Our research initiatives range from evaluation and implementation to education and consultation.
Patient-Centered Care
Our recent conference investigated the question: What does it mean to provide care that is truly centered on the needs of patients? Samueli Institute hosted the national symposium on Nov. 8-9, 2012 called Patients at the Crossroads: Reconciling Patient-Centered Care, Evidence-Based Practice, and Integrative Medicine.
Fort Belvior Community Hospital Healing Symposium
On October 19 and 20, 2013, Samueli Institute and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital (FBCH) collaborated to host a two-day symposium focused on community and organizational health and well-being. Utilizing a whole-systems health framework, the conference was designed to help leaders and change agents appreciate the relationship between self-care and care for others for building resilience in mind, body and spirit. More than 120 leaders and caregivers from across FBCH staff took part in the event, which included instruction and hands-on demonstrations in healthy eating, mindfulness meditation, wellness, organizational leadership, and developing healing relationships.
Learn more about the conference and download presentations.
Fort Belvoir Community Hospital Evaluation
One of the largest health care facilities in the U.S. Department of Defense network, Fort Belvoir Community Hospital (FBCH) is a joint-service health care network providing world-class medical care to the nation's wounded, active-duty Service members, retirees and family members. The hospital is designed to increase inpatient and outpatient care for Service members and veterans in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. FBCH was completely renovated in 2011 and built upon principles of patient- and family-centered care and evidence based design.
Samueli Institute staff is currently performing a full program evaluation of FBCH to determine of the tenant of an Optimal Healing Environment are being met. Findings from this evaluation will be significant to scientific and general audiences in that they will demonstrate the feasibility and impact of a holistic health care model on eliciting positive health outcomes.
Military Family Empowerment Initiative: 2012-2013
The Military Family Empowerment Initiative is a two-year project aimed at producing standards and guidelines for creating, implementing, and evaluating mind-body programs in a patient- and family-centered healthcare context. Programs will teach soldiers and families how to manage their own stress and self-care using mind-body skills aimed at increasing their resilience and eventually decreasing their dependence on the healthcare system, resulting in reduced healthcare utilization. Currently in year two of the project, guidelines have been drafted and vetted with content and context experts. They are now being validated via mixed-methods program evaluations of two military mind-body programs. When completed, the guidelines will serve as a tool for replicating mind-body family empowerment programs in military healthcare settings.
Completed Projects
Integrative Medicine Program Evaluation - a full, mixed-methods program evaluation of the structure, process and outcome of both the inpatient and outpatient integrative medicine programs conducted at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, MN 2006-2008
Inpatient Program Evaluation- a comprehensive report of focus group findings relative to program offerings at a residential medical facility for children and their families, The Children's Inn, at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 2007-2009
Identifying Barriers to Optimal Healing Study - a study to understand the views of patients and clinicians on the central concepts of healing and to identify the major barriers and facilitators to promoting healing in primary care conducted at Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Seattle, WA. 2004-2005
Lessons Learned - a summary of lessons learned while developing, implementing and evaluating a model for the delivery of integrated healthcare at the Tzu Chi Institute for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Building a Business Case for the Group Health Clinician Coaching Program Study - a study to estimate the total cost associated with the Clinician Coaching Program and determine the marginal impact of the program on changes in patient satisfaction; patient and physician retention; use of services and patient adherence to physician recommendations. Conducted at Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Seattle, WA. 2004-2005
Past Symposia and Conferences
Patients at the Crossroads: Reconciling Patient-Centered Care, Evidence-Based Practice, and Integrative Medicine, November 2012
The Symposium focused on four areas of patient-centered care: practice, educating practitioners, health-care systems, and research. Learn more and download presentations.
Mind-Body Programs and Practices within a Patient- and Family-Centered Framework, June 2012
Two expert panels and a program demonstration workshop were convened and delivered at this special track of the Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care’s 5th International Conference. Leaders shared effective strategies for creating, implementing, and evaluating successful mind-body programs and practices in civilian and military healthcare settings.
Optimal Healing Environments: A Scientific Symposium Exploring Science, Behavior Change, and Measurement, May 2011
Presenters described the application of years of research into developing real-world behavioral changes that are sustainable within each domain of an Optimal Healing Environment—with measurable effects.
Cultivating Optimal Healing Environments in Nursing and Health Care: Evidenced-based Integrative Medicine skills for you and your patients, March and May 2011
A one day workshop for nurses with a goal to establish a common understanding of whole person care; curing and healing; and the practical applications of Optimal Healing Environments to oneself, to patients and to our health care organizations.
2009 Nursing Leadership Forum on Optimal Healing Environments
In 2009 Samueli Institute convened a group of nurse leaders to foster alignment between the Institute’s Optimal Healing Environments Program and like-minded nursing organizations and nurse leaders with a goal to accelerate change in the way healing is understood, valued and facilitated in American health care settings. An “
Environmental Scan” of nurse-led healing initiatives was also conducted.
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