Hospitals Are Implementing Integrative Medicine Programs
Across the country, hospitals are implementing Integrative Medicine programs in response to an uptick in demand from patients for complementary and alternative treatment options. In fact, Integrative Medicine has become one of the fastest-growing specialties in North American healthcare because it strives to leverage all treatment methods available to deliver the best possible patient outcomes. At the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS), we recognized the growing demand for Integrative Medicine and developed the nation’s first and only Member Board dedicated solely to providing board certification in this field – the American Board of Integrative Medicine® (ABOIM). We work with hospital recruiters, credentialing bodies, and healthcare organizations of all sizes to ensure that our Diplomates have the opportunity to help this specialty continue to evolve and become further integrated in community healthcare systems.
Integrative Medicine Board Certification
The growth of Integrative Medicine programs in American hospitals is particularly notable when you consider the significant legwork that goes into opening a new department in an established hospital organization. Not only does it require significant inter-departmental cooperation to handle the legwork associated with starting a new department, hospital recruiters also must be sure to recruit highly trained physicians who specialize in this emerging field. This is where the ABOIM can be extremely beneficial. Our community of Diplomates have met our rigorous eligibility requirements, passed a standardized, psychometrically validated written examination, and demonstrated verified experience in the field. In other words, this process can help recruiters determine competency in the specialty among physician candidates.
Core Principles of Integrative Medicine
Integrative medicine emphasizes a holistic approach to patient care, evaluating the entire person—mind, body, and spirit—rather than just symptoms or diseases. This comprehensive perspective helps physicians fully understand a patient’s health and collaborate effectively to enhance their overall well-being. As integrative medicine continues to receive wider recognition, its core principles steadfastly guide its practice:
- To take into account all factors that impact health, wellness, and disease.
- To integrate both conventional and alternative methods to support the body’s natural healing processes.
- To prefer less invasive and less harmful interventions when suitable, addressing the whole person in addition to the disease.
- To ensure that medical practices are grounded in rigorous science, encourage continual inquiry, and remain receptive to new ideas.
- To foster healthcare as a cooperative partnership between the physician and the patient.
At the ABOIM, we work closely with hospital recruiters, lawmakers, credentialers, and other stakeholders to ensure that our Diplomates are given ample opportunity to help this emerging specialty continue to grow across the country. Today, our Diplomates work in hospitals of all sizes, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and various other leading healthcare providers across North America.
It is our belief that having highly experienced, eminently qualified physicians on staff is of the utmost importance for any healthcare organization, and hospital recruiters can be confident that our Diplomate pool includes physicians who are among the best and brightest in Integrative Medicine.
Integrative Medicine Pioneer Endorses ABOIM
Andrew Weil, MD, the founder of integrative medicine, fully supports the American Board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM), praising its establishment as a crucial advancement for the specialty.
“As a founder of the field of Integrative Medicine, I strongly support the American Board of Integrative Medicine,” Weil said. “The formation of ABOIM marks an important milestone in the development of the field. Finally there’s a way for qualified physicians to present themselves as experts in offering competent integrative care to patients.”
To learn more about the ABOIM or the ABPS, contact us today.