What's New at the Center

• Post -Doctoral Acupuncture Fellowship starts at Beth Israel Medical Center
• Going Somewhere? Try the Center's New Travel Clinic
• Urban Zen Initiative--Integrative Medicine in the Hospital
• Integrative Health for your Child at The Open Center 9/29-10-20

 
In Every Issue

• Topic of the Month
• Seasonal Health Tips
• New Research 
• Holistic Nurse's Corner
• Speaking of Healing....  
  

New Post Doctoral Acupuncture Fellowship at Beth Israel

 
Education has always been a high priority at the Department of Integrative Medicine and the Center and our newest addition to the Department's educational division is the formation of a post-graduate training program for licensed acupuncturists. Our senior acupuncture faculty, Arya Nielsen, Ph.D. is the director of this groundbreaking program.  

 

Each fellow, an experienced licensed acupuncturist practicing in the community, spends a year in the program. The fellowship not only provides the practitioners with educational advancement, but provides Beth Israel patients with acupuncture services at no cost--currently on the Pain and Palliative Care, General Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Family Medicine floors.
 
The program has been so successful that acupuncture is now a full medical consult service at Beth Israel!
For consult requests call Bonnie Everhart at 646-935-2248. (top)

 

An Integrative Travel Clinic now offered at CCHH
 
The CCHH now offers a travel clinic service. This fee-for-service program features a full selection of services required for travel including yellow fever shots, typhoid vaccination or an oral typhoid prescription, assessment of conventional immunizations, and consultation on integrative strategies to stay well while abroad. Fees are a mixture of out of pocket and covered services. CCHH is taking advantage of blending coverage as much as possible for standard immunizations but insurance policies are very explicitly making patients pay out of pocket for travel-related activity. The service is available to regular CCHH patients and appointments can be made by calling the front desk at 646 935-2259. (top)

 

 
Urban Zen Initiative
 
Under the leadership of our Executive Director and Integrative Medicine Department Chair, Dr. Woodson Merrell, and in collaboration with Dr. Louis Harrison, Chair of the Head and Neck Oncology Service at Beth Israel, the Urban Zen Initiative, a new integrative oncology service, was developed at Beth Israel Medical Center in 2009.  This was made possible by the generous support of Donna Karan's Urban Zen Initiative, a philanthropic effort aimed at improving the care of patients with cancer. Now actively underway, the program has generated so much interest it was featured in an article in The New York Times. 

 

 The main focus of this program is the creation of an optimal healing environment for patients undergoing cancer treatment for head and neck cancers.  This includes a designated "Sanctuary" space and training for the nursing and support staff in holistic nursing techniques such as relaxation therapies, aromatherapy and imagery. Certified yoga therapists work one-on-one with patients using breathing and yoga techniques.  Patients also receive audio and video materials for guided self-care created specifically for this project by renowned yoga teachers Rodney and Colleen Saidman Yee. (top)

 

  

A New Course: "Integrative Health for Your Child" at The Open Center  

 

 

Topic of the Month

Lunch on the Go:  Five Suggestions for Grab and Go Lunches from Home
By Mary Beth Augustine, RD

Lunch is a meal many Americans grab on the go and because of the time crunch it is easy to make poor choices.  Five healthy and time saving tips for building grab and go lunches I share with patients are:
 
Plant it!
Make your lunch 75% 'plants'!  Choose whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, and nuts and seeds as 75% of your meal. The remaining 25% of your meal can be derived, if you choose, from animal foods such as meat, poultry, fish, dairy or eggs. And, while we're on lunch mathematics and fractions - adhere to the Japanese cultural practice of "Hara Hachi Bu"- eat until you're 80% full - for mindful eating.
 
Make it colorful!
Go for the rainbow effect! Be sure to include yellow-orange, red, purple-blue, green, and white or tan plant foods.   
 
Go nuts!
Use chopped, sliced, and whole nuts or seeds and their 'butters'. Spread it, dip it, crunch it, just do it!
 
Bean there, do that!
Add some whole beans to salads, grains or veggie dishes, or choose a bean spread* as a filling for a wrap or a layer of a veggie sandwich. *Desert Pepper Trading Company makes a great line of all natural Southwestern red, black, and kidney bean spreads as a tasty alternative to hummus. more
 
Go for the good stuff!
The good fats that is - mix tahini with red pepper puree* and use it as a spread for turkey or chicken. Smear a layer of olive oil artichoke spread* on your sandwich or wrap as an alternative to mayonnaise or salad dressings. Pack a few dolmas* (grape leaves stuffed with rice in olive oil) and partner with a grilled chicken slices and orange segments. *Available at Trader Joes
 
Mary Beth Augustine, RD is a registered integrative nutritionist at CCHH and is the author of an electronic newsletter, The Natural Nutrition Newsletter.  For more information check her profile on the Center's website at www.healthandhealingny.org. (top) 
 
Seasonal Health Tip
 
By Roberta Lee, M.D.
 
Sunlight is natural and necessary for human health just as much as food, water and companionship. We need sunlight to establish the appropriate levels of vitamin D in our body-but we often forget this in our frenzy to fight skin cancer.
 
While vitamin D helps maintain the health of your bones by absorbing calcium more efficiently, its other benefits are becoming increasingly apparent.   Studies show that moderate exposure to the sun can help ward off prostrate, breast and colon cancers (1,2,3).  Interestingly, in 1940, Dr. Frank Apperly, a physician, observed that people living in sunny climates with latitudes between 10-30 degrees had lower rates of cancer than those living in the higher latitudes. In fact, people living in latitudes between 30-40 degrees had an 85% higher incidence of cancer, on average, than those living 20 degrees closer to the equator.
 
How does vitamin D protect us? Experts suggest that 25 hydroxy vitamin D3 prevents unhealthy cell growth, a potential precursor to cancer formation.

 

Measurement of vitamin D can be done in routine laboratory tests but it is the 25 vitamin D level that is the important form of vitamin D to measure. A result less than 20 ng/milliliter is considered deficient.
 
The current daily recommendations for vitamin D in adults are 800 IU- 1,000 IU per day.  Finding sources of vitamin D in the American diet is challenging. Here are some good sources: 

• An 8 ounce glass of milk provides a meager 100 IU of vitamin D
• One tablespoon of cod liver oil, a rich source of vitamin D,  provides 1,360 IU of Vitamin D
• A three ounce serving of salmon provides 360 IU of vitamin D
• A can of sardines provides 270 IU of vitamin D 
  

Because vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin it will accumulate in the body and be stored in the fat. This means vitamin D can reach toxic levels if taken in too high amounts.  
 
So how much sun is considered just enough to keep your vitamin D levels up? Expose 25% of your body to sun for approximately ten minutes, three times a week and use sun block afterwards to minimize radiation damage to your skin. Those who wish more details on Vitamin D metabolism should consider reading The UV Advantage by Michael Holick and Mark Jenkins.  Dr. Holick is a world renowned expert in Vitamin D research at The Vitamin D, Skin and Bone Research Laboratory at Boston University Medical Center. (top) 

Holick MF and Chen TC.  Vitamin D deficiency: a worldwide problem with health consequences.  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  87(4):1080S-6S, 2008.
 
Autier P and Gandini S.  Vitamin D supplementation and total mortality: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.  Archives of Internal Medicine.  167(16):1730-7, 2007.
 
Garland CF, Garland FC, Gorham ED, et al. The role of vitamin D in cancer prevention. American Journal of Public Health.  96(2):252-61, 2006.
 
Note: This article written by Roberta Lee is adapted from an electronic publication first released on the website Walkstyle in theHealth section on July 2007 by the author who regularly writes for this section. 
 
 
New Research

A variety of research projects are under way through the Department of Integrative Medicine research division. Our clinical trials include:

At the Center:

Zicam for Cold Sores or Herpes labialis:
This trial is evaluating the effects of a topical medication on the healing time and symptoms of cold sores. Those interested need to sign up as soon as they are aware of the presence of the cold sore.
Those interested should call  (646) 935-2296 or email  hlevenso@chpnet.org.

Online from CCHH:
A new web-based integrative medicine study is underway for patients with diabetes in conjunction with the Department of Endocrinology. The study will assess the effectiveness of participating in an online learning support program developed by the Center that helps people with diabetes incorporate integrative approaches into their daily management of diabetes along with their conventional care. To participate in this study, please contact the study coordinator Kamala Mantha at (212)420-3569. Participants must be enrolled at the Friedman Diabetes Institute at Beth Israel Medical Center.
 
At Beth Israel Medical Center:

Relaxation Therapies, Aromatherapy and Acupuncture for Quality of Life in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer.
In cooperation with Dr. Lou Harrison, Chief of the Cancer Centers at Continuum Health Partners, we have launched a clinical program of integrative medicine services in the Continuum Cancer Center. As part of this effort, we are collaborating on two studies. The first looks at the impact of relaxation therapies and aromatherapy on quality of life; the second examines the impact of acupuncture on xerostomia, the dry mouth condition extremely common in patients following radiation therapy. Both of these studies are in the early stages of enrollment and participants must be patients at the Head and Neck Cancer Department.

Urban Zen Initiative Impact on of Quality of life and Cost Effectiveness. This research protocol is evaluating the impact of the new "healing environment" on 9 Dazian and the experiences of patients admitted to Beth Israel for treatment of cancer. The protocol will also look at the impact of the Urban Zen program on the costs of care including length of stay in the hospital and medication use.

The contact for information on all existing research projects is through:
Hanniel Levenson
Continuum Center for Health and Healing
(646) 935-2296
hlevenso@chpnet.org
(top)

 

Holistic Nursing Corner by Wanda Diaz, RN

As the fall and winter seasons approach so does the subject of immunizations for seasonal influenza and H1N1 (Swine flu). The seasonal flu vaccine is unlikely to provide protection against a newer strain of H1N1 influenza.  However a H1N1 vaccine is currently in production and may be ready for the public in the fall.  
The Center anticipates offering coverage for the H1N1 virus beginning in October when we expect the vaccine to be available.  Additionally, the seasonal influenza vaccine should be available by September. 

According to the CDC website on seasonal influenza and H1N1 swine flu (http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/acip.htm) those recommended to receive these vaccinations include:

Those interested in receiving the flu/H1N1 immunizations can make an appointment and/or get on the waiting list by calling our nursing staff at 646-935-2262 & 646-935-2263. (top)

 

Speaking of Healing

CenterPoint interviews: Dr. Stephen Dahmer
 
CenterPoint interviewed our newest clinical faculty and family doctor at CCHH, Dr. Stephen Dahmer.  Dr Dahmer joined the Center in July 2009 and is available for pediatric and adult patients. He has numerous academic interests and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese in addition to his native English language.
 
Dr. Dahmer received his family practice residency training at Beth Israel Medical Center several years ago and extended his time at the Family Practice Out-Patient clinic by becoming a post-doctoral Integrative Medicine Fellow for one year. During his additional training he attended the online course offered at the University of Arizona's Program of Integrative Medicine founded by Dr Andrew Weil. Dr. Dahmer also taught and mentored residents at Beth Israel's Family practice residency program teaching various topics related to integrative medicine and clinical care. 
 
Dr. Dahmer was the fortunate recipient of an ethnobotanical scholarship to the Pacific Island area. During this month long scholarship he interviewed traditional healers on the island of Palau and worked with a team of botanists, ecologists and other scientists from The New York Botanical Garden. Just as it is important to get to know the person as a patient, CenterPoint asked Dr. Dahmer a few questions to learn a little bit more about him. For those interested, a more comprehensive bio is available on the Center's website: www.Healthandhealingny.org
 
CenterPoint: Dr Dahmer, your work with the Program in Integrative Medicine both at BIMC and online sounds intriguing. What do you think was the most important lesson you learned by the training?
Dr. Dahmer: It is hard to distill such a great program down to a single lesson.  I was influenced deeply by the idea of physicians fostering their own health and serving as effective role models for their patients.  In addition, I was impressed by the in-depth education on how diet, exercise, mental states, and habits all affect health, as well as the importance of mind-body interactions and spiritual dimensions of human health.  If I had to name the most important lesson I would say it would be the practical ways to harness the body's innate potential for self-regulation and healing and ways to improve health.
CenterPoint: How did your experience in the Pacific Islands add to the integrative knowledge you received?
Dr. Dahmer: My experience in Palau connected me more to the plant world and the origins of health and healing. It further stimulated my interest in ethnobotany and the complex relationship between culture and health. In medical school, these important aspects of health care are not taught. It offered me an incredible opportunity to learn firsthand the importance of traditional healing and to work closely with true healers. These experiences continue to shape my work as a doctor, even here in New York City.
CenterPoint: Are there other parts of the world where you have practiced medicine and what did you come away with from those experiences?
Dr Dahmer: I have practiced medicine in areas as diverse as Brazil, Dominican Republic, New Zealand, and Dine Biyekah or Navajoland. What impressed me most about health in these countries around the world was the importance of relaxation and its relationship to health.  This is something I try to share with all my patients.  Ask yourself, what do you do to truly relax? Most patients will answer: "exercise" or "watch TV". In Brazil, there is a praised word that means to do absolutely nothing: "vadiar".  Here in New York City, if you're doing nothing, it's looked down upon. I think we need to change that attitude and allow even short moments of deep relaxation back into our lives.  
CenterPoint: Do you have any special focused interest that is new?
Dr. Dahmer: I have developed a strong interest in Travel Medicine.  With my experience abroad I feel I can offer assistance to patients traveling internationally, especially to less developed countries. I also have developed deeper interests in the areas of stress reduction, Native healing practices, botanicals, and working with children. (top)

 

Are there any topics you would like covered? If so email us at centerpoint@chpnet.org