Whatever their particular area of need, people are seeking answers to their health questions and concerns. They are using online forums and in-person events. Some are looking for the fountain of youth, while others are simply looking for solutions not provided through their interactions with the medical establishment (traditional providers and provider organizations).
Last weekend my wife and I attended the Body, Mind, Spirit Expo in Raleigh, NC. It comes to town every six months and we always enjoy attending. The array of healing modalities represented by the vendors is amazing: reiki, massage, aroma therapy, psychic healing, hynotherapy and more.
I’ve always thought it would be interesting to have a hospital set up a booth to market its wellness program and/or integrative medicine offerings. In the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina, Duke has a well established Integrative Medicine Program. Services include acupuncture, massage and bodywork, integrative nutrition and weight management, Yoga therapy, clinical hypnosis, mindfulness meditation, expressive art therapy, movement therapy, sand tray exploration, relaxation training, and guided imagery, among others. I would love to see an organization like Duke Medicine and its clinicians have a presence at these Body, Mind, Spirit Expos. It would be interesting to see how the organization would be received. These events attract a community of individuals who are open to holistic health and alternative therapies. From my perspective, it would be great to reach out to them and introduce them to the academic medical center’s approach to integrative medicine. There’s a very real possibility that it might change the way people look at our hospitals and healthcare systems. In any event, it is clear to me that we can do more to reach out to this audience that seeks non-traditional approaches to health and wellness.
The Healthcare Marketer 
I was introduced to the Duke Integrative Wellness Program through a former yoga teacher from Lexington, KY. Although I’ve moved, I still read her blog. On her blog, she promoted Leigh Ann Simmons’ integrative health coaching. I can’t remember how they met (most likely through yoga community). Leigh Ann was working on her (I think) doctorate through Duke and offering IHC as part of her dissertation. I signed on for coaching via weekly conference calls. I’ve kept an eye on Duke and Leigh Ann ever since. The two communities are organically linked.