About I Am Well Foundation
Wellness belongs to everyone.
I Am Well Foundation believes wellness belongs to everyone — not just the privileged few. We're a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to transform health outcomes by addressing the root causes that traditional systems often overlook — from systemic bias and cultural disconnection to the lack of access and authentic community care.
Our Mission
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
- Providing consulting and technical assistance to I Am Well Chapters
Our Vision
Founded by a diverse team of professionals across the healing spectrum, we're here to shift the focus from symptom management to whole-person transformation. 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
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 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 — including replacing the "insurance-based" health care model with a 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 focus on payer requirements, and this should be encapsulated in the whole-person, patient-centered model.
Guiding Principles
- I Am Well Foundation is 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 intentionally addresses and works to 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 to ensure provider needs are also met in developing a new health care service delivery model.
What 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 the contributions of stakeholders and contributors.
Innovation
We believe in visionary approaches incorporating the latest in best practices and opportunities.
Compassion
Building authentic, trauma-informed relationships is key to promoting overall wellness, and systems should be built with that in mind.
Education
All people should be fully informed of all their options, so 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 — policies, practices, and procedures — should be carried out with the highest integrity.
Being supportive
Health and mental health services should offer advice and care with genuine encouragement, reassurance, and validation.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
History & Milestones
Current
Launching a comprehensive self-assessment and new Healthy You Dash technology; launching Whole Person Care Coordination; building on and expanding Cultural Wellness Trainings; expanding I Am Well Darke County outreach to serve as a model for other chapters and affiliates.
2025–2026
I Am Well Darke County focused on expanding and enhancing local programs to meet the needs of disparately impacted people and populations through Wellness Beyond Barriers and other programs delivered to communities at their locations.
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 secured its first space at 300 Sycamore in Greenville, OH.
2022–2023
I Am Well Darke County launched Celebrate You Saturdays, bringing together providers to serve the community.
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.
2020–2021
After more than 40 years working in modern medicine, our founder, Shelly "Michele" Acker, brought together a Task Force from across the United States 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. Shelly, along with Task Force members Shelia Voisard and Jordan Francis, then joined I Am Well Foundation’s first board members and I Am Well Darke County practitioners to bring the model to life.