A Medscape piece
on pharma and medical professional organizations has its natural
products parallels ... Integrative medicine programs at U
Kansas and New Mexico expand to new clinical facilities ... Quinn
assists U Kansas in establishing a unique fellowship program for an MD,
DO or ND ... Pelletier's CHIP program adds Pfizer, Pepsi and
GlaxoSmithKline as participating firms in exploring integrative
medicine in employee health ... Boston's Integrative Medical Alliance
teams with Tufts to give experience in complementary therapies to
conventional health professions students, clinicians ... Rafal's "mind
heals" program in Rhode Island ... Alexander technique expert Jean
Louis Rodriguez shares a widely reported BMJ trial which could launch
expanded interest in the little utilized but powerful patient-centered
approach ... Big kudos: population-based, group-oriented mind-body
program for adolescents led by James Gordon, MD shows positive outcomes
in Kosovo ... Team co-led by Moshe Frenkel, MD publishes a dozen
integrative oncology papers in Hematology/Oncology Clinics of North America ... Bethany Hayes, MD is looking for
practitioners for True North Center ... More ...
August 28, 2008
Do you
care about access to integrative services? Then maybe learning the language
and culture of the stakeholder, the employer, that most determines access deserves
prioritization. "Integrative medicine" will be integrated into the
October 15-17 employer-focused conference of the Institute for Health
and Productivity Management (IHPM). But the greater value to the
integrative practice community may be venturing into those sections of
the conference which are not identifiably "integrative medicine" in
order to discover the ways that the thinking of proactive employers may
be surprisingly aligned with your own. Listen
to Debra Lerner, PhD, Jame Prochaska, PhD, NCCAM's Richard Nahin, PhD,
MPH, Lise Alschuler, ND, FABNO and others. Here are a Top 10 of reasons
for stepping out of your box and attending this conference in
Scottsdale, Arizona. More ...
August 28, 2008
[From my Integrative Practitioner Online column]
My recent participation in a forum of leaders of seven integrative
practice-related organizations included some organized sharing of
mission statements of these organizations via the work of Bill Benda,
MD, the forum's moderator. We were struck by similarities. It reminded
me that the separate histories or our various organizations also
include a good deal of common ground in the timing of the founding of
many or our organizations. Look at the organizational fecundity of the
1977-1988 period. More ...
A challenge for
advocates of patient-centered care may be actually following what
patients want. Take a look at the brief survey of patients by
University of Bridgeport faculty member James Lehman, DC, MBA and
consider its implications. Significant subsets of DCs and MDs probbably
won't like following patients down that path. Then look at the view of "chiropracty", I mean "Chiropractry," or is it "Chiropractice," or maybe it's "chiropractic medicine" from Jim Winterstein, DC, president of the multidisciplinary National University of Health Sciences. Both argue, in very different ways, that "integrative medicine" is not and should not be viewed as a profession-specific term.More ...
August 23, 2008
Over 900 NDs,
MDs and others gathered August 12-18, 2008 at the Arizona Biltmore for
the annual convention of the American Association of Naturopathic
Physicians (AANP). The Cleveland Clinic sponsored continuing medical
education credits for medical doctors learning from NDs at the NDs
conference, a first. Three score members of the American Holistic
Medical Association (AHMA) attended, mixing things up in meetings, on
the dance floors and in the pools. A plenary panel and private luncheon
convened leaders of 7 national professional and educational
organizations to consider joint policy efforts. Expansion of a residency program was described. AANP executive director
Karen Howard announced that a Congressional Resolution, developed by
the AANP, had been introduced to advance wellness and empowerment in
any medical reform plan. Presentations on international opportunities
in at the Harvard-Dubai Healthcare City and in Nicaragua added additional spice to the offerings. Here is
a look at the naturopathic medical profession through the lens of one of the most robust, future-thinking practitioner
gatherings in recent years. More ...
August 23, 2008
Bhaswati Bhattacharya, MD, MPH, MA, an veteran integrative
and ayurvedic practitioner and educator based in Brooklyn, New York, is
consulting with an ayurvedic healing center in India which has been
"economically viable since 1941." Aware of the sustainability issues
with integrative care in the United States, Bhattacharya deconstructs the experience at the Arya
Vaidya Pharmacy, Chikitsalyam and Research Institute into 12
characteristics which she asserts are guides to quality, sustainable
care. Hers is an unusual list, with a few exotic touches. Anyone for
softening all consultants through submergence in healing oil? More ...
Perhaps
the best way to gauge the impact of a healthcare researcher's work is
whether medical practice changed. By such a measure, the Samueli Institute's robust
military research initiative relative to integrative practices, led by
Joan Walter, JD, PA is showing significant success. Pilot projects in
auricular acupuncture, for instance, have led to education of Air Force
doctors in a novel, 5-point auricular acupuncture protocol. A Yoga
Nidra trial is incorporated in a program for soldiers with
post-traumatic stress disorder. Here is a look at some Samueli
Institute initiatives that are transitioning from research to practice.
Will these breakthroughs one day shift civilian care?More ...
August 6, 2008
Ever
wonder the origins of "integrative medicine" as a descriptive term?
David Riley, MD, recounts the story ... Laura Crites, executive
director of the Hawaii Consortium comments on a proposed strategy for
the IOM Summit ... Bodyworker Josef DellaGrotte has additional
suggestions for Intel and otehr employers on the value of body work ...
Linda Bark, RN, found good news at the recent Health Forum conference
and suggests a Samueli Institute text as a resource ... Tai Sophia's Kevin Spelman
comments on Stargrove's work on drug-nutrient interactions ... plus an
anonymous follow-up to Glidden's naturo-centric view of "integrative
medicine" ... More ...
August 6, 2008
In
2005, Hawaii's major Blue Cross Blue Shield carrier, HMSA, contracted
with Manakai O Malama, the integrative clinic founded by Ira Zunin, MD,
MPH, MBA on an unusual integrative, outpatient pilot for some of their
most costly, pain-ridden, disabled members. The elaborate approach
included diverse mind-body approaches, Feldenkrais and Yoga, and group
acupuncture. Zunin, who was interested in a thorough biopsychosocial
model, observes of the positive outcomes - reduced anxiety and
depression, lower disability, reduced opiate use - that the ethical
value in group process has both "carrot and stick" sides. Here is the
pilot, with its outcomes. More ...
July 31, 2008
Report shows
hundreds of million in savings to states from wellness model ... Center
for Disease Control director Gerberding calls for "changing the
conversation" in order to make the U.S. the "healthiest nation" via new
CDC
campaign ... Licensed complementary healthcare practitioners still not
included in healthcare
workforce dialogue ... Debate at the University of Bridgeport to focus on whether
chiropractors should follow the New Mexico model of primary care chiropractic with limited prescribing rights ... NCCAOM pushes to get acupuncture and Oriental medicine recognized as a profession by the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ... AMA and OB/Gyn opposition to homebirth
sparks debate on ABC news site ... Chiropractic lobbying may open a door for all "CAM"
colleges ... Wake Forest integrative medicine's Kathy Kemper, MD, MPH
shares new integrative clinical services ... True North's Bethany Hays,
MD honored by the Institute for Functional Medicine with the 2008 Linus Pauling Award ...More ...
July 29, 2008
The last Integrator issue included views on whether "integrative
medicine" is inclusive or denies other disciplines. In this set of comments: Tom Ballard, ND,
a part of the naturopathic medical field for 30 years describes how his
excitement about "integration" has panned out as an unhealthy
"assimilation." Sheila Quinn, a long-time leader in integrated health
care, offers a few perspectives, including that of a patient. Holistic
medicine pioneer and contributor to Rakel's Integrative Medicine,
Bill Manahan, MD, finds himself aligned with a "heretical model" of
leveling the playing field. Holistic nurse Sonja Simpson, RN, wonders
if any of this will amount to better patient care. Thoughtful
submissions on what Manahan rightfully called "an elephant in the room."More ...
[From my column at Integrative Practitioner Online] Three recent encounters with initiatives in “integrative medicine,”
plus the letters received at the Integrator,
strongly suggest that this field will increasingly be viewed as an MD
subsidiary unless remedial action is taken to affirm a more inclusive
role for non-MD integrative medicine professionals. I am not sure what
to think about this. Here are my reflections for my column of this
title for Integrative Practitioner Online. More ...
Commonwealth
Fund reports double cost, horrible outcomes of US medicine ...
Expansion of low-cost community acupuncture models featured by AAAOM
and in Philadelphia weekly ... Alaska's Native-owned,
community-focused, team-oriented healthcare approach approach shows
huge cost savings, increased practitioner satisfaction through a
relationship-centered approach ... Ian Coulter, PhD offers insight into
strengths and shortcomings of health services research as the "holy
grail" for integrative practices ... Holistic board requires self-care
knowledge in re-certification ... AHMA celebrates 30th birthday ...
Chiropractic organization and NCMIC clarify manipulation/stroke
evidence for 16,600 neurologists ... Cohen and Dumoff combine for
webcast seminars on legal issues for integrative clinics and spas. More ...
July 16, 2008
My
back-and-forth with David Rakel, MD, on the meaning of "integrative
medicine" as it is presented in his influential textbook of the same
name led to two quick responses from excellent observer/participants in
the integrative practice arena. Bradly Jacobs, MD, MPH, directed the
integrative clinic affiliated with the UCSF Osher Center before taking
his present position with Revolution Health. Christy Lee-Engel, ND, LAc
has been a principal or affiliate with the two most significant
integrative clinic initiatives in Seattle and has also held leadership
positions at Bastyr University. Here are their perceptive enrichments
of this discussion. More ...
July 10, 2008
The big medical
news just after Independence Day was that, following new American
Academy of Pediatrics recommendations, thousands of children will soon
be dependent on statins for cholesterol management. Integrator
columnist Michael Levin muses on this news together with a virtually
unnoticed whole system, integrative Mayo Clinic study which found that
lifestyle, supplements, diet and yoga or Tai chi not only lowered
cholesterol but also weight and who knows what other positive outcomes.
Are statins parenting replacement therapies? More ...
July 7, 2008
Integrative Medicine, developed and edited by David Rakel, MD, makes quite an impression. The 1238 page volume, with over 100 authors, 97% either MD/DO or medical-school affiliated, marks
an arrival and launching pad for that field. The text asserts a body of
knowledge and is immediately a political tool for the advance of that
field. I was reminded, on reviewing the book's look and feel, of a
moment two decades ago when A Textbook of Natural Medicine, was published. That book allowed the re-emerging field of naturopathic medicine to claim it was modeling a new form
of science-based, integrated care. What does Rakel's remarkable
contribution assert about "integrative medicine" and in particular
about the value of other disciplines? Here are my reflections plus
Rakel's comments on the book's intent, and some next steps.More ...
July 5, 2008
Kaiser
Permanente models natural pharmacy in managed care ... American
Acupuncture Council offers acu-coding book ... Successful Massage Envy
franchise operation purchased by huge Indian conglomerate with strong
wellness interest ... URAC developing accreditation standards for
wellness programs - comment period now ... Details on the AMA's Scope
of Practice Partnership campaign against expanding scopes of other
disciplines: NDs and midwives taking heat ... Healthcare advisers for
presidential campaigns have loose links to integrative practice
movement .. IOM puts annual waste in US healthcare at over
$1,000,000,000,000 (that's one trillion wasted, or a lot of what might
have been fully-reimbursed integrative care) ... A few words about
Penny Simkin, a quiet hero of empowering healthcare, plus more. More ...
July 2, 2008
Naturopathic physician Peter Glidden, ND, sent me this column on a dare. He didn't think I'd publish it. Glidden blasts much of the so-called "integration" effort, lambasting MD-directed "integrative medicine" in particular."
In truth, I held this for a few months. But I think that Glidden does
capture sentiment frequently expressed by members of the distinctly
licensed complementary healthcare professions as they observe the
ascendancy of the "integrative MD." It's just that it's usually not
shared in mixed audiences - such as the Integrator readership. What do you think? More ...
July 2, 2008
Where should we prioritize
research investment to help maximize the value to the public health of
integrative practices? Does all the talk of healthcare reform and
"transformation" need a parallel push to re-focus our research agenda? Qi-Unity,
the monthly e-newsletter of the American Association of Acupuncture and
Oriental Medicine, recently published an interview with me on my
perspectives on these and other research agenda questions. Here is the
link to the AAAOM interview. Send your comments back here to
What do you think we should be advocating for a research agenda? How can we get there? To go to the AAAOM site, click here ... Mailed July 8, 2008
In June
meetings, the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association
(AMA) kicked off an escalating round of attacks on the advancement of
other healthcare professions. Targeted this year were all disciplines
with doctoral-level training, as well as licensed midwives.
Chiropractors, naturopathic physicians and nurses - who cited Wilk v
AMA - are among those quick to challenge the AMA. The AMA actions
are part of that guild's divisive AMA Scope of Practice Partnership
(SOPP), announced in January 2006. Meantime, one action at the House of
Delegates meeting suggests that the snake on the AMA's caduceus may be
biting its own tail. Resolution 235 is an effort to keep the AMA's own
specialty societies from legislative actions that seek to restrict each
other's scope of practice. More ...
June 22, 2008
Why would an employer want
to explore a complementary therapy? How might a pilot project be
established? This article describes a relationship betweenmicroprocessor giant Intel,
researchers looking for onsite solutions to low-back pain at the
Institute for
Health and Productivity Management (IHPM), and the Dorn Companies, which hires licensed massage therapist to
supply a Rolfing-based manual therapy to employees. Outcomes of this pilot project will be
reported at the IHPM's fall conference in Scottsdale, October 15-17,
2008. More ...
June 22, 2008
Marc Micozzi,
MD,PhD, convened an early federal exploration of complementary and
integrative medicine, wrote the first academic textbook on
complementary and integrative medicine, worked with Dr. Koop on his
dot.com website (may it rest), and ran an academic integrative medicine
program. Lately he has been thinking outside of mainstream delivery,
specifically in the spa/wellness zone. He notified the Integrator
of a relationship he has teaching in an online certification program
through UC Irvine's School of Business. I invited his direct comment on
the spa field. Here is Micozzi's commentary, and some information about
the program. More ...
June 20, 2008
Integrator columnist
Michael Levin recently had occasion to read a series of reports,
prepared by the internationally-known health care consulting firm, The
Lewin Group. The subject: possible cost impact of pro-actively using a
few dietary supplement interventions for a handful of conditions. The
outcomes were compelling. Levin argues that this kind of work, funded
by the dietary supplement industry, exemplifies forward thinking
collaborative effort needed to advance the integrative and natural
health fields. The story of this strategic funding will be familiar to
chiropractic. More ...
June 20, 2008
Among those
noted University of Arizona Program in Integrative Medicine designated
a Center of Excellence by Arizona Regents ... Council on Naturopathic
Medical Education gains 5 years from the USDE ... US/China accord on
traditional Chinese and integrative medicine ... Integrative MD/ND/LAc
Goshen Cancer Center awarded ... Trustee
features integrative medicine for Boomers ... Integrated community care
leader Community Health Centers of King County becomes HealthPoint ...
The debate over the JAMA St. John's wort for ADHD article ...
National advertising campaign for chiropractic and the IOM use the
Alternative Medicine Inc. study on cost savings ... AMI's state
partnerships grow ... Chiropractic associations in agreement on pediatrics specialty ... More ...
Do you
think the National Summit on Integrative Medicine can make a
difference?
Planning for this February 25-27, 2009 gathering, sponsored by a
partnership of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies and
the Bravewell Collaborative, is under way. I organize my
recommendations around areas where exploration of integrative practice
could have
a significant impact on the nation's health care crisis. The high notes
are
a health-oriented approach, outpatient services, the patient-centered
medical
home, respect for multiple disciplines, researching whole practices as
basis for managing chronic disease, and whole cost accounting. How do
you think this Summit might create possibilities which the IOM's 2005
report didn't already open? More ...
June 19, 2008
The
Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences has
announced a 12-person planning committee which will oversee development
of the February 25-27, 2009 National Summit on Integrative Medicine and Health of the Public. The
IOM is sponsoring the Summit in partnership with the Bravewell
Collaborative of philanthropists. Here is a look at the 12 member team,
chaired by Ralph Snyderman, MD, plus some musing on the not very
integrated mix. Nine are MDs, suggesting that to the IOM, "integrative
medicine" is an MD franchise. The Bravewell philanthropists have made a
substantial commitment to make this happen. More ...
