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IHPC Open Town Hall Meeting: Recording Now Available
In early December, nearly 60 IHPC members and partners gathered for a virtual Open Town Hall Meeting on the Future of Integrative Whole Health. The purpose of the session was to have a meaningful dialogue about integrative health and the key policies, themes and priorities that IHPC and those aligned with its interest should be aware of. This is especially important given the recent election and the potential for much change from the incoming administration.
The key presentation was from consultant Mary Jo (Hoeksema) Mitchell, Director of Government and Public Affairs for the Population Association of America. She was tasked with talking about what we do and don’t know about the outcome of the election, the fiscal year 2025 appropriations process, the outlook for the 2026 budget submission and some potential legislative action that we can anticipate Congress taking up along with the new administration in January 2025.
Of particular note in her presentation is the importance of proposed fiscal year 2025 appropriations for agencies that represent IHPC interests, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the VA Whole Health and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), from the House Energy and Commerce Committee. This committee has recommended a restructure of the NIH that would reduce the number of Centers from 27 to 15, and includes the elimination of NCCIH, which would be folded into a new institute.
Mitchell also noted some potential opportunities such as a likely focus on prevention of chronic disease and potential new leadership in key committees. She also said that keeping up-to-date and engaged on these issues will be critical for groups aligned with integrative health.
Watch the full town hall recording by clicking here.
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