06/15/2001

Where East Meets West

Colleague and friend, Ellen Ornato, wrote to me recently about a fascinating new treatment facility in Derby, Conn., where Eastern and Western medical practices converge.

Integrative Medicine Center at Griffin Hospital
by Ellen Ornato

Joan* suffers from chronic migraines. She has seen her primary care physician and now takes a prescription drug that eases the intense, debilitating pain of her migraines but leaves her feeling less than sharp, mentally. At the same time, Joan is seeing an acupuncturist to gain some relief and is experimenting with some herbal remedies to address her symptoms and to avoid taking the prescription drugs.

Joan's primary care physician does not know that Joan is receiving acupuncture or using herbal treatments; his response to her inquiry about naturopathic treatments was strongly suspicious and negative. Her acupuncturist, on the other hand, discourages Joan from using the prescription drugs to treat migraines and assures her that there are less intense methods available to treat migraines.

The end result is that Joan is confused. Neither of her care providers has a full understanding what is being done to address Joan's chronic condition and conflicts between the recommended treatments may exacerbate the migraines.

"Research indicates that less than 40% of patients using alternative therapies share that vital information with their primary care providers," says Dr. David Katz, MD, MPH, director of the Integrative Medicine Center at Griffin Hospital. He notes that patients with chronic conditions often go back and forth between conventional doctors and non-traditional practitioners in search of relief from pain. What results for patients is a much higher use of medical services, with less relief or cure than if they had been treated holistically, with all medical practitioners in sync around their treatments.

The Integrative Medicine Center (IMC) at Griffin Hospital opened in January of 2000 to address that exact scenario; to serve the public's growing interest in alternative therapies, while balancing the need to identify the safest and most effective treatment options available. The Center, directed by Dr. Katz and Christine Girard-Couture, ND (naturopathic doctor), offers dual evaluation by conventional physicians trained in internal and preventive medicine and naturopathic physicians with expertise in a wide array of natural, complementary and alternative therapies. This consultative evaluation is followed by treatment recommendations spanning the spectrum of conventional and alternative therapies.

The IMC provides services to a wide range of people whose conditions are generally chronic. These include: long-term illnesses such as back, neck and joint pain, headaches, digestive disorders, allergies, women's health issues, diabetes, fatigue and fibromyalgia. The Center's programs are best suited to those individuals who have not responded well to conventional medicine, as well as those individuals simply interested in natural medicine and a more holistic approach to healthcare.

The IMC's approach to treatment is unique; it is the only center in the Northeast with holistic, dual conventional/naturopathic evaluation of all patients. Each new patient spends a total of 90 minutes with IMC's staff, fully discussing their conditions, past treatments and concerns. This session is broken down into two segments; one with a conventional medical doctor and the other with a naturopathic doctor.

Following the initial meeting, the intake professionals meet with a team of doctors and naturopaths, to outline a recommended course of treatment. The team then presents its recommendations, with referrals for treatment, to the patients and a copy of the report may be sent to all physicians involved in the patient's care.

"Patients are impressed by the completeness of our intake sessions," says Christine Girard-Couture, ND. "They're used to being rushed and are grateful for the time we take to sit and listen." The IMC treats patients as valued partners in wellness and has an extensive follow-up program to ensure that treatment recommendations are being followed and that patients understand their options and the recommended courses of action.

On the Eastern medicine side of the equation, the IMC alternative provider panel consists of over 30 state licensed/certified clinicians, ranging from acupuncturists, chiropractors, therapeutic massage, energy therapists (Reiki, polarity), Oriental medicine, homeopathy, stress management. On the Western medicine side, the Center draws its expertise from the licensed medical professionals at Griffin Hospital and Yale University, where Dr. Katz is the Director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center and is a member of the teaching faculty.

"We bring the expertise and knowledge of highly qualified providers to the table, treating each individual holistically, with a commitment to providing the best recommendations for a coordinated approach to treatment," says Dr. Katz. "Our first eighteen months have been tremendous. We're seeing real results in people who were resigned to a lifetime of pain, which validates the whole undertaking and approach."

Patients can be self-referred or physician referred and the consultations are most often covered by health insurance providers. For more information about the IMC at Griffin Hospital, visit http://www.IMC-griffin.org or call (203) 732-1370.

* Joan is a fictitious name representing a real person.

Please send questions or comments to bbruno@snet.net.