Integrative Health Program

Complementary + conventional care

WELLNESS TOOLS IN TURBULENT TIMES

It is more important now than ever, to lean on tools to build well-being and stress resilience. We welcome patients and staff to nurture themselves with this collection of self-care tools.

INSTANT CALM

Mindful Movement Exercises
Take a few minutes to notice and slow your breath, move, and release tension.

Try now: Inhale and count to 4, and Exhale and count to 8. Repeat 3 times. How do you feel? Repeat this often, when you feel stress, and to help you sleep

Wellness Wednesdays Zoom Yoga sessions: Gentle Yoga & Neck/Shoulder Relaxation – 30 minute videos, Jodi Barry & Suzanne Drolet, yoga therapists”

EXPRESSSING GRATITUDE

Take a moment to interrupt stress and anxiety, with gratitude. What are you grateful for?

GET OUTDOORS

Fresh air, sun and nature are mood boosters.

CONNECT WITH OTHERS

Stay connected with family and old and new friends by phone, video chat, texting, social media, writing letters.

TAKE MEDIA BREAKS

Take breaks from reading, listening, or watching current news, including social media. Do something that brings you joy instead.

BUILDING HEALTHY HABITS

Building these healthy habits slowly over time will keep your mind and body healthy!

Healthy Eating: “Eat food, mostly plants, and not too much.” - Michael Pollen
Healthy eating is a lifestyle that takes time to build. Start with eating more fruits and vegetables, the more colors of the rainbow the better, and adding good proteins and good fats to your diet.

Regular Movement:
Find some regular movement that you enjoy. Exercise helps to relieve stress and improve mood and sleep.

Yoga for Stress Resilience (15 minutes):

15 Minute Mindful Movement Sequence for Stress Resilience | Spanish video

OUR VISION

Patients and staff will achieve optimal health through health restoration, self-care and prevention.

OUR MISSION

To expand integrative health services for patients and staff, through a collaboration of departments at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center & Health Centers. Integrative Health services are defined as all tools that are safe, effective, and low or no cost.

KEY TENETS

Health Restoration, rather than disease elimination
Whole person health: mind, body, spirit
Self-care
Prevention
Therapeutic Partnerships among patient, family, health team, and community

OUR SERVICES

Acupuncture
Chiropractic
Integrative Medicine Consult Clinic
Mindful Movement Groups (Yoga)
15 minute Mindful Movement Video | Spanish
Food as Medicine (CalFresh, Free Produce, Nutrition Education)
Parks Prescriptions

BACKGROUND

80% of the U.S. healthcare budget is spent on preventable chronic diseases. Addressing lifestyle factors, including nutrition and food security, physical activity, and chronic stress are key to preventing and reversing many of these chronic diseases. Integrative Health is a movement that focuses on these lifestyle factors as keys to health restoration. This movement may be vital to reducing healthcare costs, and improving both patient and provider wellness and satisfaction.

Integrative Health and Medicine is now an international movement, in which national and international organizations exist including Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine; Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health. NCCIH, is a department at the NIH has been dedicated to research and education. In addition, Integrative Medicine education in residency is now part of over 60 primary care residency programs nationwide.

There is now an organization solely dedicated to the promotion and practice of Integrative Medicine in underserved and vulnerable populations: Integrative Medicine for Underserved. The movement of Integrative Medicine is indeed growing, and we envision that eventually Integrative Health and Medicine will just be "good" Health and Medicine.