Jefferson, a "model professional university" established by the merger of Thomas Jefferson University and Philadelphia University, has announced a $20 million gift from the Marcus Foundation to establish a Department of Integrative Medicine in its Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

The first department of its kind in the academic medical field will formalize the teaching of integrative medicine, which uses evidence-based treatments to address the health needs of the whole person. With a curriculum driven by possible clinical applications, the department will offer a master's degree, several certificate programs, and a one-year fellowship in integrative and nutritional medicine.

The grant also will help kickstart four new lines of scientific inquiry into the efficacy of integrative treatments. By leveraging the capacity of the region's first PET-MRI scanner, the department will study the effects of integrative therapies in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, Lyme disease, congestive heart failure, and chronic fatigue.

"Patients are looking for the kind of care that addresses mental and physical well-being, and the Marcus Foundation uniquely understands that consumer revolution," said Stephen K. Klasko, president of Thomas Jefferson University and CEO of Jefferson Health. "This incredible gift will help future physicians break through the silos in medicine to understand a more holistic view of care, while fueling new research to make sure we present these options in a safe, well-researched, responsible way."