AIMA Newsletter - May 2021

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In this issue: Events | Latest research | Training | Jobs

MAY 2021
AIMA President's Report

Dear <<First Name>>,

As many of you are no doubt aware the Australian federal government has been working on a National Preventive Health Strategy, consultation on the final draft of this closed last month. The draft strategy (here) identifies a number of key focus areas for preventive health. These are:

Reducing tobacco use
Improving access to and the consumption of a healthy diet
Increasing physical activity
Increasing cancer screening and prevention
Improving immunisation coverage
Reducing alcohol and other drug harm
Protecting mental health

The strategy focusses on public health campaigns and education as key to preventive health.

As integrative doctors and practitioners we are thrilled that the government is renewing the approach to prevention and that they have understood the importance and power of simple lifestyle interventions for health and wellbeing. However, we believe that there is so much more that can be done to prevent illness and restore people to health. As integrative doctors and practitioners this is a central to our practice.

We believe that the key to health starts with seeing the patient as a whole person, with a unique history and living environment. We then place the patient as central to their own care and work with them on lifestyle interventions and treatments to return them to health. This personalised approach to medicine and health is a very effective tool, empowering people to have and express agency over their health and bodies.

Integrative medicine, its doctors and practitioners, must become core to the government’s understanding of what preventive medicine is and can be. We are models for how a system which truly focusses on health and wellbeing can operate. To these ends, AIMA continues to work towards a new transparency and processes, including a Fellowship in Integrative Medicine, to facilitate training and to showcase the safe, effective and transformational medicine we practice.

We hope that the Government’s new focus on prevention will open the door to systemic change that will facilitate our unique patient centred care model. We will continue to work to realise AIMA’S vision of ‘a society where everyone can experience their optimal health and wellbeing through integrative medicine and its sustainable model of healthcare’

Warmly

Dr Penny Caldicott
AIMA President

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EVENTS

Bio Balance Health presents

Livestream Patient Assessments and Q&A - 2 Day Event
Saturday 22 May 2021 and Saturday 29 February 2021
8:00am - 5:30pm Brisbane Time

Includes livestream patient assessments and Q&A sessions facilitated by a panel of USA and experienced Australian BBH doctors.

Day 1 - Saturday 22 May 2021 - Mental Health Stream

Day 2 - Saturday 29 May 2021 - ASD Stream

Registration available for one or both days. Click here to register.

Enquiries: info@biobalance.org.au or marnie@biobalance.org.au

More Information: www.biobalance.org.au

AIMA is proud to be a Partner for Mind Medicine Australia’s International Summit on Psychedelic Therapies for Mental Illness, taking place in Melbourne from 19-20 November 2021 at the Sofitel Melbourne On Collins.

The two-day Summit on Psychedelic Therapies for Mental Illness will bring together clinicians, scientists, academics, mental and public health professionals, philanthropists, Government, law and policy makers, business, industry, investors, consumers and other interested stakeholders. The event will be preceded by a two-day workshop program for therapists, health professionals and members of the public with leading international facilitators.

The Summit will feature a rich program of international and national keynotes, master classes, hot spots, panel conversations, and a gala dinner Q & A.

Together we can change the paradigm for mental health. Please join us – we hope to see you there!

For more details and to register for tickets, please visit: https://summit.mindmedicineaustralia.org/

AIMA DISCOUNT!
As a partner for this event, we are delighted to extend an invitation to you and your colleagues and networks to gather in Melbourne in November 2021.

Please use and share the password MMA2021 to redeem a 10% discount on ticket bookings.

RESEARCH SNIPPETS

Green Light Therapy Reduces Migraine Pain

When it comes to migraine, light therapy may seem counterintuitive as migraine attacks are often accompanied by severe light sensitivity.

However, according to results of a small study from the University of Arizona, Tucson patients with migraines experienced about a 60% reduction in pain intensity and the number of headache days per month after exposure to green light therapy.

"The use of a nonpharmacological therapy such as green light can be of tremendous help to a variety of patients that either do not want to be on medications or do not respond to them," coauthor Amol M. Patwardhan, MD, Ph.D., said in the press release. "The beauty of this approach is the lack of associated side effects. If at all, it appears to improve sleep and other quality of life measures," said Patwardhan, associate professor and vice-chair of research in the University of Arizona's department of anesthesiology.

To read the full article by Kate Johnson in RxList online click here or to read the results from the trial, click here.

Spanking may affect the brain development of a child

Spanking children may affect their brain development in a similar way as more severe forms of violence, according to a new study by Harvard University researchers.

According to the study, children who had been spanked had a greater neural response in regions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in the brain. This is the area of the brain that responds to cues in the environment that may be threatening and affects how the individual makes decisions and processes situations, according to the researchers.

These findings suggest that spanking may alter neural responses to environmental threats in a manner similar to more severe forms of maltreatment. As far as a child's brain is concerned, it's all violence.

To read an article about the study by Jennie Koenig in WebMD Health News click here.

TRAINING

Bio Balance Health Medical Doctor Online Training: Precision Medicine for Mental Health

A self-paced online training syllabus for Medical Doctors, demonstrating biochemical and biomarker measures to individualise the design of current mental health treatment options.

Register and start learning today!

https://www.biobalance.org.au/training/

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MBA CALL TO ACTION

Do you have RACGP or ACRRM fellowship, but not specialist registration? This affects you

GP access to Medicare rebates will be linked to specialist registration with the Medical Board of Australia, after Commonwealth Government changes to the Health Insurance Act 1973.

From 16 June 2021, Services Australia will use Ahpra’s Register of Medical Practitioners to determine GP access to Medicare rebates.

From this date, general practitioners with a fellowship qualification from RACGP or ACRRM must hold specialist registration with the Medical Board to access Medicare rebates. Affected GP fellows need to apply now for specialist registration as a general practitioner with the Medical Board.

You can check what type of registration you have on Ahpra’s public register.

More information

There is more information and FAQs for GPs applying for specialist registration on the Medical Board website.

More information about the Commonwealth Government changes is available on the Department of Health website.

JOBS

GP with a special interest in integrated health/holistic medicine - Brisbane, Australia

Due to a long-term Doctor retiring, Aspley Medical Centre has a full-time opportunity available for a GP to join our practice and take over a large existing patient base. This would ideally suit a GP with a special interest in integrated health/holistic medicine.

Conveniently located just half an hour north of Brisbane CBD, our clinic combines integrative health and holistic medicine with general practice, including chronic fatigue treatment and IV nutrients.

You will be joining an excellent team of Doctors and support staff, in a collegial and supportive environment. The centre also has excellent treatment room nurse support, including CDM nurses.

Other on-site services include allergy testing and vasectomies. Several allied health services are located nearby, including a pharmacy, pathology, and an endodontist. The centre is also fully equipped with Best Practice software.

If you are looking to build your practice in a professional and supportive environment, contact Fiona James on 0447 006 846 or fiona.james@ipn.com.au to learn more.

GP OPPORTUNITIES - National Institute of Integrative Medicine (NIIM) Wellness Clinic in Melbourne, Australia is expanding

Are you looking for job satisfaction and new opportunities to build your practice in a professional and supportive environment?

Do you value personalised patient-focused care, and enjoy a collaborative approach with passionate like-minded colleagues to help change health outcomes for individuals?

NIIM Wellness Clinic is a cutting-edge practice of the future, and we are expanding to meet increased patient demand. Based in Hawthorn, Melbourne, NIIM Wellness Clinic is part of a not-for-profit entity that promotes holistic primary healthcare services in a multidisciplinary setting. We are committed to supporting our practitioners with extensive professional development programs and excellent medical administrative support. Available roles include:

GP - Integrative Health Check
GP - Clinical Director of Complementary Therapies
GP - Mental Health Interest
Integrative GPs (flexible days/times)

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please contact Amanda Quealy, CEO via email: ceo@niim.com.au or call Amanda for a confidential discussion on 0408 990 438.

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We rely on your support to reach our goals. Help us to bring integrative medicine into the mainstream, foster true collaborations between doctors and practitioners, build a vibrant integrative medicine community, and support and advocate for integrative practitioners and integrative medicine through the power of a collective voice.

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Disclaimer: The information contained in this newsletter is intended to provide accurate and helpful health information for the general public. The information should not be considered complete and does not cover all diseases, ailments, physical conditions and/or their treatment. It should not be used in place of a call or visit to a medical, health or other competent professional, who should be consulted before adopting any of the suggestions in this newsletter or drawing inferences from it. Please note that the views expressed within are the presenters own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australasian Integrative Medicine Association.