Archive for the ‘Healthcare Reform’ Category

« Older Entries

Treatment of Leaky Gut is Not a Mystery

Monday, February 4th, 2013

By Ronald Stram, MD

The title of the story in this Sunday’s NY Times magazine, The Boy With a Thorn in his Joints,  suggests that the patient story is an anomaly-an atypical medical case. I want to report that this is far from the reality of the clinical experience in my office. The patient complaint, the history, the far reaching impact of unnecessary pharmaceutical treatments on patients and their families, all are commonly heard in the private chambers of my office. From ages 3-85, leaky gut syndrome is not a peculiar and mysterious thorn from which patients and their families must endure the kind of suffering as described in the story. The results of specific dietary therapies in the care of my patients with the same problems are dramatic.

Medicine Needs to Change
It is unnerving to me how far astray the medical community has gone-  that something as foundational to health as the physiology of our digestion  would be second to  the influence of the pharmaceutical and device industry. Medicine needs to change; the whole person approach is integral to comprehensive medical treatment. The re-education needs to begin in medical school, continue in residency and post graduate courses.

Obstacles are in the Billions
Currently, the obstacles for the needed changes in medicine are in the billions and billions of dollars in pharmaceutical profits that look to keep our nation one that is dependent on drugs.  There is no corporate profit in a nation that relies on wholesome nutrition  and preventative medicine as its primary guide.The needed changes in  medicine do not  even gain momentum from the fact that a healthier non-drug dependent nation has fewer healthcare expenses.

When will the voices of sick patients  like the boy in this NY  TIMES story and the suffering of their families be heard? What will it take?

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Food as Medicine, gastrointestinal health, Healthcare Reform, Preventative Health, Ronald L. Stram MD | Comments Off

Stram Center Hosts Escape Fire Film on Health Care Reform

Thursday, October 4th, 2012

Health Care Reform: Escape Fire Film

Escape Fire Film Hosted by the Stram Center in Albany, NY

Update: 10/19/12: Escape Fire played to a sell-out crowd! You can see our pictures from the evening on our Facebook page (even if you’re not on Facebook,  you can still view them)

The Stram Center will host the first local showing of award-winning healthcare film,Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare

This multiple award-winning, riveting film on the nature of America’s broken healthcare system will be presented by the Stram Center, Thursday, Oct 18th at Spectrum 8 Theatre in Albany, NY.

Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare

This film tackles one of the most pressing issues of our time: how can we save the badly broken healthcare system? American healthcare costs are rising, yet our health outcomes are worse. A Sundance Film Official Selection for 2012 and a four time film-festival winner, Escape Fire is a must see!

Join the Stram Center staff in the presentation of this deeply powerful and extremely relevant film.

What: Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare
Where: Spectrum 8 Theatre – 290 Delaware Ave, Albany, NY 12209
When: Thursday, October 18th 6:30pm

Tickets Sales:

  • On sale NOW ONLY at the Stram Center for Integrative Medicine
  • Call or stop by! 518-689-2244
  • Hurry in, tickets are limited and going fast!
  • Remaining tickets will be available on the day of the show at the Spectrum 8 box office, beginning at noon!
  • Adults: $9.25 / Seniors & Students $7.50

Q & A session hosted by Dr. Ronald Stram and the following guests to follow film.

1. Dr. Ronald Stram:

  • Founded the Stram Center 10 years ago (2002)
  • Founded Stram Center directly after completing the integrative medicine fellowship seen in the Escape Fire film with world renowned Dr. Andrew Weil
  • Has been practicing medicine for over 25 years

2. Christopher Reilly

  • LAc – Licensed Acpuncturist
  • Has been with the Stram Center since the opening of it’s doors back in 2002

3. Richard Kirsch

  • Author of Fighting for Our Health: The Epic Battle to Make healthcare a Right in the United States (Published in Feb 2012)
  • Currently working as a strategic consultant to organizations and foundations all over the area
  • Serves as an advisor to various committees and boards
  • He is a true advocate for policy change

4. Professor John Huppertz, PhD

  • PhD graduate of Syracuse University
  • Currently chair of the Union Graduate College MBA in Healthcare Program – held position since 2004
  • Also a marketing professor at the grad school

5. Dr. Joel Bartfield

  • Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education at Albany Medical College
  • Involved in graduate and undergraduate medical eduction for over 25 years
  • Also practices emergency medicine at Albany Med

6. Sarada Bernstein

  • Corporate Dietician – ShopRite
  • Runs the registered dietitian program at all Shop Rites

Reviews:

Interviews:
  • An interview with Documentary Channel and the film’s directors, Matthew Heineman and Susan Froemke.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Healthcare Reform | Comments Off

Action Requested Not an Apology – Lyme Forum

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012

By Ron Stram, MD

What’s going on here?

On Monday, I attended a forum hosted by Honorary Chairman Congressman Chris Gibson and the LymeNext Organizing Committee at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs. I was struck by the association one of the speakers made between the current treatment denial by insurance companies for  LYME Disease and  the government sponsored Tuskegee research performed from 1932 to the 1970′s which looked at the long term effects of syphilis in the black population.

Essentially, after penicillin was discovered as a cure, researchers continued to deny such treatment to many study participants. Many patients were lied to and given placebo treatments so researchers could observe the full, long term progression of the fatal disease. The current denial by insurance companies, for the long term treatment of chronic Lyme sufferers, rang parallel to the Tuskegee experiments in which effective treatment was withheld.

What’s going on here? Why is the treatment of Lyme Disease blocked and so politicized? And what about the extreme out of pocket costs for those who seek treatment because of  insurance company denial? Do we need to go as far as a congressional committee to get suffers of chronic Lyme the treatment that will alleviate their suffering? That is how the Tuskegee experiments were finally resolved which resulted in the enactment of the  National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research and the National Research Act.

It wasn’t until  May 16, 1997,  when President Bill Clinton formally apologized and held a ceremony for the Tuskegee study participants.

We need to learn  from the injustices of the past and get the Lyme Disease reform needed  for treatment for chronic lyme mainstream.  We want action not an apology.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Healthcare Reform, Lyme Disease, Preventative Health | Comments Off

Initiating A Lifestyle Change

Monday, December 19th, 2011

By: Kylie K. Boos, RN

We all know the feeling; you get a great idea and you just go with it. You go full out, head first, with an enthusiastic, “I can do this” attitude and then the realization of reality kicks in and you get the wind knocked out of you. In all of your glory you forget that you actually have to do something in order for the great idea to happen.  This, my friends, is what goes through our minds when we think about initiating a lifestyle change. Whether it be challenging you to go to the gym or vowing to eat organic, we all have this great intention but don’t always follow through.  With the New Year just around the corner I figured this would be a great time to nudge you to stick with it with a little advice.

The most challenging hurdle that we must all overcome in order to succeed at anything is ourselves!  We are our worst enemy and the only way to get past our reservations is to push the mental challenge in a positive yet selfish direction.  You might think, positive yet selfish? You’ve
got to be kidding me. No I am not. This is the hard reality here.  You want to think positively as in “I can do this” but you also need to be thinking, “I can do this because this is what I want.” When setting a goal you have to keep in mind that this is your goal. Not anyone else’s.  No one is going to wake you up at 5am to get you motivated to hit the gym.  You have to rely on yourself and be strong.

Staying strong especially through the holidays is really tough to do.  Pre-holiday festivities, holiday work parties, after-the-holiday parties and plenty of other reasons to overeat and forgo the gym are upon us. This is the time where our will power is tested and where we can really show ourselves that we have what it takes in order to succeed.  The best thing to do is to stick to as normal of a routine as possible.  If you go to the gym after work on a regular basis, continue to do so.  If you have an obligation to attend then work out before you go to work.  Make small changes in your routine, do not alter altogether because this will disrupt your normal pattern and can ultimately lead to you accidentally “giving up” on your goals.

Forget the past and move on. Slipped up and ate too much or skipped a couple of workouts? Don’t panic.  You cannot waste time or energy thinking of ways you could have “been better”, what’s done is done.  The only thing you can do is get back on the horse.  After a binge at a holiday party or a couple of unexcused absences from the gym, the best thing to do is to acknowledge the mishap and get back into your normal routine.  Congratulate yourself for feeling guilty and know that this is a good sign, it means you care. It’s not too late to being again with extra enthusiasm and some insight as to what can happen if you get off track.

Now is the time for you to start a change!  The holidays and the New Year is a good excuse for initiating a lifestyle change but honestly, any day is a good day to start.  It does not have to be a New Year’s resolution or anything pertaining to anybody else.  This has everything to do with you and what it will take to get you motivated enough to think about making a change and then actually implementing it.  The idea of making a change is exciting and thrills even the best of us but it is those who actually stick to their idea who are really rare.  My only question is, are you strong enough to be one them?

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Cardiovascular Health, gastrointestinal health, Healthcare Reform, Kylie Boos RN, Nutrition, Physical Fitness, Preventative Health, Stress Management, Weight Loss | Comments Off

ILADS 2011 Conference Impressions

Thursday, November 24th, 2011

By:  Ron Stram, MD and Jennifer Enos, NP

TREATMENT OPTIONS

Having attended the International Lyme and Disease Society  (ILADS) conference last month in  Toronto, we came home  both reassured about the treatment options we  offer and with additional therapies to improve our treatment options for our  growing number of lyme patients at the Stram Center for Integrative Medicine, Delmar office.  One of many interesting developments was discussed by Dr. Richard Horowitz  on the topic of Babesiosis diagnosis and treatment, for example: usage for an herbal supplement used in Ethiopia to treat malaria,  cryptolepis,  has been shown to be effective in this co-infection.

 CHANGING SYMPTOMS REQUIRE  CLOSE EXAMINATION

We  came away  more reassured about the complexity of this growing, insidious disease and the treatments we  already offer our patients: an integration of modalities with antibiotic therapies, nutritional support and herbal supplements are the most effective way of treating this disease.  In addition, and not to be understated is the utmost importance of the ongoing and compassionate listening required of the practitioner because of the ever changing and evolving symptom response to treatment. This perhaps is the most challenging part of the management of lyme and of  living with the disease itself.  Therapies must be flexible  in response to one’s changing symptoms.

PATIENT ADVOCACY IS ESSENTIAL TO EFFECT CHANGE

Dr.  Daniel Cameron,  past president of ILADS, strongly urged that patient advocacy will be the leading force to aiding LYME to become a recognizable disease in the medical community. Therefore,  we encourage you, as people either afflicted personally, or are affected by  afflicted  members of your family or friends, to become as active as possible in your communities  to effect change on the front line for recognition of this verifiable, debilitating and tragic disease.

Please contact your nearest Lyme Advocate Association to help make this change happen.

 

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Healthcare Reform, ILADS, Jennifer Enos NP, Lyme Disease, Ronald L. Stram MD | Comments Off

The Right Practitioner for You

Sunday, November 6th, 2011

How Do I Find a Good Practitioner?

I’m often asked by people who are moving, or who live too far away from the Center for regular visits, “what should I look for in an acupuncturist?”  My answer is usually along the lines of: you look for the same things that you would in a good mechanic, personal trainer, doctor and almost anything else.  A good practitioner is communicative, responsible and effective.  Sure, you have to make sure that they’re licensed, and hopefully they have some experience with the health conditions that you are dealing with, but that is the bare minimum.

It Is About the Relationship

I’ll always remember what our founder Dr. Ron Stram told me when I was a new practitioner many years ago.  “People expect us to be good at our job. That’s just the baseline. It’s about the relationship.” And what makes a good relationship?  Open and clear communication working in two directions, attentiveness to someone’s needs and the taking of steps to show that you are actively engaged in meeting those needs.  A good practitioner is responsive, actively listens to you and makes clear effort to help you achieve your goals.  Like any other relationship, it has to be a good match as well- find the provider that you “click” with.

Best of Both Worlds

Numerous times in my life I have heard people saying that if they had to make a choice, they would pick a doctor who was exceedingly skilled over one who was kind and pleasant to work with.  Especially in the field of Integrative Health, where practitioners must understand and address the entire person- there is no such distinction.  The care giver who is exceedingly skilled is the care giver that is attentive, comfortable to work with and reliable.  To understand a client well, an acupuncturist has to be more than just technically skilled.  They have to be actively interested in their client, who they are, what they are going through, and how, whether by well-placed needle, by herb or by compassionate gesture they can be supported and cared for.

Yes, But is it Covered by my Insurance?

Means, motive and opportunity.  The great majority of healthcare providers want to give the attentive and compassionate care that we all try to embody.  Clients want attentive and reliable care, and providers want to have the relationship and time spent with clients that help ensure the best and most appropriate care.  So why so much discontent, and why so many stories of sloppy care because an health concern wasn’t given it’s due time and consideration?

We find ourselves in this position because you are no longer the consumer for your own healthcare!  Your insurance company is the healthcare consumer.  The consumer demands to the healthcare industry are less time and less care (i.e. less money paid out).  Since no business survives without listening to its customers, healthcare providers must bend to the demands of their consumers- the insurance companies- in order to survive.

My practice exists outside of this system.  There is no mediator between myself, and my client.  The only demands, needs, wants and hopes I listen to are those of my client, and that allows me to be the responsive and active practitioner that I strive to be.  I bring this up just to suggest the fact that maybe “is it covered by my insurance” isn’t the first question to ask when seeking out the right practitioner for you.  Just food for thought.

 

 

Tags: ,
Posted in Acupuncture, Christopher Reilly L.AC, General, Healthcare Reform | Comments Off

Acupuncture for the West

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

By: Christopher Reilly, L.Ac
I was interviewed today by a student at SUNY Albany who was doing a paper on natural healing.  At the end of a series of very well thought out questions, she asked me if there was anything else that I would like people to know about acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine.  I had to pause for a moment to consider the question before beginning to answer.
The common perception of acupuncture is steeped and clouded in mysticism and associations with the culture of China and the East.  I’ve often thought about the general opinion that seems to portray acupuncture as a mysterious and magical art performed by wizened Chinese practitioners in the back of old herbal shops in China town.  It has become obvious to me over the years that one of the most consistent barriers to accepting acupuncture in the West is this concept of acupuncture as a metaphysical art tied to mysticism of the East, and impenetrable to the understanding of the modern mind.
Acupuncture most likely began in China, and we owe a debt of gratitude to it’s rich history.  The first manned flight was achieved in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.  And while we applaud the efforts of the Wright brothers, it is obviously a silly notion to think that the pilots and engineers of the rest of the world who aren’t embedded in American culture are unable to understand the dynamics of flight.  The laws that govern flight are the same for everyone.  In the same way, the laws that govern acupuncture are universal to the human being.  Acupuncture is a science that requires training in a very special way of interacting with the human body to facilitate health and healing.  It is a human science.  And while we look to China to study the history of acupuncture, it is to the West that we must fix our gaze to see it’s further evolution.
The best research in the world on Acupuncture is now being down in countries like the U.S. and Germany.  This research is helping to peel away the shroud of mystery that has separated acupuncture from the modern medical community, and kept it from being accepted as a true science by the average citizen.  Acupuncture isn’t a system of magic, belief or a supernatural feat.  It is a science that works with the natural systems of the human body in a way that other forms of medicine have not yet been able to.  It’s value is in it’s use for the treatment all mankind, and its future will be found in its integration with the broader medical community.  In this spirit, I hope that we can increase the acceptance and growth of acupuncture in the West not as an elitist or secretive mystical art, but a science of interacting with the human body in the service of all people, regardless of culture or background.

Posted in Acupuncture, Christopher Reilly L.AC, Healthcare Reform, Preventative Health, Traditional Chinese Medicine | 2 Comments, Click Here to Add Yours »

Is it Possible to Have Acupuncture Covered by Insurance?

Monday, August 31st, 2009

By: Rebecca Rice, L.Ac
Is it possible to have acupuncture covered by insurance?Yes! In light of the plethora of news about the reformation of health care, where does Chinese medicine stand?  Many practitioners in the field of holistic and complementary medicine are trying to encourage lawmakers to include services such as acupuncture into the new health care plan.  The national governing bodies for Oriental Medicine, the NCCAOM and the AAAOM are backing this measure.  To support acupuncture coverage please visit:  http://www.aaaomonline.org/  
For information on President Obama’s statement on preventative health care visit:
http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?id=31983

Posted in Acupuncture, Healthcare Reform, Rebecca Rice L.AC, Traditional Chinese Medicine | 2 Comments, Click Here to Add Yours »

Uncle Sam Wants….Us

Friday, August 7th, 2009

by: Chris Reilly, L.Ac
According to a recent article in Acupuncture Today (http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?id=32014), the programs that the U.S. Army, Navy and Marines are developing to more effectively support soldiers diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) will now emphasize an integrative approach.  To the standard treatments of drug therapy, psychotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy, these programs will add tai chi, reiki, yoga, acupuncture and medical massage.
 
This news comes in addition to news from 2008 when the Air Force began a pilot program to train a number of physicians to apply acupuncture for soldiers still in the field (http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?id=31882).  This “battlefield acupuncture” was and is being developed as a way to relieve musculoskeletal pain and some other health problems that can adversely effect a soldier’s ability to function at full potential.
 
Acupuncture’s reputation continues to grow by the year, and with innovations like those listed above, I’m sure that exciting new insights for the use of acupuncture, and the combination of integrative therapies with more conventional treatments will come to light!

Posted in Acupuncture, Christopher Reilly L.AC, Healthcare Reform, Pain Management, Preventative Health, Traditional Chinese Medicine | Comments Off

Massage Therapists are Health Professionals

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

by: Sue Coughtry, LMT

Something that I find disappointing in my practice is how seldom doctors recommend therapeutic massage to theirpatients for the alleviation of pain.  They prescribe drugs, give shots, some recommend physical therapy (which is good and physical therapists can do some massage, but usually do very little in their work) and recommend surgery.  Only a rare doctor recommends massage or soft tissue work.  But massage therapy can do wonders for many conditions in a gentle way with only beneficial side effects.  I think part of the problem is that most doctors – and most people for that matter – look at massage therapy as simply a relaxing luxury instead of a set of soft tissue techniques for relieving pain.  This became obvious just this year as our Governor considered taxing massage therapy as part of the beauty industry, though we are licensed in a health field.  Fortunately the economic stimulus package allowed the Governor to drop this idea, but it made it clear how most people view massage therapy.

NYS has the most stringent requirements and the toughest licensing exam in the country for massage therapists.  While there is no separate licensing exam or certification for medical or orthopedic massage therapists, it is generally understood that a medical massage therapist has had more hours of schooling and continuing education to learn the latest and most cutting edge techniques for pain relief.  Medical massage therapists are specialists in muscles and they know how muscle imbalances can affect the joints and the organs and posture and cause pain. 

I’d love to see massage therapy taken seriously as the health profession that it is. I’d love to see options for higher levels of education and licensure. I would love to see physicians refer patients to highly trained massage therapists – medical massage therapists – as a first step to see if the soft tissue techniques can solve the particular problem before they try something more invasive.  I’d love to see physicians collaborate with massage therapists the way many chiropractors do now.   I’m so grateful and delighted to be working with a group of doctors and health professionals who do take this seriously.  We have great success working together here at the Center.

Posted in Healthcare Reform, Massage Therapy, Sue Coughtry LMT | Comments Off

« Older Entries

Back to top

Bookmark|Share|Subscribe

Bookmark and Share

Subscribe

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Read more about integrative medicine news

Register and Login

  • Categories

    • Archives