Partnerships
IFM forges collaborations with other leading institutions to transform medicine globally.
By building partnerships with organizations that share common goals, IFM can advance our mission of ensuring the widespread adoption of functional medicine. IFM is particularly committed to developing partnerships that enhance functional medicine education, clinical practice, access, economic viability, and research.
Since its inception in 1991, The Institute for Functional Medicine has inspired the development of functional medicine-related services, products, educational programs, and more (see figure)—all in response to the growing interest and demand for this clinical model, ultimately forming the functional medicine “ecosystem.” IFM isn’t capable of dedicating sufficient resources (nor in-house expertise) to simultaneously advance all of these critical components of the movement by itself. Therefore, we invite, engage, and formalize partnerships to facilitate, empower, and support our core objectives of expanding reach and capacity, improving clinical and practice skills, strengthening the evidence base, and catalyzing and integrating emerging trends.
As a result of IFM partnerships:
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- Numerous academic medicine, nutrition, and residency programs have participated in IFM’s education courses.
- Practice efficiency tools such as LivingMatrix are saving clinicians one hour in patient visits every day; LivingMatrix has quickly become the largest database of functional medicine patient cases.
- Patient outcomes research demonstrating the clinical and financial benefits of using the functional medicine model are in progress at major academic health centers, self-insured employers, and health systems.
- The first-of-its-kind training and certification program for functional medicine health coaches is now available through the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy.
IFM’s 2020-2021 Annual Report highlights the organization’s work to empower confident and competent practitioners, advance health equity, increase access, and improve the overall delivery of patient care, all of which helps ensure the widespread adoption of functional medicine.

Leading Together
Partnerships
IFM has partnered with leading organizations to improve the practice, use, and evidence supporting functional medicine. Collaborating partners include academic health centers and residency programs, university graduate programs, professional training programs, innovative technology companies, self-insured employers, international education programs, and specialized clinical training.
The following are IFM’s featured collaborations:
- Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine. An unprecedented collaboration to advance the practice, education, and evidence behind functional medicine. Learn More
- Academic Medicine Partners and Professional Training Programs. Learn More
- Functional Medicine Coaching Academy. The first accredited functional medicine health coach training program. Learn More
- LivingMatrix. A cloud-based patient information management application specifically designed to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of functional medicine practices.
- International Partnerships. Learn More
- Integrated Connections (IC). The leading platform for employment opportunities in functional medicine. Learn More
- Practice Implementation Resources. Programs that teach business planning and practice efficiency to support clinicians’ practice building objectives. LEARN MORE
- Health Systems. Learn More
- Industry Partners. Learn More
IFM also has a long-standing corporate sponsorship program comprising companies that represent nutraceutical, laboratory, medical device, technology, and other components of the functional medicine ecosystem. Learn More
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Strategic Partnerships and Innovations

IFM builds relationships and partnerships that:
- Build on IFM’s education and clinical model
- Extend and leverage tools to educate and engage patients
- Serve to improve access, outcomes, and affordability of functional medicine to the public
- Create practice implementation opportunities for IFM-trained practitioners
- Contribute research and outcomes to the evidence base for functional medicine