Higher Education as an Alternative Point of Access to Holistic Health

Abstract

Because the United States has not implemented a national health program with universal entitlement, lack of access to health care frequently prevails. Creative efforts at the undergraduate level attempt to meet the health care needs of students and local communities through education in complementary and alternative medicine. At the University of New Mexico–Taos, an innovative curriculum in Holistic Health and Healing Arts offers entry-level students, most of whom come from low-income and minority backgrounds, an opportunity to explore alternative therapies in a nurturing, low-cost environment. The university provides support services and supplements students' income through grants and financial aid. Students learn new health care behaviors and preventive approaches that reduce their dependence on allopathic medicine. Courses respect values and practices in native belief systems. From the perspective of social justice, the college corridor offers a safety net and a springboard for the underserved, as well as an opportunity to redress health disparities while promoting integrative approaches to health care.