New program pairs Bastyr naturopaths with doctors, nurses

Group Health Cooperative and Bastyr University have begun a new partnership to bridge the divide between conventional and alternative medicine, officials announced this week.

Starting this summer, students in their final year at Bastyr University's naturopathic medicine program will have the chance to shadow Group Health doctors and nurses during patient visits.

Students will observe patients, learn how various health conditions are treated with conventional medicine, and answer questions about naturopathic alternatives, said Dr. Bill Huff, a family physician and medical director of Group Health's alternative-services division. The students will not diagnose or treat patients.

"The whole point was to develop an avenue for the two medical fields to interact," Huff said.

Students will observe practitioners for half a day for over 10 weeks, said Martha Diehl, Bastyr's naturopathic program coordinator. "The emphasis is on getting more clinical experience," she said.

Between 15 and 20 Group Health practitioners inquired about the program, and nearly a dozen have signed up so far, Huff said.

"The fact is, our patients go see naturopaths. But they don't always tell their allopathic doctor," Huff said. "This is an attempt to foster that communication. ... It's not an 'us' vs. 'them.' "

A decade ago, most conventional doctors would have balked at the idea, he said.

But that's changing. Alternative medicine has gone mainstream, due, in part, to a 1996 state law mandating health-insurance companies cover acupuncture, chiropractic visits and other therapies. (The law was challenged all the way to the state Supreme Court, which unanimously upheld the mandate in 2000.)

A 2002 study of 31,000 adults by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 55 percent used alternative therapies to complement conventional treatments.

In Western Washington, more than 70 percent of cancer patients used everything from herbal supplements and massage therapy to naturopathic doctors to enhance their health, according to a study published in 2002 by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

The Group Health partnership is the latest push from Bastyr to break down barriers between the medical spheres. Treuman Katz, former CEO of Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center and now on the Bastyr board of trustees, organized a small group of Children's physicians to visit the university.

Bastyr University is one of the few accredited schools in the country offering naturopathic medical degrees. Founded in 1978, it also offers bachelor of science degrees in exercise science and wellness, health psychology, herbal sciences and nutrition.

Sonia Krishnan: 206-515-5546 or skrishnan@seattletimes.com