2025 Whole Health Consortium Symposium
May 19, 2025 • 8am to 6pm • The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
Be part of this interactive one-day symposium focused on addressing rural health disparities through Whole Health principles. This event will bring together researchers, healthcare professionals, community leaders, educators, and industry partners to exchange ideas and drive meaningful action.
Together, we will explore the challenges facing our rural communities, evaluate effective community-based strategies, and discuss promising research-driven solutions for improving access to mental health care, advancing trauma-informed care, and addressing the social and environmental factors that shape rural health.
Building on the momentum of our inaugural 2024 meeting, this year's symposium will continue the conversation—strengthening partnerships, sharing evidence-based practices, and identifying concrete steps to improve rural health outcomes.
This event is made possible through the generous support of the American Cancer Society and an anonymous foundation through the Collective to Strengthen Pathways for Health Research, along with our dedicated partners committed to advancing health and well-being in rural communities.
This symposium is approved for up to 6 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, provided through the joint providership of Carilion Clinic’s CME Program and the Whole Health Consortium at Virginia Tech.
Agenda:
- 8:00 - 9:00 | Registration and refreshments
- 9:15 – 10:15 | Lessons Learned from the Veterans Health Administration: How Whole Health Research Can Drive National Health Reform
Speaker: Dr. Tracey Gaudet, MD - 10:15 – 12:00 | World Café-Style Discussions: Shaping Mental Health and Trauma-Informed Care Solutions in Rural Communities and Health Care
- 12:00 | Buffet Lunch
- 1:15 – 3:15 | Data Walk on Building Wellness: Community-Engaged Strategies to Address Social Determinants of Health
Concludes with: Open-Mic Discussions and Priority Synthesis
Guidelines for Creating Your Data Walk Poster - 3:30 – 4:30 | Whole Health Futures: Transdisciplinary Research and Its Impact on Community Health and Well-Being
Speaker: Dr. Alex Krist, MD, MPH - 4:30 | Flash Funding Announcements and Research Team-Building Opportunity
- 5:00 | Networking Reception
Meet Our Keynote Speakers:
Tracy Gaudet, MD
Co-Founder, Cornerstone Collaboration for Societal Change
Executive Director, Veterans Health Administration's National Office of Patient-Centered Care and Cultural Transformation (2011-2019)
Co-founder of the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health
Alexander Krist, MD, MPH
Professor, Family Medicine and Population Health, VCU
Co-chair, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Committee on Transforming Health Care to Create Whole Health
Co-Director, Ambulatory Care Outcomes Research network
Meet Our World Cafe Facilitators:
Julie Gerdes, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of English, VT
Sophie Wenzel, MPH, DrPH
Associate Director, Center for Public Health Practice and Research, VT
Meet Our Interactive Data Walk Facilitators:
Noelle Bissell, MD
Director, New River Valley Health District, Virginia Department of Health
Catherine M. Baase, MD
Principal, Dr. Catherine M. Baase Consulting, LLC
Location:
The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center