Reimagining Healthcare: Recognizing the Impact of Integrative Health
“Mike and I are sincerely honored by the meaning of this award carrying Susan Samueli’s name. Our partnership with The Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute has been immensely rewarding since the early days……23 years ago. We share the desire to reimagine health by combining both preventative and integrative modalities with modern medicine for overall well-being. We are proud to play a role in support of the numerous recent advancements and the current goals that will continue to enhance lives.” – Linda Mussallem
The UCI Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute (Samueli Institute) recognized Linda and Mike Mussallem with the 2024 Samueli Institute Founder’s Award. This prestigious award honors their leadership at the Samueli Institute and their commitment to advancing whole-person, integrative healthcare.
Since its founding in 2017, the Samueli Institute has been at the forefront of expanding the practice of evidence-informed, integrative healthcare as an integral part of patient care, which has ultimately resulted in improving lives and helping communities achieve optimal health. The Samueli Institute’s whole-person approach includes conventional medical therapies, lifestyle changes with a focus on nutrition, natural products and integrative modalities such as acupuncture, massage and mindfulness. Using conventional as well as advanced and functional diagnostic and laboratory testing, the Samueli Institute seeks to understand underlying mechanisms and imbalances that may impact health and well-being.
Linda and Mike are supporters of the Samueli Institute and the University of California, Irvine (UCI). In 2020, they contributed a grant to establish the Integrative Cardiology Fellowship Program and initiate a research study to assess how integrative therapies and lifestyle modifications improve overall cardiometabolic health. Their gift also supported the development of the Academic Integrative Medicine, Health and Wellness Coaching certification program, which aims to train healthcare professionals in integrative/whole-person health. In 2022, Linda and Mike opened the Mussallem Nutritional Education Center within the Samueli Institute, supporting nutrition educational programs for students, patients and the community.
Linda currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Samueli Institute. Mike serves as trustee of the UCI Foundation and a member of the UCI Chief Executive Roundtable, the Henry Samueli School of Engineering Leadership Council and the Samueli College of Health Sciences Advisory Board.
Driven by a shared vision for whole-person health, the Linda and Mike Mussallem Foundation is driven to continue to support the transformative contributions of the Samueli Institute, and we look forward to continuing to champion a future where integrative health is accessible to all.