By Erika Schultz, Graduate Intern at AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine

• Americans spend $8,000 per capita on healthcare in comparison to $3,000 per capita in other developed countries and has some of the worst health outcomes.
• Insurance rates have increased at such a rate since 1945 that if the same inflation were applied a dozen eggs cost would now cost $55 and a gallon milk $48
• The United States is listed as #50 on the list of countries with greatest life expectancy.

These are just a few of the powerful facts and anecdotes sprinkled throughout the film “Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare” – a documentary full of interviews with those who are leading the way to a more integrative approach to medical care. The film features Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Don Berwick, and Dr. Dean Ornish to name a few. In addition, we hear from primary care physicians on the front-lines of treating patients who are completely overwhelmed by a system designed to reward them for procedures instead of outcomes. Read more

By Lisa Weber, CHC, Student in the Master’s Program at Emperor’s College

Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency room physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, a clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School and author of When Doctor’s Don’t Listen: How to Avoid Misdiagnoses and Unnecessary Tests, recently took time out of her book tour to visit Emperors College and share her vision for what Western medicine can do to improve patient care, and what patients can do to ensure they get the most from their doctor.

Lisa Weber, CHC

Though a traditionally-trained MD, Dr. Wen’s advocacy for deepening patient-practitioner communication hits at the heart of Oriental medicine, and sheds light on the movement within Western medicine to refocus on the whole person, not merely the collection of a patient’s symptoms and diagnoses. Dr. Wen even draws inspiration from traditional Chinese medicine which further excites us and demonstrates Western medicine’s growing interest in collaborating with other healthcare providers for the betterment of patient outcomes.

Lisa Weber, first-year student of the master’s of traditional Oriental medicine at Emperor’s College, read When Doctor’s Don’t Listen and attended Dr. Wen’s presentation at Emperor’s College. She shares her insights from both below. Read more

By Nina Grenningloh, Communications Specialist at Emperor’s College

Acupuncturist Heather Lounsbury, who graduated Summa cum Laude from Emperor’s College in 2001, has been successfully running her Oriental medicine practice in Santa Monica, California, for over a decade. She has worked with many award-winning celebrities, including Rainn Wilson, Coldplay, Tori Spelling, Carmen Electra, and Dave Navarro. And she was featured as Best of the Best in Elite Traveler‘s 2006 Black Book.

Nina Grenningloh, Communications Specialist

In addition to treating patients in her private practice, Lounsbury puts a lot of effort into public relations activities. As a result, you can see her frequently as a guest speaker on television and radio shows, at local colleges, and even at Whole Foods. Her weekly radio show “Live Natural Live Well” covers a wide variety of health topics and general advice for green living.

I sat down with Heather Lounsbury to find out what advice she has for recent graduates and newly licensed Oriental medicine practitioners who want to start their own business and promote themselves to patients and their local community. Lounsbury shared insights into her success as well as some of the challenges she has been facing along the way. Read more

By Jorga Houy, LAc, Emperor’s College Alumnus and Owner of LA Sports Acupuncture

“The best cure for insomnia is to get a lot of sleep.”  – W.C. Fields

Sleep is one of the most important things in life, our ultimate “down time.” Many critical physiological functions occur when we sleep, including a great degree of our healing. For many of us, sleep is a like a dip into a relaxing pool for our consciousness, but can be a source of stress for many who don’t get enough of it.

From a Chinese medicine perspective, the quietude of sleep is the yin which balances the yang of our waking, active life. In our modern “go go” lifestyle, adequate sleep often gets sacrificed or compromised in favor of work or other activities, thus throwing off the essential yin/yang balance of our overall lifestyles. On occasion of National Sleep Awareness Week, I’d like to share 4 tips for better sleep: Read more