2026 Conference | Empowering Naturopathic Physicians to Drive Health Equity and Optimal Wellness for All | Dennis Godby, ND, MA

Abstract: Naturopathic physicians believe that lifestyle changes are crucial for optimizing health. However, many of us have come to realize that providing access to lifestyle change information is not the first step. To truly advance health equity, we must first confront and address the systemic barriers that perpetuate health disparities, including implicit and unconscious bias, “otherism,” structural racism, multigenerational poverty, substandard housing, food deserts, and limited rural health facilities.

Presenter bio: Dr. Dennis Godby has over 20 years of experience as a naturopathic doctor in California. He has a bachelors degree in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition from Oregon State University (1979) and a Master of Theological Studies from Mary Knoll School of Theology (1990). He loves having been an integral part of the health transformation and mood optimization of thousands of patients using natural medicine. Dr. Godby founded the Diabetes Natural Path Center in 2005 to focus on helping patients overcome diabetes. He is passionate about naturopathic medicine and organized “the run” across the USA in 2011 to increase awareness of the field. In 2022, he created "Walk USA for Health Equity" to raise awareness about disparities in the healthcare system in the United States. This walk is set to end in Seattle, Washington, in 2026. Dr. Godby was awarded the “True Grit Award” in 2023 by the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) and was the first recipient of the "Naturopathic Doctor of the Year Award" in 2012 by the California Naturopathic Doctors Association (CNDA).