IMA News, Events & Announcements

The Integrative Medicine Alliance Newsletter is a free service to the public. It aims to share up-to-date news, information and diverse views for the growing integrative medicine movement in New England. To become a subscriber, e-mail the IMA Mail list at IMA_Maillist@yahoo.com. If you wish to contribute news stories, opinion pieces, or announcements to this newsletter, please contact Editor Catherine Saar at catsaar@aol.com, or leave a message with the IMA at (781) 648-9866.

Did you know that only 5% of IMA Newsletter subscribers are IMA Members? If you appreciate this newsletter, become an IMA Member.  For as little as $25, you can enjoy a range of benefits for 12 months and help build a vibrant network of Integrative Medicine practitioners and advocates. Donate online at http://www.integrativemedalliance.org/helping_becomeamember.asp

An Evolutionary Vision for the Integrative Medicine Alliance

As the Integrative Medicine Alliance (“IMA”) enters its sixth year, the Board of Directors looks to the future with anticipation and is pleased to share its emerging vision for the organization with members and readers.  In September of 2004, the current IMA Board began a process to renew IMA’s mission at a weekend retreat hosted by Board member Kristen Lombard, RN at the True North Center in Falmouth ME. The board emerged with a focus on the concept of deepening the quality of the human experience in healthcare.

The concept developed out of a careful review and discussion of the IMA's activities since its founding in 1999 and an evaluation of present healthcare conditions that have led to great frustration on the part of patients and caregivers. Throughout its history, the IMA’s goal has been to bridge conventional and complementary/alternative medicine practices to create a sustainable, effective, affordable model of healthcare for all people. Using its newsletter, its website and programs such as its Mobile Clinic, the organization has continuously worked to inform people about the vision of an integrated model of healthcare. The work has been supported by a succession of devoted people who have given generously of their time, efforts and resources.

As with most organizations, we believe it’s important to continue to strive for excellence and relevance as the world around us continues to change.  Our recent strategic work aspires to strengthen the organization while building on its origins.  Today we see the IMA as a network of people, organizations, associations, and institutions advocating for and practicing relationship-centered, prevention-based healthcare that embraces diverse healing traditions and invites people to actively participate in their self-care.  The IMA Board feels that our organization can best support this open, diverse network by focusing on a critical area of common ground: the importance of the quality of human experiences in healthcare. We believe it is essential that all appropriate conventional, complementary or alternative healing tools are available to those seeking care, and we believe that the manner in which those tools are applied is equally essential. 

In sharing the concept of deepening the quality of the human experience in healthcare, we have found great enthusiasm on the part of both conventional and complementary/alternative healthcare providers, we have also found equally great enthusiasm on the part of people needing healthcare, who feel that their human needs are often not adequately met by current styles of practice.

We will continue to work hard to continue to support those practicing Integrative Medicine in New England by creating a space for interaction both in-person and on the Internet.  Our Events, eNewsletter and Website build connections for sharing knowledge, generating dialogue and pursuing mutual understanding.  In addition, our Mobile Clinic has introduced hundreds of conventional healthcare practitioners and students to the benefits of Integrative Medicine through direct experience.

In closing, we remind you that the IMA is an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that relies on the commitment and energy of volunteers and the tax-deductible support of our member-donors.  The greatest asset of our organization is our members and we invite you to join IMA and let others in your circle know about IMA.  Your participation will help to promote an integrated model of healthcare in which people, their relationships and their experiences are central to the evaluation of quality of care.  We welcome your thoughts and feedback as we continue our evolution.

Respectfully, and with best wishes for the holidays and the coming New Year!

The IMA Board of Directors

For more information, please don't hesitate to contact Karl Berger (ima_karl@yahoo.com) or Harvey (hzarren@cove.com).

 

WHEN THE PAIN WON'T QUIT, HEALTHCARE MUST NOT EITHER!
A Panel Discussion and Networking/Social Event in Collaboration with Tufts University School of Medicine, MS Program in Pain Research, Education, and Policy.

When: Thursday, December 2nd, 2004 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Where: Tufts University School of Medicine, Sackler Building Room 827, 145 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA.
Cost: Free and Open to All
CME Credits are available.

The IMA and Tufts University School of Medicine are pleased to present a panel discussion and networking social event for caregivers and the general public, entitled "When The Pain Won't Quit, Healthcare Must Not Either!" on Thursday, December 2nd from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. in the Sackler Building at Tufts Boston Campus on 145 Harrison Avenue in Boston, MA. The event is free and open to the public.

The panel will be moderated by Dr. Daniel Carr, MD, Vice Chairman of Research at Tuft-New England Medical Center and Director of the Master of Science in Pain Research, Education and Policy at Tufts.  The panel will include six healthcare professionals, three from conventional medicine (pharmaceutical care, psychology, and physical medicine) and three from complementary/alternative medicine (acupuncture, reiki, and meditation/mindfulness).  Our panelists will discuss how they approach the treatment of lower back pain, how to deepen the quality of their patients' human healthcare experience, and how they can improve the  experience  of caregivers dealing with complex and often frustrating cases.

This one-hour panel will be followed by an hour for networking, socializing and light refreshments.

Please RSVP by emailing Julia Smith at IMA_Events@yahoo.com, although walk-in attendance is also welcome.
For more information: Contact Jeanne Connolly at jeanne.connolly@tufts.edu or 617-636-3631.
Check out our Brochure: You can download our event brochure by clicking here (PDF file).

IMA VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH: DARYL BENNETT, RN, Reiki Master Teacher

We are pleased to name Daryl Bennett, RN as the IMA's Volunteer of the Month.  Daryl has been regularly attending IMA events for over two years, and has always been willing to do what she can to advance the IMA.  We are grateful for her commitment to the organization and for her dedication to promoting integrative healthcare in her own work.

Daryl has been a registered nurse since 1977, and runs Whole Body Health, a Salem, MA business that provides information and services for people to make informed decisions about their own plan for optimal health.  Her experience has been in various aspects of Traditional Western Medicine, but is now focused on a more Holistic approach, predominantly through
Nutritional Supplementation, and Energy Medicine, with Reiki.  Her primary focus is to provide Reiki treatments with music to facilitate balance in the Human Energy field. She also offers a donation-based clinic on Thursday nights, where she’s been gathering subjective information from clients before and after treatments for the past 1-1/2 to 2 years as preliminary study data. Daryl says she welcomes Traditional Usui practitioners to help at the clinic so more clients can be helped.

She’s also put together two Perspectives in Healing conferences, focused on educating people in the medical field about the benefits of the many Integrative modalities and is working on a third.

To reach Daryl, call her at 978-833-0780 or email her at whlbodyhlth@yahoo.com

SOME SIMPLE WAYS TO HELP THE IMA

Become a member of the IMA.  One of the most important things you can do to help.  For as little as $25 a year ($20 for students) you can help the IMA bring together caregivers of all healing traditions and provide a voice for the New England’s integrative healthcare community.  Visit http://www.integrativemedalliance.org/helping_becomeamember.asp and become a member today!

Would you like to volunteer your professional caregiving skills?  If you’re a complementary/alternative caregiver, sign up to volunteer for our Mobile Clinics by e-mailing LivingtheVision@yahoo.com.

Would you like to be our “eyes and ears”?  If you know of a worthwhile upcoming integrative medical event in New England, (large or small!) send date, time and place info to our Calendar of Events Coordinator Theresa Ochenkoski at IMA_Calendar@yahoo.com

Do you like to write?  Send in your news story ideas, commentary, and other writings to our IMA Newsletter Editor Catherine Saar, at catsaar@aol.com

Do you like parties?  If you’d like to host a social or networking gathering of caregivers from many healing traditions at your home or at a public location, we’d be happy to sponsor it and advertise it on our calendar, but please give us 2 month’s advance notice.  E-mail the details to IMA Coordinator Karl Berger at IMA_Karl@yahoo.com.

Would you like to spread the word about us? We want to invite all concerned citizens and caregivers to get our free IMA newsletter.  Send their e-mail addresses (or postal addresses if they have no e-mail) to us at IMA_Maillist@yahoo.com and we’ll invite them to subscribe.  If you’d like to distribute our brochures, we’ll send you some!

If you’d like to make a bigger volunteer commitment: We’re looking for assistance in administration, event planning, fundraising, grant writing, outreach, project management, and public relations. We are also looking for a volunteer knowledgeable in the "tech" side of web sites. For more information, visit our Website at www.IntegrativeMedAlliance.org, and under “Helping” click on “Volunteer”.

If you offer free or discounted services and wish to list them on our website, or if you would like us to update your current listing, please email the IMA's Administrator Julia Smith at Admin@integrativemedalliance.org