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SPECIAL REPORTS FROM IMA
the ima in 2005
The IMA has had an
interesting and active year during 2005, with event sponsorship, a
leadership session, and organizational changes.
On March 5th,
Boston Students for Integrative Medicine held an Integrative Medicine
and Student Wellness Conference for healthcare students. The
conference was sponsored by The IMA, Tufts University School of
Medicine, the Tufts Wellness Committee, and the American Medical
Students Association EDCAM Grant. The IMA’s Mobile Clinic provided 120
CAM experiences for the healthcare students during the afternoon. Dr.
Harvey Zarren, President of the IMA Board, gave the closing
presentation, Self-care as a Model for Integrative Medicine.
The conference was a wonderful vehicle for the IMA to help introduce
healthcare students from Tufts, Harvard, Boston University, U Mass,
Brown, Yale and the New England School of Acupuncture to CAM
experiences and to the concept of integrating such practices into
their own practices in the future both for their patients or clients
and for their own self-care. A full report of the conference can be
found elsewhere in this newsletter.
In August, The IMA
held a Leadership Session at the home of IMA Board President Harvey
Zarren. At the meeting, attendees got to share their own stories,
shared a lot of creative ideas, and shared a wonderful potluck
supper. A full report of the session can be found elsewhere in this
newsletter.
2005 has seen an
enormous amount of work on the infrastructure of the IMA. Joan
Strauss, IMA Treasurer and Clerk has done a huge amount of work on the
IMA’s database and mailing list. In addition, a Paypal on-line
donation button was installed on the IMA website.
Joan was helped in
her work on the IMA infrastructure by Judy Copp, a very welcome
addition to the IMA Board. Judy now works in the healing arts but has
an extensive experience in marketing and communications. A full
introduction to Judy can be found elsewhere in this newsletter. Besides taking
on responsibility for the IMA website, Judy has, at this time,
energetically taken on the editorship of the IMA online newsletter
after Catherine Saar regretfully had to leave that position.
Karl Berger,
former IMA Board President and Coordinator took a leave of absence for
the birth of Astrid Lisbet Berger.
Karl and his wife Annie welcomed their daughter into the world on
April 20.
Karl spent an
enormous amount of time prior to his leave making sure that the IMA
was in great shape to continue during his absence. Karl has also had a
large role in the infrastructure organization that has gone on this
year. Karl has now finished his leave and is back “on duty.”
Much of 2005 has
included an active search for additions to the IMA Board. As a result,
in the beginning of 2006, 2 new Board Members: Barbara Parton and
Emily Klein will be coming onto the Board. See more about Barbara and
Emily elsewhere in this newsletter. See more about Barbara and
Emily elsewhere in this newsletter.
2005 has been a
growth and development year for the IMA. Much of the underlying
organizational work may not be readily apparent and will nonetheless
stand the organization in good stead as it moves forward. Joan
Strauss, Michael Basso and Harvey Zarren have “re-upped” on the Board
for another term.
We at the IMA look
forward to a vigorous, creative future working for our goal of
deepening the quality of the human experience in healthcare.
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review of 2004
With our
newsletter hiatus, it’s worth reviewing the accomplishments of the IMA
in 2004.In September of 2004, at an intensive and very productive
Board Retreat, the IMA restated its mission as: “INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
ALLIANCE: DEEPENING THE QUALITY OF THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE IN
HEALTHCARE.”
The focus on the
human experience in healthcare is consistent with the IMA’s concept of
being an open, diverse network of people and organizations practicing
and promoting relationship-centered, prevention-based healthcare. The
IMA embraces diverse healing traditions and invites people to actively
participate in their self-care. Focusing on the human experience means
that it is essential that all appropriate conventional, complementary
and alternative healing tools are available to those seeking care, and
that the manner in which those tools are applied is equally
essential.
2004 also saw an
evolution of the Board of Directors. Rosa Buffone stepped down from
the Board. Joan Strauss, Senior Project Manager in Service Improvement
at MGH, Michael Basso, President of the Connecticut Holistic Health
Association, Harvey Zarren, M.D. and Kristen Lombard, Co-Director of
Integrative Care at Mercy Hospital in Maine all joined the Board.
Kristen Lombard regretfully had to step down from the Board in
December. Karl Berger remained on the Board and as IMA Coordinator.
On the IMA Staff,
Justin Goltermann, database developer left the organization and IMA
Intern Laura Brion completed her work on the CAM Access Initiative.
Julia Smith, previously an administrator at the Boston Shiatsu School,
became the IMA’s first paid Administrator.
In 2004, the IMA
was involved in a variety of activities around the Boston area.
In April, The IMA
partnered with the Boston Healing Landscape Project at Boston
University Medical Center to hold a unique workshop on Cultural
Uses of Herbs in Latino and Haitian Communities. MDs and other
healthcare professionals heard about Cuban Santeria and Haitian vodou
healing traditions and then visited two area botánicas. Healing
approaches were addressed from pharmacological, anthropological and
religious perspectives.
In April, May and
June, the IMA put on a series of workshops entitled Stop Selling
and Start Serving: Practical Marketing for Independent Health and
Wellness Practices. Former IMA Board Member and marketing
consultant Jennifer Lewy led the workshops, bringing her always astute
and incredibly practical advice to independent holistic practitioners.
In May, The IMA
held a fundraising party at Wellspace in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The
event featured an IMA Mobile Clinic, live entertainment by Jazz
guitarist Steve Carter and refreshments. Wellspace has been
consistently generous in granting space to the IMA for which we are
very, very grateful.
In July, The IMA
was one of many non-profits offering a free workshop at the Boston
Social Forum, a gathering of progressive social movements from fields
including healthcare, environmental concerns and human rights
concerns. The IMA workshop was entitled Envisioning a
People-Centered Healthcare System That Brings Together the World’s
Healing Traditions. Karl Berger and Mary Quilty combined to
facilitate this well-received event.
In December, the
IMA held a panel discussion and social networking event in
collaboration with the Masters of Science in Pain Research, Education
and Policy program at the Tufts University School of Medicine. The
program was entitled When the Pain Won’t Quit, Healthcare Must Not
Either. The panel included a Pharmacologist, a Physiatrist and a
Pain Psychologist from conventional practice and a Reiki Practitioner,
an Acupuncturist and a Mindfulness Meditation Practitioner from
complementary practice. The very capable practitioners shared how each
of their practices might help a patient with chronic pain from failed
low back surgery, and then shared how they might care for each other
if they were in practice together. The event, held at Tufts Medical
School, was attended by both conventional and complementary
practitioners as well as students, medical residents and interested
lay people and finished up with a wonderful social networking
opportunity.
Other IMA events
included 3 networking meetings and an appearance at Salem State
College’s annual Wellness Fair. The IMA was also an Affiliate Partner
at a national conference called Building Bridges of Integration for
Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2004.
In 2004, Jennifer
Lewy wrote an article entitled Building Bridges, Living the Vision:
How The Integrative Medicine Alliance is Changing Healthcare for
The Forum, the quarterly newsletter of the National Acupuncture
and Oriental Medicine Alliance. The article outlined the IMA’s vision,
history and programs.
Also in 2004, IMA
writer Maggie Hentschel and Karl Berger authored an article entitled
An Introduction to Complementary and Alternative Medicine for
Health Boards for the Massachusetts Association of Health Board’s
MAHB Journal.
The IMA website,
wwwintegrativemedalliance.org, continued to grow in popularity with
over 10,000 visits per month by the end of the year.
The IMA online
newsletter continued to grow and evolve under the able editorship of
Catherine Saar who added Industry News and Legislative Updates,
Research Developments, Members’ Forum, Resources for the Community and
Practitioner’s Corner sections. The newsletter readership continued to
grow.
The IMA had an
active and successful year in 2004 and will continue to seek
opportunities to promote the enhancement and deepening of the human
experience in healthcare for both the providers and the recipients of
healthcare.
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IMA continues its Vision
In the December 2004 edition of the IMA newsletter, the Board of
Directors shared its emerging vision for IMA developed during a
retreat to look at the IMA’s mission. The board emerged with a focus
on the concept of
deepening the quality of the human experience in healthcare.
For the
benefit of new members and new readers, some major points of that
article are summarized below.
IMA’s focus: an integrated healthcare model
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 IMA organization has a common ground
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.
You have ways to be informed and involved
We will
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.
IMA needs and appreciates your financial support
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. We welcome your thoughts and feedback as we
continue our evolution.
The IMA Board of Directors
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