A Legacy of Advancing Natural Health
Our continuing commitment.
Decades of advocating. Decades of education. Decades of leading the conversation around natural health and access to natural medicine.
The world has evolved dramatically since our founding, yet the demand and opportunity for accessible, evidence-based natural health continues to grow stronger. The work that we and our partners have accomplished over the last 30 years has forever changed the landscape of natural health. And we’re just getting started.
Join us as we honor our legacy and advance toward a brighter future where whole-person health is accessible to all.
Tax Deductible
1993
INM Incorporates
Institute of Natural Medicine (INM) is incorporated as a non-profit 501(c)3 in Oregon by James Sensenig, ND, Harry Swope III, ND, Vida Fassler, and Bob Timberlake. Founding board includes J. Sensenig (founding Chair), R. Timberlake, M. Werness, H. Swope, W. Fassler, V. Fassler, and J. Strohecker. Sue Yirku becomes founding Executive Director (until 2013).
FOUNDATIONS 1993 – 2013
1997
Reorganization & Advancement
INM reorganizes and advances under the new leadership of INM Chair and NCNM President, Clyde Jensen, PhD.
2003
California Licensure
INM plays a key role in obtaining licensure for naturopathic doctors in California.
2001
AANMC Foundations
INM helps launch the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC) with core staff support. AANMC seeks to advance the naturopathic medical profession by actively supporting the academic efforts of accredited naturopathic medical schools.
2013
Restructuring for the Future
Joseph Pizzorno, ND, on the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) Board of Directors, is asked by Executive Director Sue Yirku to develop a plan for INM’s future. Dr. Simon nominates a new Board, which is approved by AANP President M. Cronin and existing INM Board members. INM inaugurates the new Board, including M. Simon, H. Lucille, M. Cronin, T. Kruzel, S. Stark, B. Milliman, and M. Werness. Dr. Werness is carried over from the founding board. New bylaws are drafted and approved.
INM 2.0
2013 – 2018
2013
Naturopathic Medicine Collaborative (NMC)
INM launches the Naturopathic Medicine Collaborative (NMC), a profession-wide stakeholder assembly including AANP, AANMC, state associations, specialty societies, and the Naturopathic Medical Student Association (NMSA). Initially, 42 organizations are invited to join.
The NMC is launched by Dr. Simon, President and CEO, V. Campbell, P. Snider, and M. Beeson.
2015
Naturally Well Launches
Inaugural Naturally Well program launches at the West San Gabriel Valley YMCA in collaboration with the Food as Medicine Institute based at the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM). Aiming to support lifelong health for children and their families in at-risk communities, the program is led by M. Simon, M. Fitzpatrick, and A. Santiago.
2016
Ambassador Program
INM’s Community Outreach Coordinator Heather Carrie, MAS, launches the Ambassador Program to help amplify accurate and up-to-date information on naturopathic medicine.
2017
Grateful Patients Gallery Launch
INM launches a Patient Gallery with grateful patient testimonials from naturopathic medicine featured on the INM website.
2017
Campaign for Naturopathic Medicine
INM and the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) launch the Campaign for Naturopathic Medicine, the first sustained national public awareness campaign on naturopathic medicine with a goal to provide a foundation of accurate, positive, targeted information about naturopathic medicine in media.
2017
Naturally Well Reaches 250 Children
250 children are taught cooking, diet, and nutrition through the third Naturally Well health and wellness program.
2018
Summet for the Future
The Naturopathic Medicine Collaborative (NMC) Summit on the Future of Naturopathic Medicine is held on July 11, 2018, at the AANP Convention in San Diego, CA.
Felt by many as a “watershed moment” initiative to strengthen the culture of collaboration in the profession and address opportunities, tensions, diversity, unity, and the future.
The Summit is spearheaded by Margaret Beeson, ND, with Michelle Simon, Ph.D. (INM), Laura Farr (AANP), and Jeana Kimball, ND, LM, MPH (the Vision Group).
The planning team to “hold the whole” includes the Vision Group and the Planning Team: individuals from INM, AANP, AANMC (JoAnn Yanez, ND, MPH), NMSA (Blake Langley, ND candidate), the State Alliance (Emily Telfair, ND), Research (Joshua Goldenberg, ND), NMI (Harry Swope, ND, DHANP), ANR (Node Smith, ND), FNM (Pamela Snider, ND), and Maryland University of Integrative Health (Abigail Aeroya, ND, LM).
EXPANSION 2018 – 2022
2018
Residency Consortium Launches
INM announces ten inaugural residency sites established for the INM Residency Consortium (IRC). It begins efforts to help educate and further the careers of naturopathic doctors by organizing and leading residency programs for graduating naturopathic doctors with grants, continuing education credits, and business best-practice classes to help them achieve greater success in their future clinical practice.
2018
Primary Care Task Force (PCTF)
INM launches the Primary Care Task Force (PCTF) to promote workforce expansion of community health centers to include ND primary care physicians.
The founding taskforce includes Michelle Simon, Ph.D., ND, Pamela Snider, ND, Tom Bell, ND, Kelsey Klausmeyer, ND, Hannah Gordon, ND, RN, Stephen LaBreque (ND student), Eva Kozura, ND, and Nate Thomas from the Northwest Rural Primary Care Association.
2019
Guidestar Silver Transparency Status
INM is awarded Guidestar Silver Transparency Status, a testament to its credibility and commitment to transparency, and continues to receive this distinction until awarded the Guidestar Gold Transparency designation in 2021.
2019
Future Foundations Conversation
INM hosts the Future of Naturopathic Medicine Conversation over the course of the year, with over 700 NDs participating.
2020
Groundbreaking Publication
INM publishes and receives interprofessional acclaim for its groundbreaking publication Naturopathic Physicians as Whole Health Specialists: The Future is Whole Person Health Care.
2020
COVID-19 Webinars
2020
Audience Milestone
INM’s website receives a half million visitors, dwarfing the previous record.
2021
Guidestar Gold Transparency Status
Guidestar Gold Transparency is awarded to INM, which continues to the present.
2021
Lecture Series
INM’s President & CEO, Michelle Simon, Ph.D., ND, presents at the University of Colorado School of Medicine’s Strauss Wisneski Lecture series on “Developing Resilience in an Era of COVID.”
2021
Medical Advisory Board Established
INM’s ND and MD/DO Advisory Boards are established.
2021
COVID Journal Publication
INM’s President & CEO, Michelle Simon, PhD, ND, publishes alongside INM Board members, Joseph Pizzorno, ND, and Joseph Katzinger, ND Modifiable Risk Factors in Sars CoV-2 in Integrative Medicine Clinician’s Journal (open source in PubMed).
2022
Business Series Launches
NMSA-INM Business Series webinars launch to prepare ND students to run their clinics successfully.
2022 – ?
2022
President speaks at NIH Stakeholder Meeting
Dr. Simon participates as an invited panelist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) NCCIH Sponsored Stakeholder Meeting for Research on Whole Person Health.
2022
Resource Milestone
INM reaches the top 8%, budget size-wise, of an estimated 1.7 million US non-profits.
2022
Residency Training Program
INM Residency Consortium rolls out a pilot program with the first six of 82 drafted naturopathic primary care residency competencies known as Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs).
2023
Pain Management Education
INM Interprofessional Educational Series Launched with Complex Pain Management Webinar at UC Anschutz Medical Center
2023
Naturally Well in California
INM launches the Naturopathic Medicine Collaborative (NMC), a profession-wide stakeholder assembly including AANP, AANMC, state associations, specialty societies, and the Naturopathic Medical Student Association (NMSA). Initially, 42 organizations are invited to join.
The NMC is launched by Dr. Simon, President and CEO, V. Campbell, P. Snider, and M. Beeson.
Naturally Well classes launch at long-term partner Eje Academies Charter School, El Cajon, CA
2023
Clinical Nutrition Research
Inaugural Food as Medicine clinical research program launches with participants in rural Cabarrus County, NC
2024
Health Equity Column
2024
Honorary Board
2024
Quality Matters Series
2024
National Harkin Award
2024
NCCIH Whole Person Health
NMSA-INM Business Series webinars launch to prepare ND students to run their clinics successfully.
2024
RAND Reach Outcomes Research Partnership
2024
New INM Mission & Vision
2024
Record-Breaking Now Foods Investment
Support the future of natural medicine.
It takes passion, determination, and vision to make change. But we can’t do it alone.
Join us in our mission to share the healing power of nature and share the scientifically-backed principles of natural medicine with patients around the world. Your involvement with the Institute for Natural Medicine will enable us to make a profound impact in healthcare: stemming the tide of preventable chronic diseases and empowering individuals to lead healthier, more balanced lives. Everywhere.