Open Source Wellness: Scaling Community As Medicine Across the United States
Born out of the reality that our healthcare system predictably fails our most vulnerable communities, Open Source Wellness (OSW) is committed to creating a world in which everyone experiences abundant health, well-being, and human connection, especially those who have been historically excluded and marginalized.
OSW’s Community As Medicine (CAM) model was created to facilitate the adoption of “behavioral prescriptions” that healthcare providers give patients (such as “eat better, exercise more, and reduce your stress”), combat social isolation, and uplift the universal practices that underlie health and well-being. The latter include physical activity, plant-forward nutrition, social support, and stress reduction. CAM was originally implemented in 2016 in Alameda County, CA as a direct service program in partnership with Recipe4Health, an award-winning and nationally-renowned food as medicine initiative, and Federally Qualified Health Centers. It now serves 1,500 individuals/year.
With grant support from Ardmore Institute of Health (AIH), OSW launched the CAM Learning Collaborative (CAMLC) in 2024 to scale and spread CAM across the United States. CAMLC began with a cohort of three YMCAs across the country – YMCA of Metro Denver (CO), YMCA of San Diego County (CA), and YMCA of the North (MN and WI) – that wanted to implement CAM in their communities. In 2024, while maintaining fidelity to OSW’s CAM model, each Y worked to adapt CAM to the needs of its local community, building relationships with clinical and health plan partners that refer patients to the program and training health coaches in OSW’s group coaching model. In 2025, the three Ys are implementing their CAM programs. Concurrently, a new cohort of five Ys, representing five additional states spread across the U.S., is joining CAMLC; they will build their CAM programs in 2025 for a launch in 2026.
"Thanks to the coaching and support from the Open Source Wellness team, we've gained the skills to confidently connect with new clinics and payers, secured new funding, and trained more staff to become National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coaches. Being part of the CAM learning collaborative has truly been a game-changer for us, empowering our team to think creatively about how to integrate an innovative program into our suite of wellness offerings,” stated Jess Giffin, Director of Community Wellbeing at YMCA of Metro Denver.
Click here to learn more about how Open Source Wellness supports community-based organizations to build financially sustainable, equity-centered, and joyful group health coaching programs.
Related Grant: Scaling “Community As Medicine” via YMCA Partnerships
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