Director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine brings Whole Person Care expertise to advance equitable, evidence-based healthcare solutions.

In a sign of integrative medicine’s rising influence in national health strategy, the Ardmore Institute of Health (AIH) has appointed Stephen Dahmer, MD, Director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, to its Board of Trustees.

A family physician, educator, and systems innovator, Dr. Dahmer has long championed a future where healthcare is defined not by disease management but by the cultivation of well-being. At the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, he leads initiatives spanning education, research, and clinical practice aimed at embedding Whole Person Care across all levels of the health ecosystem. He also spearheads Banner Health’s first integrative health clinic in Tucson, where conventional and healing-forward medicine converge in service of patients.

AIH President and CEO Dr. Ron Stout said of Dahmer’s appointment, “His extensive experience and deep understanding of Whole Person Care will be invaluable as we continue to work towards a future where healthy environments and lifestyles provide equitable and preferred methods to prevent, treat, and reverse chronic diseases.”

From his roots as a founding physician at Sana Care and lead roles at Iora Health and Resurgent Biosciences to chairing the U.S. Cannabis Council’s medicine and research subcommittee, Dahmer’s career reflects a commitment to innovation and advocacy. His work is unified by a core belief: that food, environment, and community are not peripheral to health, they are foundational.

"It is a tremendous honor to join AIH at a moment when healing-oriented, evidence-based approaches are stepping into the mainstream," said Dahmer. "By uniting rigorous research, plant-predominant nutrition, and the training of tomorrow’s clinicians, we are well positioned to make whole-person health the new standard of care."

For AIH, founded in 1947 to reimagine chronic disease prevention and care, Dahmer’s arrival reinforces its long-standing dedication to reshaping the health landscape. Together, AIH and AWCIM now deepen their alignment in a shared vision: health systems that don’t merely respond to illness but build lifelong resilience and thriving communities.

About Ardmore Institute of Health

Ardmore Institute of Health, established in 1947, works for a future where healthy environments and lifestyles provide equitable and preferred methods to prevent, treat, and reverse chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. To achieve this vision, AIH offers grant funding, Full Plate Living nutrition programming, and resources to accelerate Whole Health and Lifestyle Medicine adoption and learnings. Click here to learn more.

About the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine

The Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona is redefining the future of healthcare—bridging the gap between conventional and healing-oriented medicine. Through cutting-edge education, groundbreaking research, transformative events, and hands-on clinical work, we equip healthcare professionals with evidence-based, integrative approaches to enhance patient care, optimize well-being, and drive lasting change in communities.