Introduction

Integrative Medicine and Integrated Health Care Round-up: June 19-July 17, 2009
Integrative services double at Providence Integrative Cancer Care ... NCCAM clarifies position on homeopathy research following Zicam fury ... CAM gains mention in IOM and Obama Council's report on directions for comparative effectiveness research (CER), plus Calabrese comments ... Licensed CAM, integrative practice and wellness in the US Senate reform bills ... NCCAM clarifies position on homeopathic research following Zicam study and National Center for Homeopathy request ... States move to regulate yoga schools ... Israelson on FDA, dietary supplement firms and adverse event reporting ... IAYT convenes effort to clarify definition, scope of practice, guidelines for Yoga therapy ... ACA announces formation of specialty Chiropractic Board of Clinical Nutrition ... Huffington Post runs 2 articles relative to functional medicine as health reform model ... NCCAM announces portion of Obama stimulus funds ... International Journal of Naturopathic Medicine re-launched ... New York Times article underscores how the NIH review process may keep the best research unfunded ... New positions for Michael Wiles, DC, MEd and Patricia Wolfe, ND ... New York Chiropractic College acknowledged in Chronicle of Higher Education ... Eric Goldman offers review of first Physician Heal Thy Practice conference.
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Notes from an Exceptional Experience: The North American Research Conference on Complementary and Integrative Medicine, May 12-15, 2009
The good news is that, if you missed the 2009 North American Research Conference on Complementary and Integrative Medicine, May 12-15, you can still access much of the wonderful cornucopia of what it offered. Innovision Health Media created an internet-available, searchable database of the 300+ abstracts of the keynotes, workshops, diverse symposia, posters and discussions which 810 of us from 24 countries had a chance to sample. This article introduces you to a few of my favorite things regarding the Conference's interdisciplinary content, educational sessions, whole systems and health services research. Make a mental note to attend the third in a line of these every-3rd-year gatherings, sponsored by the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine and 26 Participating Organizations, as tentatively planned for 2012.
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Update: IHPC, Others, Place CAM, Integrative Practices/Care in US Health Reform Legislation
US Senator Bernie Sanders (Ind.-VT) and the Integrated Healthcare Policy Consortium (IHPC) have placed "licensed complementary and alternative medicine providers and integrative health practitioners" in the Kennedy-HELP bill's definition of healthcare professionals . This is not the only mention of "complementary and alternative medicine," or "integrative care" or "integrative practitioners" in the bill. The Samueli Institute's vice president Brian Thiel guides us to other mentions in the Kennedy-HELP draft legislation. These are in sections the establish a "wellness council" and on the medical home. Small steps, maybe; but signs of prospective integration into US healthcare policy. Do you know of other similar advances? Let me know.
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Samueli Institute's Brian Thiel on the Advance of Whole System Wellness in US Senate Health Reform Legislation
Certain voices in the US Senate have been talking about the need for a paradigm shift in health reform, toward policy which helps us move to a "wellness society." Wayne Jonas, MD, and his coalition through the Samueli Institute have been promoting an ambitious Wellness Initiative for the Nation. Here the Integrator interviews Brian Thiel, Samueli Institute's vice president charged with government relations for an update on how the effort is faring. There is good news here for the advancement of a whole system vision of what a wellness society will require. And there is a long legislative road ahead.
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Quarterly Report from the Academic Consortium for Complementary and Alternative Health Care (ACCAHC): June 2009
Many of you will know that I split my professional life between the Integrator (and related writing) and the organization featured here, the Academic Consortium for Complementary and Alternative Health Care (ACCAHC - www.accahc.org), for which I serve as executive director. This article is, with minor edits, ACCAHC's June 2009 Quarterly Report. Its relevance to the integrative practice fields is that ACCAHC is the most significant ongoing commitment of organizations from diverse integrative practice fields to getting out of their silos and learning how to collaborate. 15 organizations are members. Take a look at their work and offer them feedback.
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