1. Wellness and the Allied Health Professions Raul Caetano, M.D., Ph.D.

2. What is Allied Health?  Professionals involved with the delivery of health services pertaining to the identification, evaluation and prevention of diseases and disorders; dietary and nutrition services; rehabilitation and health systems management, among others.

3. Allied health professionals include dental hygienistsmedical sonographers dietitiansmedical technologists occup. therapistsphysical therapists radiographersrespiratory therapists sp. lang. pathologistsrehabilitation psychologists physician assistantsprosthetics & orthotics radiation therapistsemergency medical tech. audiology

4. Allied Health in the UT System*  University of Texas Medical Branch  University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center  MD Anderson  U.T. Health Sciences Center, San Antonio  UT Brownsville  UT Dallas  UTEP  UT Pan American * Schools at Galveston, Southwestern, MD Anderson, San Antonio, UTEP, Brownsville, Pan American

5. Culture of Wellness: Opportunities in Education  Most faculty with some knowledge about wellness.  Wellness concepts already present to different degrees in educational curriculum.  Elements of the culture present in fragmented form.

6. Culture of Welness: Opportunities in Practice  Most professions provide direct or indirect care to patients, and patient contact longer than MD.  Practice settings are varied (hospital, outpatient, clinics in the community).  Wellness practice present in varying degrees.

7. Challenges  The field of Allied Health is diverse and fragmented.  Each profession has a specific accreditation process and curriculum requirements (no common curriculum).  Professional identities are linked to specific professions and not to the field as a whole.  Professional associations are also profession- specific.

8. Near- Term Suggestions  Centralized effort leading to wide dissemination of wellness concepts to UT System units, especially those with active programs in the health field.  System-sponsored faculty development.  System-sponsored educational materials (course structure, lectures, slide sets, background literature).

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