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background resources in PDF |
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some CAM/IM publication links |
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Issues #55-#56 - Nov-Dec 2008 |
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Written by John Weeks
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Issue #56 - December 31, 2008
December 31, 2008
New CDC report shows CAM use at 38%, but
over 50% among our indigenous ... AARP, US Chamber and Prince's
Foundation join Bravewell-led coalition to promote health-oriented
reform ... More on Dasche/Obama community discussions from
Jonas'/Samueli gathering, Hawaii Consortium, ND group in Connecticut, a
Reiki leader and the ACA ... URAC names first accredited wellness
programs ... Institute for Functional Medicine leader David Jones, MD
leads Integrative Practitioner discussion on the role of the randomized
controlled trial ... Naturopathic physician-run wellness program for
automobile dealers earns Vermont Gold Medal award for 3rd straight year
... Oprah opens a page to homeopathy ... Former American Whole Health
integrative medicine director and SCNM founder Michael Cronin, ND takes
board roles at National University of Health Sciences and the AANP ...
Samueli Center and Arizona Center offer CME programs ... Nursing site
lists top 100 herb-related blogs ... More ...
December 28, 2009
On winter solstice 2006, the Integrator began a tradition of announcing a Top 10 from the previous year which will most support the coming of the
light for integrative practice in the New Year. Here is the 2008 Integrator Top
10 for integrative policy, practice, research and professional
activity. Like last year, 9 are listed here. What are your suggestions
for #10? Thanks to all these individuals behind the good work noted
here. Happy reading, and reflecting, on the year that was, and the year
to come. More ...
December 23, 2008
Here is a
great opportunity to participate in a tremendously important
initiative. On December 29, 2008, Wayne Jonas, MD will host a Health
Care Community Discussion as urged by HHS Secretary-designee Tom
Daschle. The subject is a draft program for an ambitious, transformative
"Wellness Initiative for the Nation" (WIN). Jonas and a group of
colleagues have been working up this white paper, which includes an
over-arching Wellness Trust, special provider certification, consumer
tool kits, business tax incentives and more to "create a wellness
culture and industry." Click in to this article to see the key concepts. You can come in person
or be wired in. Jonas is in touch with some key transition players. Daschle and his colleagues have said they will attend
one or more of these Health Care Community Discussions. If I'm
Daschle, I'm going to this one. More ...
December 8, 2008
Exchange of ideas on healthcare policy has not been this heated for 15 years. This Integrator
Action Bulletin links you with ways to be involved with shaping the
Obama agenda and the action strategy of the integrative practice
community. I have on good evidence thayt for those
who submit to Obama's online forum, the staff of the Community
Organizer-in-Chief actually respond. Another link takes you to an
initiative led by Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Tom
Daschle's grassroots push for community forums on health care. Reader
Daphne White invites you to her community discussion, focusing on
integrative medicine ... Then, two alerts from inside the integrative
health community. First, sign-up is open for the IOM's National Summit
on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public. Admission is
free, but participation is limited. Registration is also open for the
Integrative Healthcare Symposium on February 19-21 in New York City.
There a myriad of clinical and business offerings will be spiced with
two top flight policy panels where we will explore roadmaps for a more
influential future for integrative practice. More ...
Issue #55 - November 28, 2008
November 28, 2008
Cleveland-based
Manufacturer Parker Hannifin created a rich CAM benefit which has
stimulated the development of a national CAM PPO of America network
with affiliations with the AANP and Massage Envy ... Integrative
Practitioner tops 5000 members, earns Stevie nomination, names Jacobs,
Blumenthal to advisory roles ... Day-late, dollar-short: McCain weighs
in on chiropractic ... UCSF Osher seeks medical director: Obama-esque
leader needed ... Helfgott Research Institute update ... Tai Sophia and
Johns Hopkins nursing advance their relationship; AANP's Howard
benefits from program ... Naturopathic policy action in Washington
State: hard to imagine this in state's where NDs are not
licensed ... Georgia chiros get parity boost from insurance
commissioner ... AHPA's Dentali in appointment, $100,000 grant for
healthy aging to Bastyr, plus ... More ...
November 28, 2008
US
Senate health policy leader Tom Harkin (D-IA) is talking of recreating
the U.S. as a "wellness society" ... Reports from Towers Perrin and Aon
show employer interests in wellness programs are up, despite the
economic downturn ... Large complementary and alternative healthcare
media firm, MPA Media, announces plans to create Integrated Wellness
Pavilions at major trade shows ... URAC, the national accrediting body,
promulgates standards for Comprehensive Wellness Accreditation ... The
IOM-Bravewell Summit explores wellness themes ... Are we seeing a
paradigm shift toward health and wellness? Will integrative practice
professions be seen as leaders in this shift, which most view as their
birthright? More ...
November 26, 2008
When
Josephine "Josie" Briggs, MD took over as director of the NIH NCCAM in
January of this year, she promised to start her tenure "listening"
before she would begin to put her stamp on agency. She did, and still
is. But she has also gotten clear on some new directions. In this
interview, Briggs promises an agenda which will focus more on
"effectiveness research" and "real world outcomes." A key focal area:
pain. Here is the interview with Briggs, engaged for Integrator sponsor IntegrativePractitioner.com. Briggs will be speaking to these issues at a panel I will be moderating at the February 19-21 Integrative Healthcare Symposium in New York City. More ...
November 26, 2008
The
first Congress on Traditional Medicine of the World Health Organization
(WHO) was convened in Beijing, China November 7-9, 2008. Participating
were 1100 experts from 70 countries. Included was a significant
contingent of chiropractors organized by the World Federation of
Chiropractic. The Congress promulgated the "Beijing Declaration,"
included here, which also calls on countries to integrate conventional
and traditional medicine. A particular focus, in the Declaration and
comments from the WHO. director general, is to support the broader WHO
campaign to revitalize primary care. Will the IOM's National Summit on
Integrative Medicine align with this call? More ...
November 26, 2008
InnoVision Health Media, the publisher of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine and Integrative Medicine: A Clinician's Journal, Advances in Mind-Body Medicine
and consumer media has entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. The
filing came despite its "best year ever" on both the professional and
consumer sides. InnoVision's operations have been hounded by debt
assumed when the group of publications was purchased in 2004. Rob Lutz,
president and group publisher, told the Integrator that the firm recently secured financing and "expects to continue its growth." More ...
November 23, 2008
Obama
transition watchers have noted a number of nominations which may bode
well, or ill, for the integrative practice community and natural
products industry. Most give a thumbs up to appointments for former
U.S. Senators Tom Daschle and U.S. Senator Tom Harkin. Congressman
Henry Waxman, who has taken over a key role in the House, is a cause of
concern for some. Meantime, leading "health freedom" advocates believe
that the sky may be falling with the Democratic majorities: writer
Peter Chowka forecasts that we may be witnessed "the end of alternative
medicine" and health freedoms. Here is a run-down with comments from
members of the community. The stage is first set with a Cliff's Notes
review of action under Clinton and Bush. More ...
November 22, 2008
[From my Integrative Practitioner column]
When my neighbor and colleague Tom Ballard, RN, ND, a primary care
physician in the Seattle marketplace, sent me a letter-to-the-editor
he'd had published in the Seattle Times, I began thinking about
a hopeful, practical research agenda for NCCAM. Ballard wrote to the
editor that an article on MRSA failed to note the contribution to the
problem via our overuse of antibiotics. Ballard concluded: “Perhaps
the crisis of MRSA will help swing the medical pendulum back
toward a whole-systems approach to infections: First strengthen the
host and utilize natural compounds, saving drug therapy for last." I
took Ballard's hope and upped it a notch: Might the new focus on
effectiveness research by incumbent NCCAM director Josephine Briggs, MD
provide us an opportunity to frame far more interesting questions, such
as Ballard suggests, and yield significant individual and population
benefits from NCCAM's work? More ...
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