The transition reflects a national mandate driven by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which aims to move all Traditional Medicare beneficiaries into accountable care relationships by 2030. These models incentivize providers to control costs while improving clinical quality and care coordination. At the Whittier-based institution, this evolution means training practitioners to analyze patient goals, social determinants, and environmental factors alongside physical symptoms.

Melissa Nagare, Vice President for SCU Health, emphasizes that the core of this approach is shifting the clinical question from what is wrong with the patient to what matters to the patient. By fostering interprofessional collaboration and evidence-informed integrative practices, the university prepares students to navigate a healthcare landscape that demands measurable effectiveness. This training environment integrates diverse disciplines, from chiropractic and sports medicine to acupuncture and clinical psychology, ensuring future clinicians can deliver care that is sustainable, personalized, and focused on the lived realities of their patients.