Marc Micozzi, MD, PhD

Big changes, as is said, happen through individual steps. A cultural shift toward wellness would presumably be marked by an uptake of grassroots practices into institutions which, by their nature, tend to conserve old ways of doing things, for better and for worse.

We marked one such step on that change continuum when the

Sponsoring a course on CAM in Spa business

Micozzi is well-known in this field. He c

"I think the truly new ideas and models of health and wellness are coming out of the business schools insofar as we have a dysfunctional, non-sustainable, irrational healthcare system using up 18% of our economy. The medical and public health schools have had chances to act as 'think tanks' for genuine change but have too many vested interests in the status quo. And the politicians who talk about healthcare reform (dating back to 1992 now) have been and continue to be ill-informed as to the real opportunities to have affordable, effective, healthful, rational, safe and sustainable healthcare. As often throughout US history, in our economic system, meaningful change will only follow the public voting with their feet and their pocketbooks, and a 'healing crisis' with the ultimate bankruptcy of the current healthcare system. Fortunately for all of us, the alternatives are already out there."

Spa Facilities for Health and Wellness Services

by Marc Micozzi, MD, PhD

The US healthcare system is in crisis and does not appear to be sustainable. Fortunately, alternative approaches to much of health and wellness are available.

Presently, three-quarters of Americans use health services now labeled as “complementary and alternative medicine” (CAM) for health and wellness. Americans now pay for CAM services primarily out-of- pocket. These payments now exceed total out-of-pocket charges for all outpatient mainstream health services.

	"CAM will do better in natural environments, resorts, spas than in the hospital-based model." Marc Micozzi, MD, PhD

CAM services in the US are usually available only in an outpatient (ambulatory care) setting in healthcare facilities. This setting provides only limited potential for the full therapeutic benefits of CAM.
Many people would benefit from the application of CAM therapies and protocols ('a cure') outside of healthcare facilities and in a more healthful environment.

CAM care can be provided in more healthful environments and at lower costs than in healthcare facilities while providing vastly enhanced levels of hospitality.

Spa Facilities are ideal settings for providing many CAM health and wellness services together with the benefits of a restful, stress-free, relaxing and healthy environment

Historically, much of today’s CAM may be thought of as natural medicine, or 'nature cures.' There is a great deal of now largely forgotten historical evidence about the benefits of 'nature cure' during the late 1700’s, 1800’s and early 1900’s in the United States.

The hidden or forgotten history of American medicine is highly relevant to fully understanding the potential benefits of CAM and natural healing today.

There is a tremendous opportunity to integrate the historically proven benefits of “nature cure” with contemporary CAM therapies in Spas.

Text recommended by Micozzi on the spa industry

A Side Note: One of my first, close colleagues in this field, Cathy Rogers, ND, introduced me to the spa and water-cure movements of the mid-to-late 19th century. Interestingly, the water-cure retreat was not only an alternative to the poisonous heroic measures of the conventional medicine of the time, it was also a place of significant empowerment and identity development for women in that era. (A fascinating text is Susan Cayleff's Wash and Be Healed: The Water Cure Movement and Women's Health.)

Rogers who was the founding academic dean at Bastyr University and later the second president of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians,has moved out of the institutions