WellStar explores Alternative and Complementary Medicine

WellStar’s aim is to provide a truly exceptional and unique healthcare experience in the Health Parks planned for Acworth and East Cobb. A planning group continues to investigate the addition of alternative and complementary medicine to the Health Parks. As a follow-up to a Health Park Health and Wellness Summit in the spring, providers were surveyed regarding their referral to and personal use of alternative and complementary medicine practices that have been validated or studied by the National Center for Alternative and complementary medicine. More than 150 providers responded to the survey. Nearly half of those responding have personally used alternative and complementary practices. Fifty-three percent of responders said that they often recommend probiotics for their patients.  A third of responders indicated that they often referred patients for massage therapy or yoga. Meditation and Pilates followed closely with 20 percent of respondents indicating that they often referred patients for those modalities.  The Health Parks Steering Committee will continue to investigate the placement of appropriate Alternative and Complementary Therapies in the Health Parks. Steering Committee members include the following:

Steering Committee:

• Joe Brywczynski, senior vice president, Health Parks Administration
• Don Campbell, M.D., senior vice president of physician leadership
• Marcia Delk. M.D., senior vice president of Medical Affairs and chief quality officer
• Denese Miller, HIM supervisor
• Kim Paris, community outreach coordinator, Health Parks Administration
• Deborah Roegge De Vita, vice president, Women, Newborn & Pediatric service line
• Mitzi Rubin, M.D., WellStar Medical Group, Family Medicine

For more information about Health Parks contact Joe Brywczynski at joe.brywczynski@wellstar.org or Kim Paris at kim.paris@wellstar.org.