James Kwako MD was born in Bismarck, North Dakota. He is the second from the youngest in a family of five children. The Kwako family were health-oriented, in both practice and career. Dr. Kwako’s mother worked as a registered nurse; his eldest brother, a pediatrician; his eldest sister, a nurse; and his youngest sister became an occupational therapist.
Although Dr. Kwako attended medical school at both the University of North Dakota and the University of West Virginia, the University of North Dakota only offered two years of schooling, requiring its students to complete their education elsewhere. Thus, he went on to finish his education at the University of West Virginia, completing a second-year residency in Family Practice at the Kanawha Family Practice Center in South Charleston.
In 1976, Dr. Kwako completed a residency in Holistic Medicine in Phoenix, AZ. The program was developed by Gladys, M.D. and Bill McGarey, M.D., a husband and wife team with Family Practices dedicated to researching and applying the Edgar Cayce material. In 1977, the New England Journal of Medicine proclaimed Mr. Cayce the “Father of Holistic Medicine.”
It was also in 1976 that Dr. Kwako joined with C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D., a neurosurgeon, who established the first comprehensive, out-patient, chronic pain treatment program. While there, Dr. Kwako served for four years as the program’s Medical Director. Dr. Shealy also founded the American Holistic Medical Association and Dr. Kwako became a founding member, serving as its annual meeting chair for three years followed by its board member for two years.
In 1980, Dr. Kwako joined Evarts Loomis, M.D. at Meadowlark Retreat Center, a residential treatment center located in Hemet, CA. Meadowlark later became a well-known holistic retreat program, serving many guests, nationally and internationally. During his time at Meadowlark, Dr. Kwako created holistic physician study groups in both Los Angeles and San Diego.
In 1990, Dr. Kwako relocated to Santa Barbara, CA, where he established a private Family Practice. Soon after, he became an Instructor with the Santa Barbara City College Adult Education Program, whose name has since changed and is now called the Center for Lifelong Learning (CLL). Dr. Kwako continues to offer several classes on a variety of health and healing related topics for CLL.
In 2011, Dr. Kwako created the Santa Barbara Holistic/Integrative Medicine Study Group. This group meets monthly to discuss a variety of topics on healing, each are led by an invited speaker. The group is made up of health practitioners and professionals, representing physicians, nurses, psychologists, chiropractors, body workers and other healers.
In 2011, Dr. Kwako also joined the International Association of Near-Death Studies, Santa Barbara Chapter. Since joining the group, he became, and currently is, a faculty member, leading general discussion groups as part of these monthly meetings.
While in Santa Barbara, Dr. Kwako joined the Unity Church of Santa Barbara (UoSB) and has served on its board as President on three separate occasions. During this time, Dr. Kwako also became an ordained minister of the International Church of Religious Science and Healing.
Dr. Kwako is the author of Mobilizing Your Healing Energy, self- published by Amazon, 2017. He also speaks on a wide variety of health and healing topics for local organizations and other events.
Dr. Kwako is married to Jamie Truscott Kwako. Together, they have raised two wonderful sons. Dr. Kwako especially enjoys spending time with his loving family and their family pets, the most current of which is an unusual German Shepherd named Micah. Although he stays quite busy with his holistic medical practice, speaking and teaching events and groups, his writings, and spending time with his family, Dr. Kwako’s especially enjoys his favorite hobby, singing with the UoSB choir. He is proud to share the good news that the UoSB Choir was recently invited to sing at Carnegie Hall in November, 2018.