The Cornell Institute for health Futures (CIHF) – an academic centre within New York’s Cornell University – has received a grant to support the creation of an undergraduate minor in Health, hospitality and design. The programme is reported to be the first university programme in the US to combine those three disciplines.

The minor is part of a larger suite of multidisciplinary educational programmes CIHF develops and supports for healthcare, wellness, senior living and related areas.

The HHD minor will provide students in all academic programmes in Cornell access to the emerging field of inquiry that combines hospitality, health and design, to explore healthy and positive solutions to challenges in healthcare. HHD will provide opportunities for students to imagine industry-integrated models for improved services in care and wellness.

Cornell's School of Hotel Administration – one of the top in the country – also offers a highly regarded spa module, first launched by Mary Tabacchi in 1985.