January is Integrative Health Month, and we can’t think of a better way to kick off 2025. Read on to find out more about what integrative healthcare really is and how our team works to deliver impactful integrative care every single day. 

According to Oxford Languages, the word “integrated” means “with various parts or aspects linked or coordinated.” So, applying the term to medical care, we can deduce that integrative health relates to “whole-person” care. 

While the advent of holistic and integrative medicine can be tied to the emergence of the American Holistic Medicine Association in 1978 and the American Holistic Nurses Association in 1979, the disciplines began gaining a great deal more momentum in the late 1990s/early 2000s when a group of clinicians worked to establish Centers for Integrative Medicine across the United States.

Why does integrative health matter? 

In its most simplistic form, integrative health places emphasis on the whole person. Rather than seeing a particular issue as isolated, integrative medicine considers the whole-person impact. For instance, if a person is experiencing chronic pain, he or she may also develop mental health challenges. If that person also has trouble making it to work due to symptoms of chronic pain, he or she may become unemployed and experience any number of downstream effects — lack of insurance, inability to purchase and prepare healthy meals, lack of transportation, and so on. All of these challenges often lead to negative future health outcomes.

“What we can learn from this hypothetical scenario is precisely what integrative medicine attempts to solve: One specific medical concern can easily become a larger issue — and even create more medical challenges in the future — if the collective downstream impacts go unconsidered,” says Dr. Shannon Burger, CEO of Cempa.

How does Cempa address integrative health? 

Here at Cempa, everything we do is focused on providing a holistic approach to care. After starting out as a support organization for those impacted by HIV/AIDS in the 1980s, we have expanded our service offerings and continuously evolved to meet community needs.

Today, we can confidently say that we provide integrated care for the whole person. If you’ve seen our new “WE DO CARE” advertisements, this is exactly what we mean. Cempa’s current lineup of services includes: 

• Primary care: Cempa believes in providing high-quality care to all community members. Our primary care services include routine check-ups, management of chronic conditions, women’s health, vaccinations, and more. 
• Infectious disease care: Cempa not only cares for various infectious diseases that affect our community but also provides follow-up care for patients who have been hospitalized due to infections and for those referred by their providers for outpatient evaluations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cempa played a vital role in the Chattanooga area by offering testing, vaccinations, and general community education and support. Additionally, our PrEP Clinic provides preventive medication for individuals at risk of contracting HIV.
• Dental care: The Cempa Dental Clinic provides both pediatric and adult service offerings, routine teeth cleanings and x-rays, fillings, minor oral surgery, and more. 
• Behavioral health: In working with a historically underserved population, behavioral health is a critical part of our service offerings. Whether a client is overcoming drug use or dealing with an unexpected diagnosis, our behavioral health services provide many of our clients with a positive path forward.
• Community pharmacy: Having an on-site pharmacy ensures Cempa clients have quick access to medications, making it easier to adhere to prescribed treatment plans.

All of these services and more are available to any community member in need of care. In addition to accepting insurance, Cempa also provides services on a sliding fee scale. 

“Not only can medical care be confusing, but it’s often scary to begin the process of getting the care you need — we’re here to address all of that,” says Dr. Burger “We have worked hard to get to a place where Cempa can be a one-stop shop that patients know and trust to help them navigate a wide range of health and wellness needs.” 

If you or someone you know is in need of any of the services you’ve read about here, we’d love to help you begin your holistic wellness journey. Call 423.265.2273 to learn more.