A passion for integrative health and teaching
Dan and Cheri Asimus support future physicians and integrative medicine
The word "doctor" comes from the Latin "docēre," meaning “to teach.”
For Dan Asimus, MD, Med ’72, that definition has never been incidental, and as the founder of Life Fitness Center, Inc., a private health clinic specializing in integrative medicine — education and whole-person care have been the foundation of his life’s work.
“Not only do I want to take care of my patients, but I also want to teach and motivate them and educate them on how to take care of themselves,” says Asimus.
Cheri and Dan Asimus. Photo/Provided.
A Cincinnati native and graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Asimus began both his medical and teaching journey here in Cincinnati.
Now, he and his wife, Cheri Ewing Asimus, PhD, are giving back to that hometown community through an estate gift that supports integrative care in Cincinnati.
The Dan and Cheri Asimus Endowment Fund for Integrative Health advances the mission of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at UC by helping future physicians integrate whole-person care in their own lives.
The Asimus’ gift will support the Osher Wellness Day in the Park, a signature experience designed to promote physical, emotional and social well-being among UC medical students. This day focuses on practices like forest bathing, mindful walking, yoga or Tai Chi sessions with team games that involve gentle physical activity to encourage fun, vitality and connection.
"Dan and Cheri have been with us since day one,” said Sian Cotton, PhD, director, Osher Center for Integrative Health at UC and Turner Farm Foundation Chair. “They are amongst the Founding Friends of the Center that have made it possible for us at the Osher Center to reach the level of impact we see today - and will continue far into the future with their consistent support. We are so grateful to them both for their unending belief in us and in the power of integrative health to transform lives."
“I choose to focus on medical students and faculty,” Asimus says, reflecting on the generous gift he and his wife made. “If faculty start practicing integrative health, then the students will follow. Then we’ve converted them to be teachers of integrative health.”
Featured image at top: Osher Wellness Day in the Park. Photo/UC Health
This is how breakthroughs happen
Your generosity has illuminated what’s next: Student success beyond the classroom. Bearcats winning on the Big 12 stage. The gift of discovery for the health of our community. When you give to the University of Cincinnati and UC Health, you invest in the problem-solvers of tomorrow.
Madeline Schrand
Advancement Writer, Strategic Communications
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