Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine: Grand opening celebration

The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson recently unveiled the new Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine complex on the Health Sciences campus. The center, established in 1994, is transforming health care by training health professionals and promoting health and well-being through evidence-based, sustainable integrative approaches.

From nontoxic building materials and natural light to sound-absorbing panels and a unique ventilation system, elements of the buildings and the surrounding landscape were designed to foster wellness based on the seven tenets of integrative health – exercise and movement, social relationships, spirituality, healthy nutrition, sleep quality, stress reduction and resilience.

The primary mission of the center is to educate physicians and other health care professionals. Stephen Dahmer, MD, director of the center emphasized its role in empowering physicians worldwide to embrace patient-centered approaches and integrative healing modalities that can complement Western medical practices. To facilitate the education of medical students, integrative coaches, residents and fellows, the complex’s “body” building includes ample classroom space that can accommodate group learning.