Quick Links to Integrative Medicine News in Medical Organizations and Communities: November 2015

This Integrator feature is a quick capture of highlights from web stories relative to integrative medicine and health in the prior month. Here are 26 involving medical delivery systems and 14 more in communities. Included are the remarkable developments in the "biofield" led by Shamini Jain, MD, Deepak Chopra and others; David Katz, MD's decision to take on the "polarization-based medicine" anti-CAM/IM tribe; expansion of the mindfulness program for educators and clinicians at Georgetown University; very favorable coverage on acupuncture's coming of age in Time and US News & World Reports; and Ronald Hoffman, MD challenging recent negative reports on dietary supplements. Enjoy the skim of activities!


Medical Delivery Organizations

• Deepak Chopra's new book with Harvard professor Rudolph Tanzi, MD, Super Genes, was released this month. A good blog piece from Palo Alto Online is here.
• The topic of music and integrative medicine is the focus of this presentation at the University of New Mexico.
• The director of integrative pain treatment at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine is quoted in this US News & World Report piece that acupuncture and Alexander Technique can be useful for neck pain. The report has been picked up in multiple media including this at Clinical Adviser.
• 

  Katz: taking on the "polarization-based medicine" tribe
  
  The dogfight between Yale IM leader David Katz, MD, MPH and the Polarization Based Medicine types (they call themselves "science-based") continues here.
• Katz, MD continues in a similar vein relative to a recent paper in JAMA Internal Medicine on the many normal treatments that have strong evidence against them, but they are still routinely provided. His perspective is blasted here from a "Polarization-based Medicine" blogger.
• The Upper Chesapeake Healthcare, part of the U Maryland system, has inked a deal with Maryland University of Integrative Health to provide various integrative services.
• Medscape published on the November 4, 2015 article from NCCIH on use of yoga, supplements and etc. in staying healthy. NCCIH's Josie Briggs, MD and Jun Mao, MD, IM at U Penn are quoted in the Medscape piece.
• Lorenzo Cohen, with the IM program at MD Anderson is among those anticipated for a global gathering on the value of Yoga in India in January 2016.
• A Georgetown University professor, Asma Dilawari, MD writes at OncLive on integrative oncology.
• IM leader Mary Guerrera, MD at the U Conn is on radio discussing IM here.
• At the UCSF Osher Center pediatric massage is a new addition.
• A neuroscientist spoke on the mind-body connection for the public in an MD Anderson-sponsored event.
• Former University of Exeter professor and CAM-basher Edzard Ernst, MD was awarded something called the John Maddox Prize for Standing Up for Science. Notably, the headline writer failed to stand the truth test: "Homeopathy: It is right to submit herbal remedies to scientific inquiry." Herbal remedy?
  
• A news account of grants to UC Davis includes $4.7-million from NCCAM for research on the gut.
• A naturopathic physician "consultant" Teresa Spano, ND is a new member of the Lee Memorial Health System IM group in Naples, Florida, in their new clinic.
• Affinity Health in Wisconsin has chosen to shut down two integrative centers that were originally philanthropically funded.
• 

  Shamini Jain: lead role in Biofield project
  
  In the Huffington Post, Deepak Chopra and UCSD's Shamini Jain, MD co-author a piece that introduced the "biofield sciences" work that a collaborative has engaged.
• The Mercy Moss Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa will contract with a franchise chiropractic business for an onsite chiropractic clinic. The business, founded in Kansas City, KC CORE, "plans to open additional franchised clinic locations inside hospitals in Dallas, Houston, St. Louis and Denver within the next six to eight months."
• The Mary Washington Hospital Regional Cancer Clinic is contracting with a graduate of an "integrative chaplaincy program" at Carolinas Healthcare who is having a positive impact on a local medical doctor.
• Alexian Brothers IM lead Patrick Massey, MD, PhD writes on grapeseed extract in his column in the Chicago Herald.
• U Arizona IM leader Andrew Weil, MD talks on Chicago radio about his new book.
• Also at the U Arizona, the IM program boasts the accreditation of its health coaching program.
• Former Scripps IM leader Mimi Guarneri, MD is featured in this release on the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine conference that drew over 800 to San Diego in late October.
• The mindfulness program founded by Adi Haramati, PhD at Georgetown University is expanding.
• Kaiser Permanente N. California IM lead Arian Nachat, MD and former UCSF IM clinical leader Bradly Jacobs, MD, MPH are cited as key sources in the formulations for Healthiest.
• A $500 a plate fund-raiser for the Northwestern Osher Center for IM that reportedly drew 500 with Andrew Weil, MD as keynote is featured here - especially the food choices, from Weil's book.

• Pioneering integrative doctor Elson Haas, MD has released his 11th book, Ultimate Immunity.
• US News &World Reports has declared, in a title to a story, that "The Point about Acupuncture: It Works." Here is Time on the same study - also mentioning Alexander Technique.
• This article in a Princeton, New Jersey newspaper accounts the work of IM doctor Aly Cohen, MD, on chemical sensitivity and toxins.
• The New York Times carried a somewhat dismissive column on complementary therapies in cancer treatment.
• This Oregon news account seeks to guide consumers who are troubled by poor coverage despite the adoption of a non-discrimination law in that state.
• 

  Hoffman: pushing back on dietaryt supplement reports
  
  Author and clinician Ronald Hoffman, MD is pushing back against media and research accounts of safety issue from supplements.
• Something called Prescribe Nutrition founded by a person steeped in functional medicine earned an award from the state of Minnesota's start-up competition.
• In Parsippany, NJ, the founder of a "Wellness Gala" is kicking off an annual "Day of Gratitude" as a vehicle to promote integrative strategies - with Bernie Siegel as keynote.
• A billing service is advertising that it now offers services for integrative medical practices.
• Two naturopathic doctors in Southern Oregon are claiming to have the first naturopathic clinic in the state to offer "Direct Primary Care."
• Something called the Academy of Comprehensive Integrative Medicine is publishing a new journal with the same title. The leadership includes medical doctors Shealy, Gaby, Wright, Sinatra, Gordon, plus.
• Something called Regenestem "has formed an educational alliance with The Salerno Center, an integrative and holistic healthcare facility in New York City. Its founder, Dr. John P. Salerno, is renowned for his innovative treatments for patients, and for his physician training programs in complementary medicine."
• This article, stimulated by a RAND study, speaks to the potentially heightened value of integrative health and medicine in the values-based medicine era.
• A segment of Voices in America, with James Earl Jones, focused on IM.