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The Veterans Health Administration Recognizes the Benefits of Integrative Medicine

VA Integrative MedicineIn many ways, the marriage between integrative medicine and the Veterans Health Administration makes perfect sense, so it’s no wonder that, in recent years, the VA has expressed a commitment to offering veterans access to integrative medicine professionals. Integrative medicine is a specialty that is focused on providing the best possible care to a patient by taking a whole-person approach. It emphasizes the relationship between the patient and the physician to not only treat disease, injuries, and ailments, but also to improve the patient’s overall health in an effort to avoid future problems. At the American Board of Integrative Medicine®, we applaud the VA’s forward-thinking policy of recognizing the value that integrative medicine can have on the patient’s mind, body, and soul, and we urge our nation’s veterans to learn more about integrative medicine to see how practitioners of this specialty may be able to provide care and comfort.

Integrative medicine is a specialty of medicine that focuses on using all available treatments to benefit the patient. This includes the best practices of modern, mainstream medicine but also many all-natural, complementary, and alternative techniques. It is all about doing what is best for the patient. Additionally, integrative medicine not only focuses on addressing specific problems that a patient may have, but also attempting to address their underlying cause or causes. For instance, if a veteran is having trouble sleeping, the physician may recommend a sleeping aid, but she also might attempt to determine what is causing the disruption in the patient’s sleep cycle.

Our nation’s veterans deserve the best possible care. The VA’s commitment to integrative medicine shows a capacity for forward-thinking by offering a variety of resources to the large population of veterans in the United States. With men and women returning home from combat with both physical and mental wounds, it is imperative that our infrastructure is equipped to provide compassionate, state-of-the-art healthcare services to former members of our armed forces.

If you are a physician who specializes in integrative medicine and you are interested in learning about becoming board certified in your area of expertise through the ABOIM, contact us today.

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Medical organizations throughout North America understand that our rigorous certification standards prove that ABPS Diplomates are capable of delivering the best patient care possible.

When I decided to pursue a full time role as a physician executive it was important to me to obtain additional professional training, education and work experience. Board certification through the ABPS in Administrative Medicine is validation of my efforts and a demonstration of dedication to professional development. We need more physicians to become full time health care executives, knowing there is a board certification option in Administrative Medicine encourages physicians to take the leap from full time clinical practice to healthcare organizational leadership.

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Administrative Medicine
The American Board of Physician Specialties has provided me with the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of internal medicine through board certification. As a hospitalist, board certification is an expected credential, and hospitals recognize the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) as one of the three standard credentialling bodies for Internal Medicine. Additionally, the ABPS has helped me develop leadership skills as a Board member and Committee Chairperson. ABPS has also helped me sharpen critical thinking skills as a test question developer and reviewer. The Allopathic (MD) and Osteopathic (DO) physicians in the ABPS are lifelong learners and frequently pursue multiple board certifications. I enjoy the camaraderie of my peers in ABPS.

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Emergency Medicine
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