Bravewell E-Newsletter Spring 2006 - Volume 2

03.06.06

 

Bravewell Spearheads PBS Documentary On Integrative Medicine

The New Medicine Premieres March 29 at 9 PM

 
When the Bravewell Collaborative formed in 2002, one of the first ideas the members pursued was the production of a television documentary that would broaden public understanding of integrative medicine. On March 29th this vision will come to fruition when The New Medicine premieres on PBS at 9:00 PM eastern time (check your local public television station listings).

Thirteen years earlier, the Bill Moyers' PBS series Healing and the Mind introduced American television audiences to the emerging field of mind-body medicine and the role that meditation and techniques like acupuncture play in healing. Since the seminal Moyers series, many practices that were once considered fringe have become mainstream, supported by a growing body of scientific research that provides compelling evidence about their medical value, and many advances in our understanding of the relationship between the mind and body have been made. In 2004, recognizing the importance of public opinion and knowledge to the growth of integrative medicine, Bravewell member Bill Sarnoff, chair of the Collaborative's Public Education Committee, urged his fellow philanthropists to consider how they might be the catalyst for a new television program that would report on this progress.

The New Medicine is a two-hour special produced by the Emmy-Award winning team of Middlemarch Films Inc. and Twin Cities Public Television, the Minneapolis-based public television station. The program provides a comprehensive look at the growing field of mind-body medicine and the pioneering physicians who are returning the human touch to high-tech care. The New Medicine goes inside medical schools, healthcare clinics, research institutions and private practices to show physicians at work on the cutting edge of this new approach, using a broader range of treatment options to heal their patients, in body, mind and spirit. By paying attention to cultural beliefs and values, and lifestyle stresses and supports, these doctors acknowledge the important role that individuals can and should play in their own healing and healthcare.

The New Medicine is hosted by Dana Reeve, who was diagnosed with lung cancer following the death of her husband Christopher. Her introduction to The New Medicine was taped in late November, only a few months before she passed away on March 6. Dana Reeve knew from her own experience as well as that of her husband, that integrative medicine emphasizes healing as much as it does curing. "Dana Reeve's intimate understanding of the value of this new approach to medicine that helps us to live higher quality lives regardless of a disease or its outcome, is why we wanted her to host The New Medicine," said Bravewell President Penny George, who has waged her own battle with cancer.

Approximately 7 million people are expected to see the first broadcast, with the total projected viewership over a three-year period reaching 20 million. Mehmet Oz, cardiac surgeon and best-selling author, previewed the program recently and said, "The longer I watched, the more I wanted to see. I thought it was wonderful. It absolutely conveys the message that integrative medicine is here, it is working, it is scientifically based, and it is economical.

The Bravewell Collaborative was instrumental in bringing The New Medicine to public television. Many members funded the documentary, either personally or through their family foundations, and inspired by Bravewell leadership, WebMD Health Foundation provided major support. "It is essential that a project like this be sufficiently capitalized," said Sarnoff, noting that Penny George and the Collaborative's executive director, Diane Neiman were tireless in stimulating funding not only for the documentary, but also for a national outreach campaign (see companion story).

The multi-media project includes a companion website at www.thenewmedicine.org and a companion book for the series, also titled The New Medicine, was written by Ron Blumer with a foreward by Dana Reeve. The book, which includes in-depth interviews with physicians and research scientists featured in the documentary, can be ordered online at www.bookmasters.com/marktplc/01588.htm.

Bravewell Launches New Website

The Bravewell Collaborative's new website is a valuable resource for healthcare professionals, philanthropists and individuals. The website features extensive video clips of many physician leaders in the field of integrative medicine as well as Bravewell Collaborative members and other people who are change agents in American medicine. Sections on Integrative Medicine, Transforming Healthcare, and Patient Empowerment provide insight into the philosophy that guides integrative medicine as well as useful definitions of many concepts and terms, links to key organizations, and helpful guidance for individuals who want to pursue a more integrated approach to their own healthcare. The site also provides complete information on the history, goals and activities of the Bravewell Collaborative. Visit www.bravewell.org.

Bravewell Grants Leverage the Impact of The New Medicine

 
A PBS documentary is a wonderful teaching tool. To maximize the educational value of The New Medicine, the Bravewell Collaborative awarded outreach grants to the eight integrative medicine clinics that comprise the Bravewell Clinical Network as well as to selected members of the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine. These grants are enabling community-based and academic institutions across the country from Albuquerque to Seattle to Newark to organize events and programs incorporating the documentary as part of a grassroots effort to educate the public about the principles and practices of integrative medicine.

These activities are already in full swing, building interest in the PBS premiere on March 29 and raising awareness of this growing trend in medical care. Many different kinds of activities have been planned including public screening events, town hall meetings, health fairs, professional education seminars, teleconferences and hands-on workshops for healthcare professionals.

For example, Dr. Erminia Guarneri, founder of the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in La Jolla, California traveled to Chicago in January to lecture during Lutheran General Hospital's medical grand rounds as part of an effort by Advocate Medical Group's Center for Complementary Medicine to educate physicians about integrative cardiology. The University of Connecticut Health Center in Hartford targeted their university community and regional residents with an Integrative Medicine Fair March 4-7, offering demonstrations of many integrative medicine techniques from acupuncture to massage, yoga and sound therapy. The Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine has hosted a series of events this spring for hospital staff, integrative medicine practitioners and the public, and will continue their outreach through the series premiere. During the broadcast a phone bank of 25-30 healthcare practitioners will be available to answer viewer questions.

Long after the program's premiere, The New Medicine DVD will continue to be a valuable resource for education, helping to propel the transformation of America's healthcare system.

BRAVEWELL INITIATIVES

Brian Berman, MD Receives 2005 Bravewell Leadership Award

The Founder and Director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Brian Berman, MD was awarded the second Bravewell Leadership Award at a black-tie dinner for the Bravewell Collaborative in New York City on November 10, 2005. Dr. Berman has dedicated his career to the expansion of evidence-based integrative care and is acclaimed for both his groundbreaking research as well as patient-centered treatment.

Dr. Berman is particularly noted for his landmark research study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in December 2004, which demonstrated that acupuncture is a safe and effective therapy in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. The study, one of the largest clinical trials of acupuncture ever completed, is considered a model for how scientific testing can evaluate alternative therapies. In October 2005, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) announced a $10 million grant to Dr. Berman for additional evidence-based investigation to advance the understanding of the potential benefits and underlying mechanism of ancient Chinese medicine including acupuncture and herbal treatments.

In addition to his seminal research, Dr. Berman has a clinical practice at the Center for Integrative Medicine, where his philosophy about the doctor-patient relationship is put into action. "Like many doctors, I sensed that the emphasis on high-tech was missing something important. With all the focus on drugs and surgery, the whole soul of medicine was being lost," said Dr. Berman. "While my research into therapies like acupuncture is intended to increase scientifically-based treatment options, integrative medicine is not about finding a silver bullet for healthcare. At its heart, integrative medicine is about a healing partnership between the doctor and the patient."

The $100,000 award was presented to Dr. Berman by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, who hosted the award ceremony, and Bravewell Collaborative member Christy Mack, who chaired the Bravewell Leadership Award benefit dinner event along with her husband John Mack. "Bravewell Award finalists have had the ingenuity and tenacity to help establish a growing body of rigorous scientific research that provides evidence about the medical value of a wide range of treatment modalities and prevention strategies that are now being integrated into mainstream medical practice," explained Christy Mack. "Building model medical centers that support satisfying doctor-patient relationships, these finalists have helped to prove that healthcare does not have to feel like an assembly line."

The other finalists for the 2005 Bravewell Leadership Award were: James Gordon, MD, Founder and Director of The Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington, D.C.: Erminia Guarneri, MD, FACC, Founder and Medical Director of the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in La Jolla, California; Kathi Kemper, MD, MPH, Caryl J. Guth Chair for Holistic and Integrative Medicine and Professor of Pediatrics, Public Health Services and Family and Community Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and Dean Ornish, MD, Founder, President and Director of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California.

In saluting all five finalists, the Duchess of York said, "Integrative medicine is helping to establish a new standard of healthcare. The future success of this rapidly growing discipline depends on the leadership and commitment of people in this room."

MEET THE MEMBERS

Christy Mack

One of the founding members of the Bravewell Collaborative and part of the executive committee, Christy Mack grew up watching her physician father treat patients in their home in Greensboro, North Carolina. "My father lived for medicine," Mack says, "and he treated the whole person. He often knew about his patient's family, job and religious beliefs and this helped form the context for his diagnosis and treatment."

In 2000, Mack saw Andrew Weil, MD on television and subsequently visited his institute in Phoenix, Arizona where she found the kind of integrative medical philosophy she felt was missing from contemporary practice. She also followed her interest in healthcare to Duke University, where an appreciation for integrative medicine had begun to take root. When Penny George invited Christy and John Mack to participate in a gathering of philanthropists interested in integrative medicine, Mack was ready to devote her energies to the new enterprise that emerged as the Bravewell Collaborative.

"The concept of the Bravewell Collaborative was to pool our resources and experience to try and fast track integrative medicine into mainstream medical practice," says Mack. A Reiki master trained in the Usui method, Mack was attracted to the deeply spiritual and emotional commitment of her Bravewell colleagues. She also advocated the results-oriented strategic thinking behind such endeavors as establishing the Bravewell Leadership Award, organizing the Bravewell Clinical Network and funding the infrastructure of the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine.

Christy's husband John Mack, who is Chairman and CEO of Morgan Stanley and serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of New York-Presbyterian Hospital, is an advisor to the Bravewell Collaborative. Together they chaired the 2003 and 2005 Bravewell Leadership Award events and have supported many Bravewell Collaborative initiatives, including The New Medicine.

The Macks are also advancing the field of integrative medicine through personal projects. For example, in 2004 their Christy and John Mack Foundation gave a $10 million gift to Duke University to build a new state-of-the-art facility for Duke's Center for Integrative Medicine. "My goal is to see so much progress moving integrative medicine into the mainstream that the Bravewell Collaborative won't be needed any more," says Mack.

ABOUT BRAVEWELL

A Vision for the Future

 
The Bravewell Collaborative is a group of philanthropists who have come together to bring about optimal health and healing for individuals and society. Integrative medicine is already playing a significant role in healthcare in such areas as preventive medicine, patient empowerment, nutrition, complementary modalities and medical training curriculum enhancement. The Bravewell Collaborative is committed to supporting and accelerating these initiatives. The Collaborative's Declaration for a New Medicine expresses their vision for healthcare in America grounded in the values that characterize integrative medicine.