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Herbal medicine goes mainstream: Breaking it down with Dr. Oz

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Lisa Flam TODAY

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Herbal medicine is moving into the mainstream at one of the nations top hospitals.

At the Cleveland Clinic, Eastern and Western medicine are being practiced alongside each other. The latest addition to the mix is herbal treatments, which have been used in China and other eastern countries for centuries.

There are more ways of healing than just our conventional medicine, Dr. Melissa Young, of the Cleveland Clinics Center for Integrative Medicine, told TODAY. It doesnt have to be an either-or, and were seeing, I think, the best results often when we can combine both philosophies.

Much of the research on using herbs as medicine has been done outside of the United States, but doctors at the Cleveland Clinic believe herbs can be effective when properly administered and monitored, as they can contain contaminants or be toxic if used improperly.

I think theres this misconception that if somethings natural, that its safe, and thats not always the case, Young said. They really need to be under the guidance of an integrative physician who has experience and training in this field.

At the Cleveland Clinics Center for Integrative Medicine, patients need a doctors referral to see a Chinese herbal provider, and their care is monitored by doctors. It is not covered by insurance, so patients pay out-of-pocket.

Dr. Mehmet Oz told TODAYs Matt Lauer that he adores herbal medicines and applauded the Cleveland Clinic. But he stressed the importance of receiving herbal treatments from a knowledgeable provider.

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Herbal medicine goes mainstream: Breaking it down with Dr. Oz

Can herbs help? Dr. Oz explains Eastern medicine

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>>> for years you've heard about the benefits of alternative health treatments like herbal remedies . now one of the top medical institutions in this country is turning to them. we'll talk to dr. oz about that in a moment. but first, more on the cleveland clinic 's approach.

>> a yoga class is not something you'd expect at one of the top hospitals in the country. but at the cleveland clinic eastern and western medicine are practiced alongside each other at the center for integrated medicine. the latest edition? that's right. herbal medicine .

>> there are more ways of healing than just our conventional medicine .

>> herbal treatments have been used in china and other eastern countries for centuries, with much success. and now western doctors are embracing more of those practices here.

>> it doesn't have to be an either/or. we're seeing i think the best results often when we can combine both philosophies.

>> reporter: the cleveland clinic is among the first hospital to dispense herbal remedies alongside traditional medicine , but it may not be the last. nearly 40% of americans now use health care approaches developed outside of main stream medicine. while there is little scientific research on using herbs as medicine in the u.s. doctors here at the cleveland clinic believe chinese herbs can be very effective when properly monitored and administered.

>> i think there is a misconception it is something natural, it's safe. that is not always the case. they really need to be under the guidance of, you know, an integrated physician who has experience and training in this field.

>> here to walk us through some of the most popular herbal remedies , dr. oz. good to see you.

>> good morning.

>> 5,000 years people have been using herbal remedies in eastern cultures. are you surprised it's taken so long to make main stream medicine here?

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Can herbs help? Dr. Oz explains Eastern medicine

Volunteers in Medicine expanding services

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Volunteers in Medicine will open a new free clinic in Scranton and expand services in Wilkes-Barre thanks to two grants from the state Department of Health.

Kelly Ranieli, executive director of Volunteers in Medicine in Wilkes-Barre, said staff was researching the possibility of opening a free clinic in Scranton for some time.

We knew there was an absolute need for free health care in Lackawanna County. So when the notice came out (about about the grant availability) from the Department of Health, it seemed like the perfect opportunity, Ranieli said.

VIM applied to the departments Community-Based Health Care Grant Program and was awarded $500,000 to open and staff the new clinic and $185,450 to hire a medical director and nurse for the Wilkes-Barre clinic at 190 N. Pennsylvania Ave., as well as implement an electronic medical records system there.

Department spokeswoman Holli Senior called the program a core tenant of Governor (Tom) Corbetts Healthy Pennsylvania plan that strives to bring immediate preventative primary care services to underserved areas of the state. Programs like this one are critical to increasing access to care.

The VIM clinic in Lackawanna County is being established in collaboration with The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education and will be located at 640 Madison Ave. Services will be provided by The Wright Centers medical residents and volunteer healthcare providers.

Wright Center already operates an HIV clinic and a primary care facility in the Madison Avenue site. Staff hope for a soft opening of the free clinic on May 1. The new clinic will initially be open weekday afternoons; operations will expand to 40-plus hours per week as more medical professionals sign up to volunteer.

The new hires at the Wilkes-Barre clinic will ensure medical staffing for its 40-plus operating hours and allow walk-ins to be better accommodated.

Ranieli expects there will continue to be a need for free clinics far into the future, even with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

She cited a report by AmeriCares, a non-profit emergency response and global health humanitarian organization, that says millions of people who are uninsured will remain so not only in 2014, but for years to come, and millions more will move from uninsured to under-insured status.

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Volunteers in Medicine expanding services


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