Our Beginning & History
I Am Well Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded by a multi-disciplinary team of health and wellness professionals from across the healing spectrum.
- 2020 – 2021: After more than 40 years working modern medicine, our founder, Shelly “Michele” Acker, brought together a Task Force from across the United States to with the intention of transforming America’s healthcare systems. The Task Force worked through the COVID-19 pandemic to develop the Whole Person Centered Optimal Health & Wellness Model and the Healthy You Dashboard. After they were finished, Shelly, along with Task Force Members, Shelia Voisard and Jordan Francis, joined with I Am Well Foundation’s first board members and I Am Well Darke County practitioners to bring the model to life.
- 2021 – 2022: I Am Well Foundation was born and received its 501(c)3 status; Local providers came together to form I Am Well Darke County.
- 2022 – 2023: I Am Well Darke County launched Celebrate You Saturdays bringing together providers to serve the community.
- 2023 – 2024: I Am Well Foundation received its first large scale grant to provide Cultural Wellness Trainings in Colorado and build the Cultural Wellness Online Training Portal; I Am Well Darke County got secured its first space at 300 Sycamore in Greenville, OH.
- Current Goals: Build upon and expand Cultural Wellness Trainings; Improve Self Assessment Tools to address key health disparities; Expand I Am Well Darke County outreach to serve as a model for other chapters and affiliates.
Our Mission & Vision
Our mission is to empower Americans to identify, achieve and maintain their own unique optimal health and wellness by:
- Promoting the Whole Person Centered Optimal Health & Wellness Model;
- Connecting Americans to whole person centered optimal health and wellness information, education, providers and resources;
- Implementing a wide range of Pilot Projects in Ohio to demonstrate the effectiveness of the model while improving overall health outcomes; and
- Providing consulting and technical assistance to I Am Well Chapters.
We envision an America where all people are living at their highest health potential and are guaranteed access to whole-person optimal health care
Our Core Beliefs, Guiding Principles and Values
We believe:
- All people should be provided the opportunity to access health and mental health care services that empower and enable them to reach their own unique optimal health, regardless of income, employment status, or geographic location within the United States.
- Prevention, education and action plans are key in moving the America’s health model from a “sick care” focus to an “optimal health” focus.
- A whole-person centered model begins at birth and continues throughout the life of the individual.
- Barriers to health care and mental health care services should be eliminated, to include replacing the “insurance-based” health care model with the Single System Direct Service Universal Health Care model, ensuring transportation is included as an essential health care service, and recognizing alternative practices as integral to whole-person health care (among others).
- The role of caregivers is to “give care” rather than focusing on payer requirements, and this should be encapsulated in the whole-person, patient centered model.
We’re guided by these principles:
- I Am Well Foundation should be guided and developed by a multi-disciplinary team of professionals and stakeholders from across the healing and body/mind spectrum, including professionals from specialized fields, such as technology, transportation, and many others.
- I Am Well Foundation should intentionally address and eliminate disparities among traditionally marginalized patients, including racial disparities, and disparities for people with disabilities, people with a mental health diagnosis, people facing addictions, LGBT communities, people with lower income, and others.
- Staffing models and technology need to be addressed in order to ensure provider needs are also met in developing a new health care service delivery model.
We value:
- Dignity: We honor the dignity and worth of all people, providers and members of the I Am Well Foundation Team.
- Respect: We respect the personal journey of people and providers, and we respect the contributions of stakeholders and I Am Well Foundation contributors.
- Innovation: We believe in visionary approaches incorporating the latest in best practices and opportunities.
- Compassion: Building authentic, trauma-informed relationships are key to promoting overall wellness and health, and systems should be built with that in mind.
- Education: All people should be fully informed of all their options, so that they can make the best decisions for themselves and their loved ones.
- Making the right choice the easy choice: Systems and designs should be accessible, with barriers eliminated as much as possible.
- Integrity: The administration of health and mental health services, including, policies, practices and procedures should be implemented with the highest of integrity.
- Being Supportive: Health and mental health services should offer advice and care with genuine encouragement, reassurance and validation.