FON: The Business of Personalized Medicine

Pioneering Whole Systems Researcher Marja Verhoef, PhD, Retires

By John Weeks One of integrative health and medicine’s most significant, pioneering and visionary researchers, University of Calgary’s Marja Verhoef, PhD, is retiring. In 2002, Verhoef co-founded the international Whole Systems Research Group (aka the Island Group). Via this team she published and helped clarify “Methodological Challenges in Whole Systems Research.” A believer in the importance of building capacity through networks, Verhoef co-founded and was the first president of the

Academy for Integrative Health and Medicine Conference Draws over 700 Attendees

By John Weeks To all accounts, the turnout of over 700 to the October 26-31, founding conference of the emerging Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM) was a rousing success. But how did this organization, formed principally of MDs and DOs, succeed in its effort to create a more multidisciplinary gathering? Figures released by executive director Nan Sudak, MD, were as follows: MD 492, DC 62, RN 28, PhD 21

Create Your Integrative Medicine Future: Overcome Fear, Do the Work

Are you running on the conventional primary care hamster wheel but would love shifting to a direct-pay concierge or hybrid model? Or looking to segue from private practice (solo or group) to a hospital system and launch an integrative health program? Your timing and opportunity for success has never been better, for the age of integrative health and medicine—and health creation itself—is upon us while its remaining skeptics are steadily

George Washington University Launches Online Integrative Medicine Program

By John Weeks In a partnership with the Metabolic Medicine Institute, George Washington University is launching an online integrative medicine program according to this April 24, 2014 news release. The release suggests that graduates will have the “requisite skills to oversee a practice in integrative medicine, as well as balance the business, regulatory, and legal aspects of clinical care.” In addition, they will learn to gather outcomes data. The later is

Cleveland Clinic New Chinese Herb Program Makes Huge Waves in Media

Guest Post by John Weeks The Time Magazine feature “Cleveland Clinic’s New Medicine” was here. The Wall Street Journal‘s “A Top Hospital Opens to Chinese Herbs as Medicines” is here. “Can Herbs Help? Dr. Oz Explains Eastern Medicine” is here. Katie Couric’s Today show piece on it, “Why One Hospital is Turning to Chinese Medicine” is here. Crane Herb Company will be the supplier of the products. Crane sources their supplies

Integrative Healthcare Policy Consortium to Launch CoverMyCare Campaign to Activate Consumer Support for ACA Section 2706

By John Weeks Washington, DC-based integrative health and medicine writer and consultant Taylor Walsh, an Integrator adviser and columnist, sends this notice: “In early September, the Integrative Healthcare Policy Consortium (IHPC) plans on rolling out a CoverMyCare website in support of its consumer campaign to educate the public and state officials about Section 2706 of the Affordable Care Act: ‘Non-discrimination in healthcare’. Because correct implementation of the law lies in

Anti-Kickback and Fee-Splitting Legal Issues When MDs (and others) Lease Space

By Michael H. Cohen, JD Many physicians, chiropractors, acupuncturists, and other healthcare practitioners want to know whether they are fee-splitting when they rent a room hourly from a medical practice or other healthcare facility or practitioner. The answer, of course, depends on the arrangement, including whether other aspects of it raise fee-splitting, Stark, or anti-kickback considerations. Let’s focus for now just on the hourly rental. The problem with this is that

Mindfulness: A Key Skill In Speaking About Integrative Medicine

Do you believe that having great content is enough to inform and persuade audiences about integrative medicine? The truth is, it’s never enough. Your material alone—no matter how strong—can’t create the responses you’re looking for in stakeholders. It doesn’t matter whether that response has to do with educating, persuading, or inspiring people. Creating influence at that level is your job and responsibility. (To be as comfortable with listeners as you