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Dear Editor,

As Congress and the Obama Administration continue to struggle with issues related to escalating healthcare costs and the rising incidence of chronic disease in the United States, the first few months of the new Obama administration proved crucial in defining how alternative and integrative medicine can play a major role in transforming the United States’ failing health care system.

During a Town Hall meeting on April 29 in Arnold, Missouri, President Obama expressed his openness and acceptance of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) into our traditional healthcare system. President Obama has long expressed that our health care system is going to have to change with the priority placed on prevention instead of just the cure.

For those unfamiliar with the practice, integrative medicine is an approach to healthcare that places the patient at the center of care. Rather than concentrating solely on sickness and disease, it focuses on prevention and wellness, and attends to the physical, mental and spiritual needs of the personWhat we have now is a ‘sick care’ system that only reacts to problems when they occur. The integrative approach puts the patient at the center, addressing not just symptoms, but the causes of illness. It is care that is preventive, predictive and very personalized.

The alternative medicine model will lead not only to better health, but also dramatic cost reduction and savings.

To reform our healthcare system, we need to put the “health” back in “healthcare.” We should all follow President Obama’s lead by embracing this change.

Peter Amato

Founder and President of Scranton’s Inner Harmony Wellness Center