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This paper presents the case for furthering the profession of counseling psychology by affiliating with a department of medicine and not working only within traditional graduate programs. Counselor training programs have explicit expectations for faculty to execute a research program that makes a unique contribution to the field. Medical schools expect psychology faculty to conduct a program that attracts external funding which in turn serves as a sign of external validation. This clear mission, along with a supportive infrastructure, makes it easy to do research deemed necessary for scholarship and service. Health care delivery to persons with chronic diseases and disabilities constitutes the greatest challenge facing health care today, and the effective treatment of these problems is a priority of policymakers and federal funding agencies. The paper questions whether mainstream counseling psychology, as represented by the majority of research published, is responsive to this national priority. Counseling psychologists are ideally prepared to demonstrate the worth of psychological explanations of behavior and associated interventions in promoting the health and well-being of persons with chronic health problems. It suggests development of a research program that would have theoretical and practical applications and have an impact on health care policy and delivery. (JDM)