Center for Integrative Medicine

Center Base Path
medicine

Anna Morrell

First Name
Anna
Last Name
Morrell
Credentials (Display)
MS, RDN
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Anna Morrell
Titles
Integrative Registered Dietitian
Bio

Anna Morrell, MS, RDN, is an integrative Registered Dietitian at UC San Diego Health, specializing in integrative and functional nutrition. She provides individualized medical nutrition therapy for gastrointestinal disorders, metabolic health, women’s health, and chronic disease prevention. In addition to clinical care, Anna is involved in culinary medicine education and inter/intradisciplinary teaching. She earned her Master of Science in Nutritional Science from San Diego State University and completed her dietetic internship at UC San Diego Health.

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Areas of Expertise
Preventative care, weight management, digestive health, autoimmune conditions, women's health
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Outpatient
Accepting New Patients
Accepting New Patients
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Clinical Philosophy

I view food not only as medicine, but also as a meaningful form of self-care and an investment in your future health and well-being. Nutrition is the foundation. I take an individualized, evidence-based approach that considers the interconnected influences of lifestyle, stress, sleep, movement, environment, and relationship with food when developing nutrition interventions. My goal is to empower patients with practical, sustainable strategies that support long-term healing, resilience, and overall wellness.

What to Expect

Patients can expect an individualized, patient-led approach during their initial visit, with their personal goals, health concerns, and priorities guiding the session. Before the appointment, patients will complete a detailed 3-day diet journal along with any medications or supplements they take. The first visit is designed not only to gather a comprehensive understanding of overall health and nutrition status, but also to provide meaningful education tailored to the patient’s needs. Equally important, the initial session serves as an opportunity to build rapport, establish trust, and develop a collaborative foundation that supports more personalized and effective follow-up care.

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Credentials

History of the Founding of the UC San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine

Resource Type
Video
Resource Categories
Integrative Medicine
Resource Summary
The speaker shares the founding vision for UC San Diego’s Center for Integrative Medicine, describing it as a collaborative, evidence-based effort to bring whole-person care into every level of the medical center. He emphasizes the importance of humanizing medicine, empowering patients, building community partnerships, and supporting health through clinical care, education, research, and integrative practices.
Resource Duration
16-20 minutes
Primary Center
CIM

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

Resource Type
Video
Resource Categories
Integrative Medicine
Resource Summary
In this video, the speaker introduces mindfulness as a practical way to become more aware of the present moment and the patterns that shape how we respond to stress, pain, and difficulty. He explains how mindfulness can help people step out of automatic reactions, relate to their experiences with less judgment, and cultivate greater balance, resilience, and well-being through practices such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.
Resource Duration
26-30 minutes
Primary Center
CIM

Locations

Our clinical team sees patients in various UC San Diego Health locations across San Diego County. Please call ahead to make an appointment: 844-747-0474

Telehealth appointments are also available. For some services, return patients may make follow-up appointments via MyChart.

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Koman Family Outpatient Pavilion exterior
Koman Family Outpatient Pavilion

9400 Campus Point Drive
San Diego, CA 92037

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Perlman Medical Offices Entrance
Perlman Medical Offices

9350 Campus Point Drive
San Diego, CA 92037

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4510 Executive Drive exterior
UC San Diego Health – 4510 Executive Drive

4510 Executive Drive
San Diego, CA 92121

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4520 Executive Drive Exterior
UC San Diego Health – 4520 Executive Drive

4520 Executive Drive
San Diego, CA 92121

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4th & Lewis Exterior
UC San Diego Health – 4th & Lewis Medical Offices

330 Lewis St.
San Diego, CA 92103

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Garden View Road Entrance
UC San Diego Health – Garden View Road

1200 Garden View Road
Encinitas, CA 92024

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Genesee Avenue Entrance
UC San Diego Health – Genesee Avenue

9333 Genesee Ave.
San Diego, CA 92121

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Rancho Bernardo Exterior
UC San Diego Health – Rancho Bernardo

16950 Via Tazon
San Diego, CA 92127

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Scripps Ranch Entrance
UC San Diego Health – Scripps Ranch

9909 Mira Mesa Blvd.
Suite 200
San Diego, CA 92131

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Sorrento Valley Entrance
UC San Diego Health – Sorrento Valley

4910 Directors Place
San Diego, CA 92121

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University Center Lane Exterior
UC San Diego Health – University Center Lane

8899 University Center Lane
San Diego, CA 92122

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Villa La Jolla Drive Exterior
UC San Diego Health – Villa La Jolla Drive

8910 Villa La Jolla Drive
San Diego, CA 92037

Supervised Lifestyle and Integrative Medicine (SLIM) Program for Weight Loss

About Our Program

Scientific research has shown that chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure respond best to intensive treatments in a group setting. This group program is led by an integrative/lifestyle medicine physician and supported by an integrative health care team. Your initial visit will be in person with your integrative/lifestyle medicine physician, at which time you will receive a comprehensive assessment and starter kit. During the course of 16 online group medical appointments, we will provide a safe, focused, and enjoyable environment to support a healthy lifestyle and improve your overall health. These virtual sessions will be highly interactive and will include cooking classes, behavioral coaching, and mindfulness and self-compassion training. Insurance policy benefits will be obtained upon scheduling.

Group visits are conducted remotely via a secure, HIPAA-compliant Zoom platform. Options for in-person group programs may become available — inquire for more details. Individual consultations may also be scheduled as telehealth appointments or in person.

To find out if this program is right for you and check your benefits, call our toll-free integrative navigation service at (844) 747-0474.


SLIM Curriculum Modules

The SLIM Program at UC San Diego, pioneered by Dr. Deepa Sannidhi, has developed a comprehensive lifestyle and integrative medicine curriculum that is user-friendly and suitable for educational use by both providers and patients. Educational materials are divided into 16 modules. Each module includes downloadable presentation slides, links and downloads to diet, nutrition, and mindfulness resources, and speaker notes for physician use. The SLIM curriculum is centered around patient engagement, patient education, and a collaborative provider–patient approach with the goal of fostering long-term health and patient success.

Education Materials for Patients

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Education Materials for Healthcare Providers

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Personal and Professional Renewal

Resource Type
Video
Resource Categories
Integrative Medicine
Resource Summary
Explore a compassionate, integrative approach to healthcare that emphasizes empathy, self-awareness, and whole-person healing. The speaker highlights the importance of empowering patients through connection, resilience, and personal meaning, while encouraging clinicians to approach care with courage, compassion, and a shared commitment to healing and justice.
Resource Duration
16-20 minutes
Primary Center
CIM

Ariel Portera

First Name
Ariel
Last Name
Portera
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Ariel Portera, DO
Titles
Primary Care Physician, Assistant Professor of Family Medicine
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Megan E. Jolicoeur

First Name
Megan E.
Last Name
Jolicoeur
Credentials (Display)
DO, FAAFP, ABOIM, FMCP-M
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Megan E. Jolicoeur, DO
Titles
Integrative Medicine Physician, Assistant Professor of Family Medicine
Bio

Megan Jolicoeur, DO, is a board-certified family medicine and integrative medicine specialist. She is also an Institute of Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner (FMCP-M).

She serves as an associate professor of family medicine in the UC San Diego School of Medicine and currently sees patients at UC San Diego's Centers for Integrative Health. Through a holistic perspective, Dr. Jolicoeur empowers her patients to reach optimal wellness from a whole body and integrative approach that includes physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Dr. Jolicoeur has a passion and expertise in integrative medicine, medical acupuncture, osteopathy, lifestyle medicine, nutrition and functional medicine. She currently holds additional certifications in medical acupuncture, mind body medicine, Ayurvedic counseling, Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT),  and is a 200-hour certified yoga teacher.

She previously served as an active-duty naval officer and physician at Naval Branch Health Clinic Port Hueneme while also leading as the senior medical officer. During her time of service, she participated in a humanitarian mission called Pacific Partnership 2015 aboard the USNS Mercy and also established an integrative medical and acupuncture clinic for active duty, retired veterans and dependents.

Following her service with the Navy, she completed an integrative medicine fellowship at the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine while also serving as a clinical instructor for UCLA. She completed her internship and residency at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton. She served an additional year focusing on integrative medicine while also serving as a junior attending physician.

Dr. Jolicoeur earned her medical degree at Touro University School of Osteopathic Medicine-California. She completed a bachelor's degree in physiology and neurobiology from The University of Connecticut.

She is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP) and a member of the American Board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM).

Her hobbies include spending time with family, running, hiking, cooking, and traveling. She uses yoga, meditation, and time in nature to stay grounded and grateful.

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Areas of Expertise
Functional GI disorders, pain, integrative women's health, integrative oncology, mind body medicine, pain reprocessing therapy, medical acupuncture. Center for Integrative Medicine Consult Lead.
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Inpatient
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Accepting New Patients
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Integrative Pain Management

Integrative pain management at UC San Diego focuses on treating the whole person by addressing the physical, emotional, and behavioral aspects of pain. Our approach combines conventional medical care with evidence-based integrative therapies to support long-term healing and improved quality of life.

Care plans are individualized and may include a combination of medical evaluation, lifestyle interventions, mind-body practices, and complementary therapies tailored to each patient’s needs.


Conditions We Treat

Our team supports patients experiencing a wide range of acute and chronic pain conditions, including:

  • Back and neck pain
  • Joint and musculoskeletal pain
  • Headaches and migraines
  • Neuropathic pain
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Post-surgical pain
  • Cancer-related pain
  • Inflammatory conditions
  • Chronic fatigue and pain syndromes
  • Complex pain conditions

Our Approach

Integrative pain management emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach that combines conventional treatments with complementary therapies to address the root causes of pain and improve overall well-being.

  • Comprehensive medical evaluation
  • Personalized treatment planning
  • Lifestyle and nutrition support
  • Stress management and mind-body practices
  • Movement and physical rehabilitation strategies
  • Coordination with your healthcare team

Integrative Therapies May Include

  • Acupuncture
  • Massage therapy
  • Osteopathic manual medicine
  • Mindfulness and meditation
  • Health coaching
  • Yoga and movement therapies
  • Nutrition counseling
  • Stress reduction techniques
  • Behavioral health support
  • Other complementary therapies as appropriate

What to Expect

Initial Visit

  • Comprehensive review of your medical history and pain concerns
  • Assessment of physical, emotional, and lifestyle factors
  • Identification of contributing causes of pain
  • Development of a personalized treatment plan
  • Coordination with your existing care providers

Ongoing Care

  • Monitoring progress and symptom changes
  • Adjusting treatments as needed
  • Supporting long-term pain management strategies
  • Education and tools for self-care
  • Continued coordination with your healthcare team

Make an Appointment

New Patients

Call 858-249-6890 or toll-free at 844-747-0474 to schedule your first visit.

Returning Patients

Schedule your follow-up visit through MyChart or by phone.