Mercy Health Foundation awarded $40,000 grant to expand integrative medicine program
07 / 07 / 2011
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Maria Nelson, Media Relations
Affinity Health System
(920) 720-1752
(920) 554-0686 (pager)
OSHKOSH, Wis. – Mercy Health Foundation was recently presented with a $40,000 grant to continue support for Affinity Health System’s integrative medicine program. The program blends non-traditional healing methods with traditional health care.
Integrative medicine is a sub-specialty of primary care and consists of more "natural" medicines and complementary therapies such as acupuncture, massage, mind-body stress management, nutrition and yoga. People who may benefit from these treatments are those with chronic conditions like pain, fibromyalgia and heart disease as well as cancer patents who are dealing with pain management and the side effects of chemotherapy.
The grant will be used to educate providers about the benefits of integrative medicine in addition to expanding integrative medicine services throughout the Affinity system, including the Mercy Medical Center cancer and spine centers. Affinity will also pilot integrative medicine in Affinity Medical Group (AMG) Medical Homes, offering patients a more holistic treatment plan.
The integrative medicine program, which started in the late 1990s, began with the support of the Mary Kimball Anhaltzer family through the Alberta Kimball Foundation and was given additional aid from the late, Ted Leyhe, through the Alexandra Charitable Trust. The program is led by Jennifer Norden, MD and Elizabeth Kimbrough, MD, lo cated in the Mary Kimball Anhaltzer Center for Integrative Medicine at the AMG Koeller Street Clinic, Oshkosh.
Affinity Integrative Medicine providers promote a balance of healing-oriented medicine and traditional heath care by addressing the combination of an individual’s physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual sides to find the most-effective, least-invasive paths to healing.
Mercy Health Foundation has helped fund projects that promote health and well-being in the Oshkosh area since 1971. Its mission is to help those in need by collecting and distributing charitable funds to enhance Mercy Medical Center, Affinity Health System services and community health care initiatives.
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For the Editor:
Affinity Health System, a faith-based regional health care network, is the Fox Valley’s second-largest employer, according to the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry. For the fourth consecutive year, Affinity has been named one of the nation’s top 64 health systems based on clinical performance according to Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of health care. For ten consecutive years, Affinity Health System has been named to the SDI (formerly Verispan) Integrated Health Network Top 100, an annual assessment of the 100 most highly integrated health care networks in the nation. Both St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton and Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh rank among the top 1 percent of hospitals nationwide in terms of quality and efficiency, as determined by the 2007 Premier | CareScience Select practice National Quality Award. Members of Affinity include Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Health Foundation, Oshkosh; St. Elizabeth Hospital and the St. Elizabeth Hospital Foundation, Appleton; Affinity Medical Group, a regional network of 25 family practice and specialty clinics – 22 of which are recognized as NCQA Level III medical homes, the highest level of recognition – in 14 communities; Calumet Medical Center, Chilton; and Affinity Occupational Health.