Heal Thy Practice 2012 to Highlight “Lessons Learned” from Leading Integrative Clinics

  

Creation of a thriving, economically-viable integrative practice is the dram of many clinicians these days, as well as the hope of many patients seeking holistic care. But the path tor eaching tht ieal can be fraught with challenges.

Fortunately, road maps are emerging from holistic clinics, large and small. They will be highlighted at Heal Thy Practice 2012, Holistic Primary Care’s fourth annual conference at the Renaissance Long Beach Hotel, Nov. 9-11, 2012.

This year’s program will feature valuable “lessons learned” from clinicians who’ve found ways to create and maintain healthy and health-centric practices using a wide variety of models and strategies. The meeting is an opportunity to learn from trailblazing integrative physicians like:

Mimi Guarneri, MD, Director of Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine, La Jolla, CA: An interventional cardiologist prior to her journey into holistic practice, Dr. Guarneri has learned a lot about balancing and integrating high-tech conventional interventions with high-touch holistic medicine. As founding director of the innovative Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine, she’s also learned much about what it takes to develop and manage a comprehensive holistic center. She’ll share her insights in a Friday morning Keynote, Nov. 9.

 • Bethany Hays, MD, Founding Director, True North Clinic, Portland, ME: For more than a decade, the True North clinic has been viewed by many as the model integrative primary care clinic—an interdisciplinary collaborative practice that truly puts patients at the center of the circle. Dr. Hays will throw back the curtain and give Heal Thy Practice attendees a good look at the inner workings and unique management approaches that create the True North experience. CA: An interventional cardiologist prior to her journey into holistic practice, Dr. Guarneri has learned a lot about balancing and integrating high-tech conventional interventions with high-touch holistic medicine. As founding director of the innovative Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine, she’s also learned much about what it takes to develop and manage a comprehensive holistic center. She’ll share her insights in a Friday morning Keynote, Nov. 9.

Eric Hassid, MD & Bianca Garilli, ND, Institute for Restorative Health, Davis, CA. Neurologist Dr. Hassid founded the Institute for Restorative Health with a vision of a truly interdisciplinary functional medicine clinic where clinicians with very diverse training could bring their skill-sets to bear for the best health of patients. He and Dr. Garilli, a naturopathic doctor, will explore the practical aspects of creating and managing a collaborative, cross-disciplinary practice. They’ll also share patient case studies to illustrate how the model works & how it benefits patients.

Molly & Bruce Roberts, MD, Institute of Health & Healing, Greenbrae, CA, Dr. Molly Roberts, current president of the American Holistic Medical Association, and her husband Dr. Bruce Roberts, are pioneers in holistic & integrative care. Together they ran their own Lighthearted Medicine clinic in Tucson, for years before relocating to the San Francisco area in 2011. Both now work as integrative “specialists” at the Institute of Health & Healing, a unique new practice model established by Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation & the California Pacific Medical Center. They’ll describe this new model that’s poised for expansion nationwide.

Bruce and Molly will also lead a special Sunday Brunch workshop titled, Reconnect to the Healer Within: Rediscovering the Joy & Satisfaction of Caring for Others. Based on the Healer Within workshops they developed with the late Dr. Lee Lipsenthal, this experiential session will empower attendees to tap into their own creativity & spirituality to rekindle their passion for practice.  
 

Jeffrey Gladd, MD, Founder, GladdMD, Ft. Wayne, IN:  Few people think of Ft. Wayne, Indiana as an epicenter of progressive holistic medicine. Yet over the last 4 years, Dr. Gladd has built a thriving integrative family practice, proving that it’s still possible to have an independent practice, even in “small town America.” Dr. Gladd, who attended the first Heal Thy Practice in 2009, will describe how the need to deal with personal health challenges (overweight, panic attacks, stress) led him to University of Arizona’s Program in Integrative Medicine, and ultimately to the creation of his current practice.

Corey Evans, MD, Point Brittany Medical Center, St. Petersburg, FL. A pioneer in office-based cardiovascular risk assessment, Dr. Evans believes that by referring patients to specialists for stress testing and other tests, primary care doctors are missing opportunities not only to increase practice revenue, but to connect more fully with patients. Dr. Evans will review the science of office-based stress testing, and describe how he incorporates these services into his own clinic.

Finding Creativity in Practice Development

Many physicians—especially those drawn to holistic medicine—are reluctant to address the “business” aspects of practice, believing that attention on money issues will taint patient care. For some, this becomes an outright aversion.

According to Philippa Kennealy, MD, a bit of entrepreneurial know-how can actually set doctors free to truly practice as healers. Those who ignore or avoid the economic aspects of their work do so to their own detriment—and the detriment of their patients. Dr. Kennealy, a family physician, now heads The Entrepreneurial MD, a consultancy that teaches clinicians new ways to approach the economic side of their practices. In her lively, inimitable style she’ll show how to bring entrepreneurial creativity to your practice in a way that supports health, honors patients, and enables you to practice as you wish.

Healthy Physicians = Healthier Patients

Guidance in making dietary and lifestyle changes is one of the most valuable things you can offer your patients. It is also one of the most challenging. Physicians and patients alike can be overwhelmed in the deluge of conflicting information on different diets, forms of exercise, and change strategies.

According to Dr. Michelle May, a primary care doctor from Phoenix, AZ, what gets lost in all the fretting about carbs, calories and food labels is the key to lasting change: mindfulness.

In creating her successful, Am I Hungry? programs, Dr. May drew on her own experience as a yo-yo dieter, her clinical acumen and reviews of the latest data to teach people how to truly listen to their bodies. Sustainable change isn’t based on strict adherence to regimens, but on understanding one’s own needs from the inside out. Dr. May will teach the core principles of mindful eating and show how they apply in daily clinical practice.

Making Integrative Medicine Work

Returning to the helm of Heal Thy Practice is Dr. Steven Masley, founder/director of the Masley Optimal Health Center. Widely recognized for his “Cutting Edge Nutrition” clinical lectures and his Ten Years Younger programs for patients, Dr. Masley will share his model for creating clinically-effective and economically-viable cardiovascular risk management programs.

Dr. Masley has worked closely with conference founders Meg Sinclair and Erik Goldman, to develop a world-class program that is equal parts clinical, practical and inspirational.

“One of our goals for Heal Thy Practice is to serve as a hub for practical knowledge on how to make holistic/integrative medicine work in as wide a variety of clinics as possible,” says Meg Sinclair, conference co-founder.

“There’s no single solution or strategy that will work everywhere, but by pulling together the experience of many holistic clinicians in diverse settings, we’re creating a forum where people can share what’s working, and find the strategies and guidance they need to make positive changes in their own practices.”

In addition to clinical aspects, the conference will also offer medicolegal, marketing and time-management guidance. Alan Dumoff, JD, our “lawyer in the family” will update us on new regulatory issues confronting integrative clinicians. He’ll also offer a dose of “preventive lawyering,” by reviewing the most common medicolegal mistakes he sees holistic doctors making….and how to avoid them.

The “M” word scares a lot of physicians, but marketing need not cause consternation. In fact, with the right approach it can be one of the most creative aspects of a practice. Fundamentally, marketing is about clarifying your values and communicating them in a way that attracts patients who share them.

This year, Miriam Zacharias, an executive coach and fitness expert, and James Maskellfounder of Revive NYC, a practice development consultancy, will lead a marketing intensive covering everything from how to define your practice message, to use of the latest web-based tools and apps to position your practice as a healing resource for your community.

Heal Thy Practice 2012
will also feature ample time to get to know colleagues from all over the country who share your vision of healthier health care.

Lest you think the conference only offers food for thought, you’ll find out just how tasty healthy food can be. All meals (except Saturday dinner) are included at Heal Thy Practice. With a trained chef (Dr. Masley) and two foodies (Meg & Erik)  overseeing the kitchen, great food is guaranteed!

Find out what 2011 attendees had to say about Heal Thy Practice. We hope to see you in Long Beach!

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