Integrative treatments like acupuncture and homeopathy will become part of an integrative approach to treating patients being pioneered locally by Meridian Health.
The healthcare network recently announced the launch of a new integrative medicine program that will offer holistic treatment aimed at treating body, mind and spirit, according to Meridian Health’s Tim Hogan, regional hospital president for Monmouth County.
“This will significantly impact how we are going to serve our patients,” Hogan said in an interview.
“It’s about becoming a partner with our patients, doctors and community to find ways to better treat the whole-person.” The integrative program is being seeded with $10 million in donations to the Riverview Medical Center Foundation.
Integrative medicine combines conventional Western medical practices with alternative and complementary treatment methods and therapies, such as herbal medicine and acupuncture, to provide patients with optimal healing.
Hogan said integrative medicine has grown in popularity in recent years because of its emphasis on treating the whole person and promoting better health and well being.
“I think integrative medicine will become more mainstream in the coming years and the program we are developing has the potential to transform health care in this community,” he said.
“It is truly a partnership between many parties and we are concentrating on improving the inefficiencies in healthcare and providing the whole community with the tools they need to better care for themselves.”
According to Hogan, Meridian’s integrative medicine program will highlight the four pillars of wellness; nutrition, physical fitness, stress reduction and sleep.
“There are a lot of elements to the program we are developing and Meridian has been busy conducting research and investigating how to maximize the program’s effectiveness,” he said.
He said Meridian’s program would offer a treatment modalities including nutritional counseling, biofeedback, homeopathy/herbal medicine and medical acupuncture.
Hogan said the program will focus on educating physicians and members of the community on the importance of a holistic approach to health.
“It’s an educational process, but it’s more about being a proactive partner,” he said. “We will be working with local physicians to better improve access to healthcare, and we will work with these physicians to ensure that they have the tools and resources available so that they can work effectively within the parameters of the program. ”
Initial plans for the integrative medicine program include the development of a dedicated center at Meridian Health Village in Jackson, and the establishment of community based group sessions that focus on health assessments, screenings and education.
“Steps have already started to be taken in terms of implementing this program and we’re excited about introducing it to the communities we serve. ” Hogan said.
The launch of the integrative medicine program is being made possible through $10 million in donations from Meridian supporters.
Two River Theater Company founders Joan and Robert Rechnitz donated $5 million to help launch the program, while a second anonymous donor provided an additional $5 million to support the initiative.
“I am very connected to the hospital, I am on the board and very good friends with the hospital’s president and they had talked to [my wife and I] about the program,” Robert Rechnitz said.
“The program is something they believe in very highly and they know what they’re doing,” he said.
Hogan said the Rechnitz’s have been wonderful friends to Meridian and he is grateful for their support and contribution to the launch of the integrative medicine program.
“This program was something that deeply resonated with them and that they felt connected to, and they wanted to do what they could to provide more healthcare opportunities to people to support a healthier community,” he said.
Meridian Health is a not-for-profit health care system that will potentially include 11 medical centers in seven New Jersey counties, extending from Bergen County to the Jersey Shore. Locally, the network includes Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank and Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel.
For more information about Meridian Health, visit www.MeridianHealth.com.