integrative,
and he went from taking 16 drugs to Why our Health Matters: A Vision
Not Alternative
three. Just with that single individual, of Medicine That Can Transform the
the system saved enormous amounts Future. “We need doctors who know
Mary Guerrera, a medical doctor and
of money.” when and when not to use them and
director of integrative medicine at the
who are trained to use other kinds of
University of Connecticut School of
interventions. That’s the great promise
Medicine, stresses that integrative is
money talks
of integrative medicine: It can bring
not just another word for alternative.
In 1997, after years of quietly
effective, lower-cost treatments into
“Alternative medicine indicates
teaching and practicing integrative
the mainstream.”
something to be used in place of.
medicine in Arizona, Weil was pro-
Integrative is a term that has emerged
pelled from relative obscurity to the
in the past decade to reflect a bring-
Lisa Marshall is a freelance writer
cover of Time magazine. He has since
ing together of the best that conven-
in Colorado; connect at
become a go-to resource for both
tional and alternative medicine have
LisaAnnMarshall.com.
lawmakers and other doctors seeking
to offer,” says Guerrera, who went
healthcare advice.
envisioning
on to study acupuncture and holistic
Weil believes that money, or lack
medicine after completing her con-
thereof, made it happen.
the future of
ventional medical training in the ‘80s.
“No amount of ideological argu-
She explains that because one
ment ever changed anything,” he
person can’t be an expert in every-
reflects. In this case, “It was when
HEALTHCARE
thing, integrative medicine hinges on
pocketbooks started getting squeezed
the idea of team care. For instance, a
that people started paying attention.
cancer patient might see her special-
Things are going to get a lot worse,
ists for chemotherapy and surgery, and
and when they do, the wisdom of
then be referred to an acupuncturist
what we are doing will become even
for treatments to help with nausea
more apparent.”
or pain management, as well as a
During congressional testimony
nutritionist to help her restore lost
before the Senate committee on
weight. A patient going into surgery
health, education, labor and pen-
might practice mindfulness-based
sions last February, Weil joined heart
meditation beforehand, which has
physician and health guru Dr. Dean
been shown to hasten healing times,
Ornish and others in rattling off a
decrease hospital stays and thus, save
stunning list of statistics: The United
money.
States currently spends 16 percent of
“Integrative medicine is team-
its gross domestic product on health
based, collaborative care,” Guerrera
care, more than any other country
explains.
in the world, yet its health outcomes
Cardiologist Mimi Guarneri is
are ranked 37th in the world by the
medical director and founder of the
World Health Organization. In 2006,
Scripps Center for Integrative Medi-
insurance companies covered 1.3
cine, a multi-disciplinary center that
million coronary angioplasty proce-
offers care for people with heart
dures, at roughly $48,000 each, and
disease, pain, weight management
448,000 coronary bypass operations
needs, cancer, diabetes, stress and
at a cost of $99,000. Yet, things like
women’s health issues. She notes that
nutrition counseling, exercise pro-
the center receives 3,500 patients a
grams and stress-reduction classes,
month, many of whom arrive seeking
which studies show could prevent
relief from costly drugs or surgeries.
as much as 90 percent of all heart
•
“One patient came to me who
disease, are typically not covered by
•
had just had a bypass. He was 330
insurance.
pounds, suffered from sleep apnea
That, remarks Weil, needs to
•
and was diabetic. He had all the
change, and he’s optimistic that it will.
•
risk factors for heart disease,” says
“We need to transform medi-
•
Guarneri. She enrolled him in a
cine so we are not so dependent on
$2,800, three-month weight loss and
these high-tech expensive solutions
exercise program (covered only in part
for everything,” concludes Weil, who
by insurance). “He lost 168 pounds
outlines his plan in his new book,
Pr i n t e d o n re c y c l e d Pa P e r t o Pr o t e c t t h e en v i r o n m e n t
January 2010 9
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