Is There Any Money in Integrative Medicine?

This is the title of an article in the March issue of HealthLeaders magazine. In essence, the article focuses on the continued development of integrative medicine centers based at academic medical centers. Specific institutions that are mentioned are Johns Hopkins Integrative Medicine and Digestive Center in Baltimore, Allina Hospitals and Clinics program at Abbot Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, and Duke University Medical Center, in North Carolina.

Most of the article features commentary by Linda Lee, MD, director of the Johns Hopkins Integrative Medicine program. Dr. Lee comments about the misconceptions with the terms "alternative" and "complementary", suggesting that to some, alternative connotes rejection of Western medicine and complementary means complimentary, which means free, which the service is not. According to Dr. Lee, Integrative Medicine means enhancing Western medicine, not rejection of one over the other. I wholeheartedly agree that we should refrain from using the terms alternative and complementary, especially alternative.

So what about the ability of having Integrative Medicine programs to be financially viable? Dr. Lee suggests that such programs do have the potential to generate financial returns, but it takes time. Paul Keckley, executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions offers that integrative health centers may not be profitable now, but that could be changing. He says that evidence of the efficacy of integrative health programs is growing and winning over some traditional medicine skeptics.

Our experience at the Marino Center is that to be financially viable, an integrative health center must be primary care centric and truly integrative. Unless holistically minded primary care is at the center of the clinical model, it is highly unlikely that a program that contains only non-primary care services, such as acupuncture, chiropractic, physical therapy, therapeutic massage, etc. will have financial staying power. In short, the primary care centric model is what has enabled the Marino Center to grow and develop as a self-sustaining integrative health entity.

While I agree with much of what Dr. Lee and Mr. Keckley say about the clinical and human value of the integrative health approach, financial viability is critical to sustain this model of care.