Our Story
At Integrative Health Global, our work begins with a simple yet powerful belief: that every child living with a chronic illness deserves access to whole-person care—care that combines the most scientifically grounded integrative health practices with the most advanced medical treatments. Our approach to whole-person care recognizes the interconnectedness of the body, mind, and environment, addressing not only biological factors but also behavioral, social, and environmental influences that shape a child’s health and well-being. Integrative Health Global’s objectives are ambitious but realizable ones, to improve entire treatment paradigms through the introduction and sustained use of integrative health therapies.
We are proud to be part of a legacy that began over two decades ago at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), where Dr. Elena Ladas in collaboration with other leaders in integrative pediatric care pioneered new models of healing that combined nutrition, mind-body medicine, and conventional therapies through the Integrative Therapies Program (ITP). To accelerate the global advancement of nutritional research and care, Dr. Ladas launched the International Initiative for Pediatrics and Nutrition (IIPAN), a pioneering initiative that provides training, clinical care, and infrastructure for pediatric medicine programs in low- and middle-income countries and advances multinational research collaborations. Programs like IIPAN and ITP have shown that when we care for the whole child - not just the disease - we unlock the full potential of healing and lifelong health.
Today, Integrative Health Global brings that legacy and these scientific gains to the world stage by preparing the next generation of healthcare practitioners, catalyzing further science-based innovation, and building a global network of experts in pediatric health. Our network includes clinicians, researchers, educators, and traditional healers who are committed to transforming pediatric chronic disease care through research, innovation, and collaboration. We believe that just as healthcare professionals must understand integrative and cultural practices, traditional healers also benefit from education in evidence-based, conventional medicine. We achieve this symbiotic exchange by fostering two-way learning that strengthens the integration of conventional and traditional approaches.
We are building bridges between disciplines and institutions, and across wide-spanning geographical regions. We are effectively elevating care models that treat the physical, emotional, and psycho-social dimensions of health - because children don’t experience disease in parts, and neither should their care. Integrative Health Global is spearheading the international movement for state-of-the-art integrative care, aiming to improve health outcomes for generations to come.
