Caring for a patient who is critically ill and dying poses communication challenges for everyone involved—patient, practitioners, and loved ones. How we communicate during this profound time in a person’s life can significantly impact end of life care. In this interview, health communications expert and researcher Carey Candrian, PhD, talks about the power of language and explains why it’s time to evaluate equity in hospice and palliative care. Candrian is an Assistant Professor with the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the author of the book Communicating Care at the End of Life. About the Expert Carey Candrian, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and a Cambia Health Foundation Sojourns Scholar. A social scientist with a postdoctoral degree in communication, Candrian explores how communication shapes—and is shaped by—perceptions, attitudes, and biases in the community. She earned her PhD in organizational and health communication from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she also was a researcher and instructor for 6 years.

Changing the Way We Talk About Death and Dying with Patients

Natural Medicine Journal's interviews with thought-leaders in the field of natural and integrative medicine dig deep into the most important topics in the field. Whether it's a one-on-one with top researchers in integrative medicine or a conversation with a practitioner about treating hard-to-tackle conditions, each episode promises to provide trusted, cutting-edge, evidence-based knowledge about natural medicine that you won't find anywhere else.

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Earlier this year the American Heart Association published information that time-restricted feeding was linked to a 91% higher risk of cardiovascular death. In this interview, Karolyn talks with integrative medicine expert Ronald Hoffman, MD, about this study and other research published on this subject over the past couple of years. Hoffman is one of the foremost experts on integrative medicine. He is the founder of the Hoffman Center in New York City and the host of the popular podcast Intelligent Medicine.    About the Expert Ronald Hoffman, MD, is a physician in private practice of integrative medicine in New York City. He is a graduate of Columbia College and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Since 1984, he has served as Medical Director of the Hoffman Center in Manhattan. Hoffman is past president of the American College for the Advancement of Medicine (ACAM). Hoffman is the host of Intelligent Medicine, a nationally syndicated radio program, and he produces the daily Intelligent Medicine podcast. He is a certified nutrition specialist (CNS) and the author of several books, including How to Talk with Your Doctor (About Complementary and Alternative Medicine). 

Does Time-Restricted Feeding Increase Risk of Cardiovascular Disease?

 Integrative medicine can help enhance recovery and improve surgical outcomes. Karolyn talks with cardiac anesthesiologist and integrative medicine expert Rosanne Sheinberg, MD, about how integrative practitioners can help their patients create a more successful surgical experience and optimize recovery.  About the Expert     Rosanne Sheinberg, MD, is an associate professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine at the University of Washington, with expertise in anesthesiology, cardiac anesthesiology, and perioperative transesophageal echocardiography. Previously an assistant professor and the program director of the Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship Program at Johns Hopkins Hospital from 2011 to 2022, Sheinberg has a diverse background that includes performing as a ballet dancer and in musical theater before earning her MD from Johns Hopkins. She has completed multiple fellowships, including in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona under Dr. Andrew Weil and in medical acupuncture. Sheinberg has contributed significantly to the fields of integrative and pain medicine, holding several directorship and educational roles and authoring key modules on integrative medicine approaches to pain management and perioperative care.    

An Integrative Approach to Perioperative Care: A conversation with integrative anesthesiologist Rosanne Sheinberg, MD

 Treating mold illness can be challenging. That’s why an integrative approach to diagnosis and treatment is often needed. In this interview, Eric Dorninger, ND, LAc, describes his integrative mold illness protocol. At his practice in Louisville, CO, Dorninger is well-versed in finding and treating underlying causes of chronic illness, which includes mold illness.  About the Expert Eric Dorninger, ND, LAc, began his healthcare journey with a pre-med degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder, where he immersed himself in diverse medical experiences, from volunteering at Porter Care Hospice to training as an EMT under herbalist Brigette Mars. His passion for holistic healing led him to pursue a doctor of naturopathic medicine and master of science in acupuncture at Bastyr University, culminating in a residency in naturopathic primary care. In 2005, he founded Roots and Branches Integrative Health Care, focusing on uncovering the root causes of chronic illness. Dorninger is not concerned with “what you have” as much as he is with “why you have it.” He uses reproducible, validated labs and imaging to find hidden, underlying causes of mystery illnesses and brings a relentlessly thorough diagnostic approach to solving the riddles of chronic illness. Dorninger's commitment to innovative diagnosis and treatment extends to his role as a certified Shoemaker practitioner, educator, researcher, and podcast host, enriching the field with his holistic approach to health and wellness.

An Integrative Approach to Treating Mold Illness

Artificial intelligence (AI) is dominating headlines and dinner table conversations, and many of us are interested in understanding the impacts it may have on our lives and our practices. Emerging research points to the many ways we can expect AI to play in healthcare in the coming months and years, and it would be a good idea for healthcare providers to take heed. This roundtable discussion features three experts: Tina Kaczor, ND, FABNO, who is a medical editor and naturopathic oncologist; Marina Sirota, PhD, who is a researcher and biomedical informatics expert and associate professor with University of California, San Francisco (UCSF); and Charlotta Lindvall, MD, PhD, who is a researcher, assistant professor at Harvard, and the Director of Clinical Informatics at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. They discuss current research on AI in healthcare, and explore the concerns that need to be addressed before employing AI fully in the healthcare system. About the Experts Tina Kaczor, ND, FABNO, is editor in-chief of Natural Medicine Journal and the creator of Round Table Cancer Care. Kaczor is a naturopathic physician board certified in naturopathic oncology. She received her naturopathic doctorate from the National University of Natural Medicine and completed her residency at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. She is also the editor of the Textbook of Naturopathic Oncology and cofounder of The Cancer Pod, a podcast for cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and everyone in between. Marina Sirota, PhD, is an associate professor and the acting director at the Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute at UCSF. Prior to that, she worked as a senior research scientist at Pfizer, where she focused on developing precision medicine strategies in drug discovery. She completed her PhD in biomedical informatics at Stanford University. Sirota’s research experience in translational bioinformatics spans nearly 20 years, during which she has coauthored over 170 scientific publications. Her research interests lie in developing computational integrative methods and applying these approaches in the context of disease diagnostics and therapeutics with a special focus on women’s health. The Sirota laboratory is funded by the National Institute on Aging, the National Library of Medicine, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Pfizer, March of Dimes, and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. Dr Sirota also is the director of the AI4ALL program at UCSF, with the goal of introducing high school girls to applications of AI and machine learning in biomedicine, and she leads the outreach and advocacy efforts at the Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute. Charlotta Lindvall, MD, PhD, is a practicing palliative care physician, assistant professor, and director of Clinical Informatics at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. She leads a cross-disciplinary research team of physicians, nurses, and computer scientists to develop AI to extract patient-centered outcomes from clinical narratives and conversations. ClinicalRegex, a software developed by her lab, is used to identify text-based primary outcomes in multiple clinical trials involving tens of thousands of patients in the United States. She leads the Clinical Informatics AI strategy at Dana-Farber and is a technical expert on AI for the National Quality Forum. Dr Lindvall has received multiple awards and prizes, including a NPCRC Junior Investigator Award, a Sojourns Scholar Award, and an Innovation Award from the National Quality Forum. Funding for her research includes grants from the Cambia Health Foundation, the Veteran Affairs, and the National Institutes of Health.

Taking a Closer Look at the Potential of AI in Healthcare

 In this interview, Karolyn talks with Lilian Cheung, DSc, RD, who is the Director of Health Promotion & Communications and Director of Mindfulness Research and Practice at Harvard. Cheung discusses the recent release of the 2023/2024 Healthy Living Guide and her work with the new Thich Nhat Hanh Center for Mindfulness in Public Health at Harvard. About the Expert Lilian Cheung, DSc, RD, is lecturer, director of Health Promotion & Communication, and director of Mindfulness Research and Practice at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Department of Nutrition. She is the editorial director of The Nutrition Source, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s nutrition website and co-editorial director of Asian Diabetes Prevention Initiative and Obesity Prevention Source. Her work focuses on translating science-based recommendations into public health communications and programs. Her insight into healthy living and mindfulness practice led to Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life, coauthored with Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh (2010).    

Changing the Way We Talk About Death and Dying with Patients

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