John Weeks
Part 2: A Conversation with National Pain Leader Sean Mackey, MD, PhD on Integrative Practices and the Controversial Oregon Opioid Tapering Decision
Shortly after my recent post, “How the Backlash to Oregon’s Plan to Taper Opioids with Integrative Approaches Missed the Mark,” I received an e-note from national pain leader Sean Mackey, MD, PhD. The letterhead of the chief of the division of pain medicine at Stanford University and co-chair of theRead
US Medicine as a Game of Thrones: The Houses of Volume, of Value, and of Integrative Health
I recently gave a commencement talk at Northwestern Health Sciences University, the day before Episode One of the last season of Game of Thrones. I chose to inject the sacredness of that day by referencing that other world by presenting the landscape of health and medicine that the graduates wereRead
Part 2: An Examination of Research Action at 7 Multidisciplinary Universities of Integrative Health
The following is the second part of two interviews from John Weeks on 7 Multidisciplinary Universities of Integrative Health. From the perspective of research contributions from academic institutions in integrative health, the 7 multidisciplinary universities have been key important contributors. These institutions, with one exception, are products of the lastRead
The Future for Integrative Health: Interviews with Presidents of 7 Multidisciplinary Universities
The past 20 years witnessed the expansion of a new type of institution in academic health care – and specifically in integrative health and medicine: multidisciplinary universities with professional degrees in multiple natural health fields. Variously denominated as universities of “natural health sciences” or “health sciences” or “integrative health” orRead
Interview with Andrew Weil, MD on His $20-Million of Gifts to the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine
The news broke last week that the physician most associated with the term “integrative medicine”, Andrew Weil, MD, had donated $15-million to fuel the work of what is now known as the University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. The donation comes on top of $5-million Weil hasRead
Boot-Strapping a Research-Base: Naturopathy’s Scientific Journey via a Journal Special Issue
Non-naturopathic doctors will have at least these reasons to explore the Special Focus Issue on Naturopathy. One is the review of the necessary scientific work by that whole system profession’s researchers to examine multimodal and whole person treatment. Its the best concerted effort of any integrative health profession. A secondRead
“Normalizing” Integrative Medicine in Large Delivery Organizations: Nancy Sudak, MD and the Essentia Model
Nancy Sudak, MD became known nationally as a leader in the board certification of integrative holistic medical doctors and then as the founding executive director of the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM). In these roles, Sudak knew the challenges of sustainability for integrative medicine models in large deliveryRead
Huge Loss to US Pain Policy: Academy of Integrative Pain Management Shuts Down
For the past half decade, the Academy of Integrative Pain Management (AIPM) has carried the policy mantle for integrative pain treatment into ever more influential places. The beacons were the 2017 and 2018 Integrative Pain Care Policy Congress. The most recent convened 70 stakeholder organizations, including key payers and federalRead
Coming of the Light: The 2018 Integrator Top 10 for Policy and Action in Integrative Health and Medicine
The Integrator Blog News & Reports – now published via johnweeks-integrator.com (with content going back to 2006 at the original Integrator site) – annually marks the winter solstice with a Top 10 for Policy and Action in Integrative Health and Medicine. In the selection of each in the Top 10,Read
Portrait of a Medical Cannabis Clinical Practice: Shaping the Road Ahead
In May of 2018 at the top global research meeting for integrative health and medicine, two academic leaders with medical cannabis practices organized an informal breakfast round-table. One co-convenor helping guide dialogue in the overflow room was Leslie Mendoza Temple, MD. The past chair of the politically-killed Illinois Medical CannabisRead