by the U.S. government is partly in the hands of Jeff Levy. So is understanding of these terms relative to application for Community Transformation Grants. Levy, executive director of the Trust for America's Health, chairs the Advisory Group to the National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Health Council. The Group has a subcommittee working on definitions on integrative health. This group is supporting development of the National Prevention and Public Health Plan to be released by June 30, 2011. Integrator writer Taylor Walsh met with Levy and asked him about integrative health care. The next Advisory Group meeting, available via WebEx software, is scheduled for May 24, 2011.

Taylor Walsh

Integrator writer Taylor Walsh met recently with Jeff Levy, chair of the Advisory Group to the National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Health Council. Levy is

Jeff Levy: Advisory Group chair

Jeff Levi, executive director of the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) occupies a unique position on the national prevention landscape. In addition to managing TFAH's prevention-oriented programs, he is also the chair of the recently established Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health to the National Prevention Council. In a short meeting (on May 3, 2011), we talked about the place of integrative practice at TFAH and as part of the forthcoming National Prevention Strategy that is being prepared by the Prevention Council and which is now due in late June. 

The Prevention Advisory Group consists of very experienced professionals from public health and prevention and health promotion communities.  It includes at least two practitioners of integrative practice, Sr. Charlotte Kerr, RSM, LAc, MPH of the Tai Sofia Institute and Sharon Van Horn, Sharon Van Horn, MD, MPH, a pediatrician in private practice in North Carolina. 

"In terms of 'integrative practice' in prevention, Levi noted the importance of distinguishing between Integrative Medicine and Integrative Health."

In terms of "integrative practice" in prevention, Levi noted the importance of distinguishing between Integrative Medicine and Integrative Health.  For TFAH's purposes, and for the Advisory Group, the focus of prevention "interventions" are those outside of the biomedical realm.  So: mind-body techniques for stress management or nutrition programs are a focus, rather than a therapy to address a condition like a sinus infection.  

Because the terminology has come to be so blurred through interchangeable use (lets not forget CAM, or CAIM), understanding this distinction, Levi said, will be an important factor for the Advisory Group as it develops guidance for the 17 federal agencies that comprise the Prevention Council.  

	"Of particular interest for integrative practitioners are the CommunityTransformation Grants."

NCCAM's recent reporting that 50% of public CAM usage is for general well being helps make the distinction, although there is little data available that describes exactly which approaches are used for general wellness and prevention.  This kind of detail will become more in demand as prevention and wellness programs become prevalent in workplace programs, in retail fitness and spa settings, and perhaps in schools.

In terms of funding and establishment of prevention programs for 2011, the National Prevention Fund, which distributed some $500 million in 2010, will soon begin accepting grant requests.  Of particular interest for local integrative practitioners are the Community Transformation Grants that are designed to give local communities the latitude to define the nature and objectives for their own prevention programs.