Brief Notes: Merrell/Martha Stewart, AANP/Benda, Quevedo/Duke, Benjamin/Humana, Patton/GHC, Abrams/Osher, plus ...

Personnel: Abrams/UCSF, Quevdo/Duke, Patton to Huff at GHC, May/Alternare

UCSF-Osher's Donald Abrams, MD

The Osher Center for Integrative Medicine has announced that Donald Abrams, MD, will be the integrative program's new director of clinical programs. Abrams, who has been part of the Center's clinical group with 2004, will maintain his position as chief of the hematology/oncology division at San Francisco General Hospital and on the exec team of the UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Care Committee. According to a release, Abrams, a leader in HIV-AIDS research and care, completed the University of Arizona association fellowship program in 2004. The UCSF notice on Abrams adds that he replaces integrative medicine clinical leader Sylver Quevedo, MD, MPH, who "was tapped to head a department of integrative medicine at Duke University." ...

Laura Patton, MD, leaving GHC

Laura Patton, MD, who has served as CAM services leader at Seattle-based Group Health Cooperative, a staff-model HMO, is stepping down from the position after a decade of work in responding to that state's "every category of provider" law. Patton has frequently been a source of useful, experience-based information, ensuring that others would have an opportunity to learn from the Group Health's experience. She worked closely with me and a local group of leaders to share the very first utilization data - which showed that payer fears of soaring utilization had tended toward paranoia. Patton participated in numerous collaborative efforts in the region. She will be replaced at Group Health by family practice doctor William Huff, MD who has been working at Seattle's leading integrative center, Seattle Healing Arts ... Also in the Seattle managed CAM scene, Robert May, ND, has transitioned out of Alternare Health Services following that network's purchase by American Whole Health Networks ...

IM on the Radio: Continuum/Martha Stewart, Benjamin/Humana,  Levin/Henry Ford,

Humana's Sam Benjamin, MD

As part of his work with health system giant,

Associations - HerbDay, Acu without Borders, GMEF, AANP/Benda

The national HerbDay planned for October 14, 2006, is picking up steam and new sponsorships. A recent release from the planners, a consortium of five organizations with an interest in herbs and herbalism, notes that the Herb Society of America is a new sponsor, with an event scheduled for the US Botanic Gardens. Supplement companies General Nutrition Centers and Vitamin World have are sponsoring and two new academic institutions, Tai Sophia Institute and Western Carolina University are among the academic centers involved ...

Acupuncture without Borders (AWB), an organization which provides services to individuals in areas hit by natural and other disasters is continuing its strong presence in Louisiana following Katrina. The Integrator was first aware of this work through volunteer William Wulsin, ND, LAc, who flew down shortly after Katrina. AWB, which offers services in over 25 Louisiana venues, is in a funding push to continue its services, according to Diana Fried, MAc, MA, executive director.

New Orleans AWB client

Global Medicine Education Foundation Professional Training Program in Transformative Medicine has announced sufficient interest to begin its first class in October. Additional slots are open. The combination onsite/internet program, featured in the first Integrator issue, distinguishes itself for its multi-disciplinary faculty and openness to students from diverse backgrounds. Most of the initial class are medical doctors. The full program is approved for 160 CME credits, with the October kick-off representing 40 of those ...

Bill Benda, MD, building bridges

In a break with tradition, in not only their own profession, but for most guilds, the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) has selected a medical doctor, Bill Benda, MD, to serve on their board of directors. Benda, an ER doc with a long involvement in seeking to create political cohesiveness between diverse stakeholders in the CAM-IM space, chaired a panel at the AANP meeting which included the presidents of the American Holistic Medical Association, and the American Holistic Nursing Association ...

Media: CAM Use in Washington State, Berman/Hospitals and Health Networks

A few interesting factoids on developments in Washington States were in a CAM-IM feature in the Bremerton Sun ("Acceptance is Growing for Nontraditional Health Care," August 13, 2006). The article notes that since 2000 the number of acupuncturists and NDs in the

Chico Spa operator Cathy Rogers, ND

state has grown by by 50% and  70%, respectively. A Group Health Cooperative (GHC) spokesperson claims that CAM use among the HMO's members represents 6-8% of "use."