Integrative Medicine Comes To City

HARRISONBURG — A new medical practice opening next week will bring a unique philosophy of health care to the city.

Rockingham Memorial Hospital is sponsoring the practice, RMH Integrative Medicine, located at 1931 Medical Ave.

The hospital is one of a small but growing number of health institutions to open an integrative medical practice.

“Their priority to establish this practice is a sign of their attempts to be innovative in providing care to the community,” said Dr. John Wenger, the principal provider for the new practice.

Integrative medicine combines conventional and complementary therapies, which include acupuncture, massage, yoga and osteopathic manipulation, to name a few.

It works off the premise that the body can heal itself if given the chance, Wenger explained. The practice takes into account the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of a person’s health.

Although integrative medicine is often confused with alternative medicine, the latter term doesn’t address the balanced combination of strategies used within an integrative practice. Alternative medicine is only a part of what an integrative practice offers.

“I really feel that we need to bring wellness and disease prevention into the forefront of health care and not just be a disease-management kind of system,” said Wenger, who completed a two-year fellowship in integrative medicine with the University of Arizona last year.

Wenger joined RMH in 2009 and was a family physician with RMH South Main Health Center before deciding to join the new practice. 
The practice will offer primary care to patients 6  and older.

Physicians there will refer patients outside the practice for complementary therapies. The practice will offer nutrition counseling and individualized treatment plans, among many other services.

The practice will treat the same disorders as any other primary care facility, albeit in a unique manner.

RMH Integrative Medicine will start seeing patients sometime next week but will receive calls starting Monday, according to Wenger.

The practice will be open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and closed daily from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m.

To schedule an appointment, call 564-5400.
 

Contact Candace Sipos at 574-6275 or csipos@dnronline.com