FON: The Business of Personalized Medicine

Legal Viewpoint: MDs Operating Web-Based Health and Wellness Businesses

By  Michael H. Cohen, JD telemedicine laws: who operates the sites and provides content? are the visits to the site considered clinical encounters, or merely visits to receive general information and education? is personalized healthcare advice being given? will the physician be obligated to have medical licensure in the state of the patient, as well as the home state or originating site? is a restricted telemedicine license available? antikickback and

New Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine Broadens Leadership Team

By John Weeks New Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM) broadens its leadership team: Wisneski, Snider and Weeks join board. In the fall of 2013, the American Board of Integrative Health and Medicine (ABIHM) announced that it was re-forming itself as the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM). In a speech announcing the new entity, the founding president Mimi Guarneri, MD mentioned three new areas of involvement beyond ABIHM’s historic education and certification

Physician Specialists and Emerging Practice Business Models: Choosing Forward

If you serve within a specialty practice—as a physician, advanced practitioner, or administrator—you may now have more options for how patient care is delivered, and how the practice is paid. When we think of concierge models of care, we think of internal medicine and primary care—you know, the large concierge care ‘branded’ franchisors that bundle in practice conversions as part of their franchisee services agreement (like MDVIP, SignatureMD, and Castle

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How to Effectively Use LinkedIn to Sell Integrative Health Products and Services

This article focuses on utilizing LinkedIn for sales, business development, and partnerships via organic methods through meaningful engagement,  by building long-term rapport, and not being, well, annoying. This piece is not about  paid advertising or LinkedIn marketing automation lead tools. I love LinkedIn and use it daily. It’s my favorite go-to social platform. Incredibly effective, it has consistently driven business for FON and my personal brand over the last decade.

Beware of Medical Claims for COVID-19 and Natural Products: New Guidance from AANP

Worldwide, the age of COVID-19 has ushered in a plethora of medical claims concerning the use of natural products to prevent and/or treat the pathogen. Here in the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been clamping down on bad actors, and those well-intentioned but under-informed about the current, and sometimes opaque, rules of the road. Federal responses have been accelerated by a perniciously persistent pandemic that lacks an approved

Patients are Consumers: Ignoring this Fact is Futile

In a recent Medscape editorial, noted bioethicist Art Caplan, PhD remarked on a published commentary by Hastings scholars in Health Affairs titled ‘Patient-Centered Care, Yes; Patients As Consumers, No’. Medscape followed up on the assertions in the published commentary by polling its physician and nurse readers for feedback—results strongly evidenced agreement from those over 55 years old. [Note: Free registration to Medscape required to access article.] Caplan, a renowned and

The Rise of Integrative Health and Medicine, image of book cover.

The Rise of Integrative Health and Medicine—Milestones Continued: 2016—2018

New addendum includes milestones from 2016–2018 In late 2016, FON and XYMOGEN released a 92-page publication titled The Rise of Integrative Health and Medicine—The Milestones: 1963—Present. The book is available free to access here. These milestones were largely culled from the work of Rise’s foreword author John Weeks, editor and publisher of The Integrator Blog and our industry’s de facto historian. Rise was written by Whole HealthEd founder and strategist

Testimonials: How to Get them. How to Promote Them

Testimonials: How to get them. How to Promote them.

We live in the age of social proof, where the opinions of complete strangers can greatly impact our buying decisions. Why Testimonials are Essential Consumers trust the recommendations of their peers at a whopping 92%, and recommendations of strangers at 70%, according to Nielsen research. Given that testimonials significantly influence a prospective customer or patient’s proclivity for your brand, it is incumbent upon you to play an active role in

Textured background with text - 'Naming' Your Integrative or Functional Medicine Business

‘Naming’ Your Integrative Health or Functional Medicine Business

What’s in a name? Turns out, when it comes to your business, there’s a lot in a name; plenty is at stake. Properly naming your integrative medicine enterprise is critical to your success. Careful consideration must go into this decision-making as you develop the brand ethos of your organization and define your target customers. Get your brand name right from the very start. Following are some key areas to keep