Integrative Health and Wellbeing program at the NewYork-Presbyterian David H. Koch Center opens

Mental, physical, and emotional health are intrinsically linked. Chronic illnesses, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, can negatively impact your mental health. Conversely, depression, stress, or anxiety can hamper your physical health.

To help patients improve their well-being, NewYork-Presbyterian has recently opened an Integrative Health and Wellbeing program at the NewYork-Presbyterian David H. Koch Center. Using a holistic, evidence-based approach, the Integrative Health and Wellbeing program empowers individuals to take control of their health by offering comprehensive care for the body, mind, and spirit.

The program is based in a 20,000-square-foot space on the first, second, and third floors of the David H. Koch Center and has a separate dedicated entrance located at 436 East 69th St. between York and First avenues.
The program is home to a wide range of integrative health and wellness services that promote physical, psychological and social well-being, including acupuncture, massage therapy, meditation, mind-body therapy, nutrition counseling, psychotherapy, yoga, and more.

“Our services are designed to complement the health care your doctor provides, and our hope is that this model of care becomes the future of medicine,” said Dr. Alka Gupta, co-director of the Integrative Health and Wellbeing program and an assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. “We are thrilled to be moving into such a beautiful space, where we can offer personalized treatment methods to more people.”

Specialists within Integrative Health and Wellbeing partner with patients’ and their doctors to create individualized treatment plans with a focus on treating the whole person. The integrative health experts and clinical team work together to provide therapies that can help prevent disease, promote relaxation, reduce stress and anxiety, and relieve symptoms associated with disease or its treatment. Close attention is given to patients’ sleep patterns, diet, physical activity, emotional well-being, and other lifestyle factors to get a better understanding of their unique needs.

Patients receiving treatment at David H. Koch Center and their family members and caregivers will also be able to take advantage of a wide range of integrative health services. For example, a patient can receive a relaxing hand and foot massage while undergoing infusion or radiation treatment. Patients scheduled for surgery can also take advantage of a program that teaches them how to use mind-body techniques to reduce anxiety and heal faster.

“By providing a customized, whole-person approach, our team is able to address a patient’s physical state as well as their emotional, environmental, and social well-being,” said Dr. Chiti Parikh, co-director of the Integrative Health and Wellbeing program and an assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. “Our goal is to create a truly healing environment where we can offer tools for people to live healthier lives.”

Since its inception in March 2016, Integrative Health and Wellbeing’s goal has been to offer tools and techniques that individuals can use every day. Also, the program will provide community events in the future such as yoga and meditation classes that will be open to the public.

The program plans to extend integrative therapies across all NewYork-Presbyterian campuses by providing yoga instruction and guided meditation, as well as other services, to patients and staff. Virtual offerings are currently available for patients and staff to use in any setting through the NYP app.

For more information on Integrative Health and Wellbeing, visit nyp.org/integrativehealth. To schedule an appointment, please call 646-967-9355.