| “We’re in the midst of a health care crisis,” said Andrew Weil, MD, keynote speaker at the May 13 Mission Award luncheon, “and it’s going to get much, much worse.” The best-selling author and complementary medicine advocate sees a bleak future for an aging and sedentary population if lifestyles, medical care and insurance systems don’t change. “Think what’s going to happen when the baby-boomers age and the obese kids grow up.” Dr. Weil suggested that the necessary change won’t take place until there’s first “an important philosophical shift: good medicine begins with the body’s innate ability to heal itself.” Interestingly enough, it’s the consumer, not the health care provider, who is pushing for a better healing paradigm, one that integrates the best of orthodox medicine with the best of natural, complementary medicine. “There’s a real movement in this country towards integrative medicine,” said Weil. “and people are demanding to be participants in their healing. They’re beginning to recognize that the more important philosophy is focusing on health and healing, rather than disease and treatment-the physician-patient relationship is a partnership, is something magical and sacred.” When Weil first began advocating for the incorporation of cost-effective and less-invasive natural therapies and a more judicious use of aggressive and oftentimes expensive medical interventions, he felt himself to be “the lone voice” in the medical establishment fighting for such a change. It was only when the consumer movement got to a point where it could no longer be ignored by the health care industry that he noticed others slowly picking up his battle cry. As medical institutions began to collapse due to spiraling costs, hospitals and insurance companies had to look hard at where all the money was going. “Complementary and alternative medical treatments are cost-effective,” said Weil, “but until data can actually prove they’re more effective than conventional treatments, these therapies still won‘t be fully integrated.” Weil suggested in his talk that the way to prove such is to do research and conduct studies, which themselves are expensive. “So how do we get this done?” he asked. “We approach corporations, the private sector, to fund it. Or we get the cooperation of communities.” Weil hopes a town or city would be willing to help demonstrate health care savings by involving its citizens in a controlled study comparing standard medical care with integrated care. For demonstrating in a number of ways that natural medicine can be helpful in solving the country’s health care problems, Weil already has a community in mind. “I think Seattle could very well be the center for where these things start,” he said. He went on to say that one of his dreams is to see an integrated center for healing or a hybrid spa/medical clinic featuring complementary therapies in this area. Weil pointed out that another good reason to expect great things out of the Seattle area is the influence of Bastyr University . “Bastyr is the leading academic force in natural medicine. I have great respect for the school, and I look forward to more collaboration with the university.” Weil commended Bastyr’s efforts to promote co-operation between natural medicine and orthodox care. “When naturopathic institutions can partner with allopathic institutions to promote integrated care and save all of us a lot of money, there’s an emergence of a genuinely new kind of medicine,” he said. “It’s an exciting time.” Andrew Weil holds an MD from Harvard Medical School and an AB in biology from Harvard University . He is a clinical professor of internal medicine as well as the founder and director of the program in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona ’s Health Sciences Center in Tucson . He is the author of eight best-selling books and is a frequent guest on national/international news and entertainment programs. Following Dr. Weil’s keynote address at the Mission Award luncheon in Seattle , Bastyr interviewed Dr. Weil in depth. Read the interview online. | 
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