SunStone has been working to create and grow integrative holistic medicine centers, satellites and programs in health systems. (Integrative refers to evidence-based, world medicine practices and holistic refers to body, mind and spirit) We help to identify funding, recruit and place individuals and physicians trained in integrative modalities like functional medicine, acupuncture, massage, bio-identicals into those systems so that habit change processes in life planning can be implemented.
With about $115B a year being spent on Integrative Medicine related services and products internationally at a 10% annual growth rate, these transformational avenues to wellness and prevention are making huge differences in healthcare costs and treatments. By doing Integrative medicine assessments, education, coaching and life planning, these centers for well-being are changing the health of their region's population. This is being done through evidence based diet, exercise and stress management programs where healthy behavior habit practices and holistic diagnostics focusing on root-cause issues are first identified and then addressed. The other good news is that these programs are being reimbursed through the Accountable Care Act at $100+ dollars per visit up to 72 visits a year.
In the new world order of American healthcare, we will be providing population health for people, tens, even hundreds of thousands of people who have typically only ever seen physicians in an Emergency Room setting after the illness has become acute. These urgent practitioners have served as their family physicians since they were small children, and prevention and wellness have been distant realities in their world.
We also live in a country that inundates us with advertisements, billboards, and jingles about manufactured food that has been specifically engineered and designed to be addictive through its sodium and sugar content and its man-made scientifically analyzed texture. We have fallen into a style and standard of living that has produced sedentary and obese citizens; 26 million diabetics and 70 million pre-diabetics. It is a system that is costing us $35B in diabetic treatments, and has a bottom line price tag of $2.4T a year. Why not reach out to medical practice techniques that are thousands of years old?
Integrative Medicine approaches your health in a common sense manner, teaches you how to break bad habits, immerses you in nurturing activities that address your whole being, and allows you to become introspective about your own health so that root cause affects can be addressed and ameliorated.
Finally, medically directed nutraceuticals, herbs, vitamins and healthy foods along with othermodalities such as acupuncture, massage, music, art, aroma and humor therapies are proven methods of treatment that are being embraced at places like Duke University, The Cleveland Clinic, Scripps, Atlantic Health, the VA, the DoD and over three dozen major medical and academic centers in the United States. The due diligence has been done. It's time to shift your personal paradigm and embrace this opportunity to make yourself healthy.
Leadership Certification in Integrative Medicine
One of SunStone's initiatives is in Integrative Medicine and what better way to lead health systems in this model of evidence based, root cause approaches to wellness and prevention than by receiving a certification in the field. As a volunteer board member, SunStone's International Director, Nick Jacobs, FACHE, has worked with the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine to produce a comprehensive, hands-on certification program. This certificate program is offered by nationally recognized experts in integrative medicine and administration, and will utilize an integrative health framework to connect with population health, ACO's, the impact of the ACA, patient and employee satisfaction and sustainability. Evidence-based practices that address wellness and health with multiple benefits will be explored, preparing participants to become inspired change agents who will make a true difference in health care delivery.
Certification Program
A two day on-site certification event under the direction of Mr. Jacobs will be held October 30th and 31st, 2014 in San Diego, California. After the completion of an additional 6 hours of online content and post-tests (included in the registration fee) for a total of approximately 20 contact hours, recipients will receive The Leadership in Integrative Health Certificate. This certification program is the first of its kind, and will establish participants as a new community of leaders in health care transformation.
Download the certification program brochure >
Program Details: www.abihm.org/physicians/annual-conference
Contact Nick Jacobs, FACHE: nickjacobs@sunstoneconsulting.com